8 Simple Animal-Shaped Sandwich Hacks Your Grandkids Will Absolutely Love

A joyful grandmother and her young grandson make a sandwich together in a bright kitchen. The grandma, wearing a yellow shirt and floral apron, smiles as she adds lettuce, while the boy in an orange shirt watches excitedly. Plates of sandwich ingredients are spread out on the wooden counter.

Sharing is caring!

Welcome, Grandmas! Get ready for a fun and special time with your grandkids—making animal-shaped sandwiches! This isn’t just about yummy food. It’s a chance to laugh, learn, and make sweet memories together.

As you build these playful sandwiches, you’ll be helping your grandkids use their imaginations and try something creative. Picking their favorite animals and shaping food to match helps them think in new ways and build fun skills.

Let’s get started and enjoy every moment!

1. The Playful Puppy Sandwich

A dog-faced sandwich made from circular whole-grain bread, layered with ham and cream cheese. The face is decorated with cucumber and olive eyes, a cherry tomato nose, and grape tomato ears, with a slice of red bell pepper for the tongue.
DALL-E

Let’s start with a fun one—a playful puppy! Use soft, whole-grain bread and cut it into a circle using a cookie cutter. Save the crusts to make breadcrumbs later—nothing goes to waste in Grandma’s kitchen! Spread cream cheese or your favorite sandwich spread on the bread, then add turkey or ham.

To make the puppy’s face, use cucumber slices for eyes, a cherry tomato for the nose, and grape tomato halves for ears. Add a small piece of red bell pepper for the tongue. Now you’ve got the cutest puppy sandwich ever!

Tip: You can also try cucumber slices for ears, with carrots and olives for eyes.

2. The Silly Sea Turtle

A turtle-shaped sandwich featuring a round bun with a shell pattern, filled with tuna salad, and set on a bed of lettuce. The turtle’s head is a round roll with a smiling face, and pickle slices act as the flippers.
DALL-E

Let’s dive under the sea with this fun sea turtle sandwich! Start with a round piece of bread and spread tuna salad or chicken salad on top. For the turtle’s head, use a small round cracker and stick it on with a little cream cheese.

Make the eyes with tiny pieces of black olive and the mouth with a thin strip of red bell pepper. Add four pickle slices around the bread for flippers. Now your silly sea turtle is ready to swim across the table!

Tip: You can also use a pickle slice for the head if you like!

3. The Chatty Chirpy Chick

A round sandwich filled with egg salad and topped with olive eyes and a carrot beak. It has leafy greens for wings, cheese feet, and blueberries arranged in a circle around it, all presented on a square white plate.
DALL-E

This little chick is perfect for spring or Easter! Start with a round piece of bread and spread on some egg salad. (It’s a smart way to use leftover hard-boiled eggs!)

To make the chick’s face, use two black olives for the eyes and a tiny carrot triangle for the beak. Put two lettuce leaves on top for wings—and just like that, your chirpy chick is ready to fly!

4. The Funky Fish

A fish-shaped sandwich made with soft white bread and filled with tuna salad, decorated with orange cheese strips for scales and a cucumber slice for the eye. It's placed on a white plate surrounded by cucumber strips resembling seaweed.
DALL-E

Make a splash with this fun fish sandwich! Begin with two soft slices of bread, like brioche, and spread tuna salad, egg salad, or a mix of veggies and cheese inside.

Cut out a fish shape using a knife or a fish-shaped cookie cutter. Use a cucumber slice or cherry tomato for the eye, and thin bell pepper or carrot slices for colorful scales. Add some seaweed snacks or thin cucumber strips around the plate to look like sea plants. It’s a splashin’ good time!

5. The Cuddly Teddy Bear

A teddy bear sandwich with a round whole wheat bread base, decorated with banana slice ears, blueberry eyes, and a strawberry tongue. A smaller banana slice with a blueberry center creates the nose, all presented on a white plate.
DALL-E

Everyone loves a teddy bear—especially one you can eat! Start with two slices of whole wheat bread and spread your favorite filling, like peanut butter, almond butter, or cream cheese.

Put the slices together and use a round cookie cutter to make a circle. Add banana slices for ears, a raisin or blueberry for the nose, and more raisins or blueberries for the eyes. Use thin slices of strawberry or apple to make a happy smile. This teddy bear is almost too cute to eat!

6. The Roaring Lion

A cheerful lion sandwich with a round bread face, hummus spread, olive eyes, a cherry tomato nose, and carrot stick whiskers. The mane is made from carrot sticks radiating around the face, with basil leaves as ears.
DALL-E

Get ready to hear a big roar—this lion sandwich is the king of lunch! Start with a round piece of bread and spread pimento cheese or hummus on top.

To make the lion’s mane, place thin carrot or red bell pepper slices around the edge. Use two olive slices for the eyes, a cherry tomato for the nose, and thin yellow bell pepper strips for the whiskers.

Your roaring lion is ready to rule the lunchtime jungle!

Tip: You can also use Cheez-It crackers for the mane!

7. The Dashing Dinosaur

A dinosaur-shaped sandwich cut from whole wheat bread, placed on a bed of leafy green lettuce. The sandwich is detailed with eyes and a smile, resembling a friendly triceratops.
DALL-E

Let’s travel back in time with a dino-mite sandwich your grandkids will love! Start with two slices of bread and choose a yummy filling like turkey and cheese, or a veggie mix with avocado and cucumber.

Use a dinosaur-shaped cookie cutter to make the shape. Then place the dino sandwich on a plate with leafy greens like lettuce or spinach to look like a jungle. Your kitchen just turned into Jurassic Park!

8. The Beaming Butterfly

A butterfly-shaped sandwich with triangle-cut wings made from white bread, decorated with raisins. A celery stick forms the body, and pretzel sticks act as antennae. The sandwich is arranged on a round white plate with a green checkered cloth background.
DALL-E

This butterfly sandwich is perfect for a picnic or garden snack. Take two slices of bread and spread peanut butter and jelly (or another favorite filling). Cut the sandwich into four triangles by slicing both ways diagonally.

Arrange the triangles to look like wings. Use a celery stick for the body in the middle, and two pretzel sticks for antennae. Add raisins or dried cranberries to the wings for decoration. Your beaming butterfly is ready to take flight!

Love Being a Grandma?
Illustration of a smiling grandmother with gray hair in a bun, lovingly hugging her young grandson. They are both wearing blue, and the boy is holding a bouquet of colorful flowers. The background features soft earth tones and leafy accents, creating a warm, cheerful feel.

Join 2,400+ grandmas who wake up to a cheerful, uplifting email made just for you. It’s full of heart, sprinkled with fun, and always free. Start your mornings with a smile—sign up below! ❤️

Sharing is caring!