How Do Kids Design Packaging for Their Product?

Kids aged 10 to 13 design packaging by first deciding what it needs to do: protect the product, tell customers what it is, and make it look worth buying. Then they test three cheap versions with real customers and add a clear, honest label. Good packaging costs a small part of the product's price, not more than the product.

It's Sunday morning and your 10-year-old has finished twenty beaded keyrings for the school market. Now he's showing you a website. "I need these little gold boxes with ribbon. They're only $2 each." Each keyring cost about 80 cents to make, and he's planning to sell them for $3.

You can see why the boxes appeal. You can also see that he's about to spend more on the box than on the thing inside it.

"Who would want this, and why?"

School friends buying a keyring for their backpack probably don't need a gold box. This guide helps your child work out what their packaging actually needs to do, then make it well for a few cents.

What does packaging mean for a kid's product?

Packaging is anything the product comes in or with: a bag, box, jar, card, tag or label. For a child's business, it has three jobs: protect the product, tell the customer what it is, and make it look worth the price.

Packaging job	Question to ask	Keyring example
Protect	Will it arrive in one piece?	Beads can't snag or scratch in a school bag
Tell	Does the customer know what it is, who made it and what it costs?	A small card with the business name, "handmade keyring" and $3
Attract	Does it look like it's worth the price and match the brand?	The card uses the brand's two colours and logo
Cost	What does it add to each item?	Card from a cereal box and a hole punch: almost nothing

This is an illustrative example, not a JuniorCEO Lab student case study.

Why does packaging matter for a kid's business?

Packaging is often the first thing a customer touches, and it carries the business name and logo home with them. It also costs money and can create waste, so it's a real business decision, not just decoration.

Packaging is where a child's brand becomes something people can hold. The name from choosing a business name and the logo from designing a logo both end up on the tag or label. It's also an early lesson in money: every cent spent on packaging comes out of profit.

Does better packaging mean more expensive packaging?

No. Simple packaging made neatly, with a clear label, usually looks better than expensive packaging that doesn't match the brand. Customers notice care more than cost.

A brown paper bag with a hand-stamped logo can look more special than a shop-bought box, because it looks like it was made for this product. A useful habit for children is to ask: "Would my customer miss this if it wasn't there?" If not, leave it out.

How can parents help kids design packaging at home?

Use the JuniorCEO Lab "Three Versions" activity: make the cheapest, the prettiest and the greenest option, cost each one, then let customers choose. It's free to start, uses things from the recycling bin, and takes about an hour.

1. Write down the three jobs

For your child's product, what does the packaging need to protect it from, tell the customer and make them feel? One line for each.

2. Collect free materials

Paper bags, clean jars, cereal-box card, string, leftover ribbon, old magazines. See what's already in the house before buying anything.

3. Make three versions

• The cheapest: the least it could possibly be.
• The prettiest: what they'd make if money didn't matter (using what's at home).
• The greenest: the least waste, using reused or recyclable materials.

4. Cost each one

Work out what each version would cost per item if they had to buy the materials. Compare it with the price of the product.

5. Test with two customers

Put all three side by side and ask two real customers: "Which would you pick up first, and which would you give as a gift?" Their answers often surprise children.

6. Choose and add an honest label

Include the business name, what the product is, the price, and a care tip if needed. Use a parent's email for contact details, never the child's address or phone number.

Fill-in packaging plan card

My product is	___
It needs protecting from	___
The label will say	___
My packaging is made from	___
Packaging cost per item	$___
Product price	$___
What two customers chose, and why	___

In the classroom: give small groups the same simple product, such as a pencil, and a pile of scrap materials. Each group makes three versions and costs them, then the class acts as customers and votes. It links well to measurement and money in maths.

Can kids say their packaging is eco-friendly?

Only if it's true and specific. "Box made from reused cereal card" is better than "eco-friendly". In Australia, the ACCC's principles for environmental claims say businesses should keep claims accurate, back them with evidence, explain any limits and avoid broad claims without explanation (ACCC).

That's a good habit for a child's business too. Encourage your child to describe exactly what they did, such as "paper bag, no plastic" or "please reuse this jar", rather than using big words they can't prove. Outside Australia, check your government's consumer protection website. This is general information, not legal advice.

How much should parents help?

Your child designs and makes the packaging. You approve spending, help with tricky tools and keep personal details off the label.

• Agree a packaging budget. Use the Money boundary from our guide to entrepreneurship for kids. A few dollars for a first batch is plenty.
• Help with sharp or hot tools. Craft knives and hot glue guns need an adult nearby.
• Keep personal details private. No home address, school or phone number on labels. A parent's email is enough.
• Ask before fixing. If the packaging isn't working, try: "What do you think the next step should be?"

How does JuniorCEO Lab approach packaging design?

In JuniorCEO Lab, packaging is where building a brand meets understanding money. It comes at the end of the brand stage, the fourth of six, just before children start working out costs, prices and profit.

Children use their customer, promise, name and logo to decide what the packaging should look like, then cost it before committing. That makes packaging one of the first places a child sees that every design choice has a price. For the brand side, see how kids create a brand for their business.

Frequently asked questions

What's next?

This week, ask your child: "What does your packaging need to protect, and what does it need to tell people?" Then raid the recycling bin for the three versions. If your child is still deciding on their logo, start with how kids can design a logo.

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About the author

Su Stanyer is the founder of JuniorCEO Lab, an Australian program that teaches children aged 10 to 13 how a business works, from exploring products and researching customers to branding, money, marketing and sales.

Sources

• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. ACCC releases eight principles to guide businesses' environmental claims.
• UK Government, GOV.UK. Making environmental claims on goods and services.
• U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Green Guides.

Government references are general information, not legal advice, and do not imply endorsement of JuniorCEO Lab.