THE TRADITIONS LIBRARY
Super Lunch
One meal, three stops, and a shared mission. Everyone works together to choose a main, a side, and a beverage from three different places, turning lunch into a small family adventure.
Shared by:
The December Family
0009
CATEGORY
Family Adventures
FREQUENCY
As Needed
AGES
All Ages
COST
Flexible
The Story Behind It
Super Lunch began with a familiar question: “What would you like for lunch?” With three children, there were usually three different answers.
I wanted to find a playful way to meet in the middle while giving the kids a chance to practise teamwork and compromise. Instead of choosing one place for everyone, we made the meal itself a group project: a main, a side, and a beverage, each from somewhere different.
The children had to work together to make a plan. There was room to have fun, be silly, and contribute ideas, while still reaching a decision everyone could share.
What started as a solution to different lunch requests became a tradition of its own - one where deciding, collecting, and finding somewhere to eat are all part of the experience. Super Lunch has become a family favourite over the years for everyone and is always a little different.
What You'll Need
Time to plan, collect, and enjoy lunch together, with access to three places that can provide the different parts of the meal.
Agree on a budget before choosing, and keep everyone’s dietary needs in mind. Bring water, napkins, and any utensils you may need. Transport depends on your route; a food court offers a version you can do on foot.
Make It Your Own
Give everyone a role: suggesting combinations, checking the budget, planning the route, or finding the lunch spot. Rotate roles so different people get a turn.
Try a walking route, a food court, or a neighbourhood outing. For a lower-cost version, bring one or two parts from home and purchase the rest. You can also create a home version with three collection points around the kitchen.
Agree on how you’ll choose when opinions differ. Each person might suggest a complete combination before the group decides, or take turns making the first suggestion.
Leave room for different appetites and dietary needs. Working together can mean creating a shared plan without everyone having to eat exactly the same thing.
How It’s Done
We gather in the car in the driveway and begin planning our Super Lunch. Sometimes we play in a food court instead, where collecting everything is easier, although there are fewer places to choose from.
Together, the kids decide on three parts of the meal:
• A main from one place.
• A side from a second place.
• A beverage from a third.
• And often a dessert from a fourth.
They discuss the options and agree on a combination. Once the choices are made, we map out our route and collect everything before settling down to eat.
Our dining spot changes with the day. We might eat in the parked car, have a tailgate lunch, find a picnic spot, or sit together at the mall.
Choosing the food is only part of Super Lunch. Working out a plan together - and having some fun along the way - is part of the tradition too.