Summer May Be Ending, But the Good Times Are Just Getting Started: Stauffer's Simply Animals® Brings Playful Snacking to Back-to-School Season
YORK, Pa., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer vacations may be winding down, but the return to school doesn't have to mean the end of discovery and fun. As families trade beach bags for backpacks and settle into the routines of school, work and extracurricular activities, Stauffer's Simply Animals® offers easy ways to bring creativity to lunch boxes, snack time and after-school activities.
The back-to-school season also brings a renewed focus on reading, and Stauffer's is proud to continue its partnership with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) to encourage children to discover the joy of reading books. As part of the partnership, the book, "Bryson's Rocket Riddles," is available free on RIF's Skybrary reading app through November, giving children another opportunity to explore new stories and worlds.
"Back-to-school season is all about getting back into a routine, but there are plenty of opportunities to make those everyday moments special," said Ken Vlazny, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Stauffer's. "Simply Animals brings imagination and fun to lunch boxes, snack time and family activities, while giving parents ingredients they feel good about. Our 155-year-old family favorite is made without high-fructose corn syrup or artificial colors and is produced in a peanut-free facility in the U.S. We're also proud to continue our partnership with Reading Is Fundamental and help make reading an enjoyable part of every child's day."
Here are some ways to dial up the FUN using Simply Animals®:
Turn Lunchtime into a Simply Animals Safari
Why settle for an ordinary packed lunch when every day can be a new animal adventure? Turn lunchtime into a Safari, featuring a different Simply Animals animal each day. With a few simple foods and creative touches, parents can transform an everyday lunch box into a mini wildlife adventure. Here are some examples:
Monday: Camel Crossing
Start the week with a desert-inspired lunch featuring Simply Animals Camel crackers, hummus, pita and colorful fruits and vegetables. Add a few sandy-colored accents to create a mini desert scene.
Wednesday: Lion's Lunch
Make Wednesday the King of the Jungle day. Use Simply Animals Lions alongside orange slices, carrots or other golden-colored foods for a lunch fit for the jungle's most famous resident.
Friday: Buffalo Stampede
End the week with a Simply Animals Buffalo stampede. Add trail mix-style snacks, fruit and veggies to create a mini prairie adventure—and give kids a delicious way to charge into the weekend.
Simply Animals® can brighten an adult lunch box, too, offering a nostalgic reminder that a little whimsy can make an ordinary workday feel more special.
Create an After-School Snack Drawer
When kids come home hungry from school, sports and extracurricular activities, parents want snacks that are easy to grab and options they feel good about serving.
Parents can create a colorful, organized snack station using Simply Animals Original (available in a 12-pack multipack in addition to a 16 oz bag), as well with the Cocoa and Glazed Cinnamon 16 oz. bag varieties. With three flavors to choose from, kids can grab the one that matches their mood, while parents have a convenient snack option made without high-fructose corn syrup or artificial colors.
Make Snack Time a "Snacktivity"
Simply Animals can also turn an ordinary afternoon into a creative activity. Kids can use graham crackers as a canvas, adding fruit, and pretzel sticks to create imaginative scenes where the various 13 Simply Animals® shapes become the stars.
It's part craft, part snack and completely interactive—giving kids something they'll be just as excited to make as they are to eat. End the snacktivity by reading "Bryson's Rocket Riddles" on Skybrary or another favorite book from your home library.
With 13 playful animal shapes, three delicious flavors, ingredients parents can feel good about and endless possibilities for creative snacking, Simply Animals shows that the return to school can be about more than getting back to a schedule—it can be an opportunity to create, explore, read and make everyday moments memorable. To learn more about Skybrary, visit www.simplyanimals.com.
About Stauffer's®:
Stauffer's® is a wholly owned subsidiary of Meiji America Inc. and is best recognized for its Animal Crackers Original. The company, founded by David F. Stauffer in 1871, has evolved since its humble beginnings, but has stayed true to its roots by remaining in its York, Pa.-based headquarters, which has helped Central Pennsylvania become known as the Snack Food Capital of the World. Over the years, the company has added full lines of baked snacks including the popular SNAPS™, Whales® Baked Cheddar Crackers, seasonal favorites and more. Connect with us on Instagram here. To learn more about Stauffer's Simply Animals, visit www.simplyanimals.com.
Media Contact: Kim Lehman | [email protected]
SOURCE Stauffer's Simply Animals®
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