Sick Day Activities for Children

It can be a challenge to find activities for your little ones while they are sick. Many children are used to running around, playing outside, and enjoying the many physical activities of youth. Sick days curtail most of these. There are fun things you can do to help distract your child and entertain them while they are getting better. The following are the best activities for kids to do when they are sick.

Crafts

Many children of all ages love to do crafts. It lets them use their creativity and make something just by themselves. There are many crafts you can do with just a few basic items such as construction paper, scissors, and glue. There are many craft kits that you can purchase at craft stores and at stores that sell general children’s toys such as Target. These are usually inexpensive and can help you make a nice craft quickly. This may distract the child.

Crayola has some really neat crafts available but some of our favorites are the Glitter Dots. If you haven’t tried them, you MUST! Even parents can join in on the glitter fun and actually enjoy it. Glitter Dots don’t make the mess that glitter makes. It is like a ball of non-sticky glue mixed with a lot of glitter. It will stick to paper or other material without getting stuck on everything else.

Crayola also has a new product out called Scribble Scrubbie. Your child can draw on the little safari animals inside the kit and then let them slide into the pool that is included in the set to wash the marker off. This way, they can sraw over and over and over again to occupy them on the days they are just lounging around.

Let Your Child Read or Create Their Own Story

Children may enjoy some quiet time reading. If they are young, they may like it if you would read to them. If they are older they may enjoy doing so themselves. Or they can create their very own book! Illustory is an awesome opportunity for children to use their imagination and talents to be able to create a book to cherish for years to come! Once they complete writing and illustrating their book, send it back in to receive a hard copy of their very own book.

Play with Toys That Do Not Require Physical Activity

My daughter loves playing with her Calico Critter toys. She can sit for hours, even when not feeling well, and play with her Calico Critters. The sets can all join together for a “village” look which helps keep kids from having to be up and moving around much. It makes for a perfect toy to play with when needing to rest, yet keep entertained. Be sure to check out the new Elegant Town Manor!

Play Video Games or Games on the Tablet

Many kids love to play video or computer games. These can be very distracting and let the time pass quickly while they are not feeling well. They have many different systems aimed at different age groups, from the Leapster for the little ones to the Wii, which is for many age groups. You can also find many different games online.

Using a tablet or a phone, OSMO is a really neat way for your child to learn while still playing on an electronic device. We LOVE OSMO!! Osmo Genius Starter Kit is a great way to turn an iPad or Amazon Fire into such a great educational tool! Recognized as a winner of numerous prestigious children’s awards and utilized in over 30,000 classrooms, this program is a great way to get your child learning while having a great time.

Each of the five included programs has multiple modes and levels for hours of learning fun. From word games to math problems, problem-solving to science, there is something for everyone! One of our favorite programs is the Masterpiece program. Simply take a photo of any object using your tablet and Masterpiece will transform it into a basic line drawing that your child (or mom or dad) can retrace to draw their very own Masterpiece!

Word Games

If your child is needing help with their spelling or if you just want to offer them a more educational option, playing games such as Scrabble, Words With Friends, or Text Twist online are a great options. However, since they are only kids, they may struggle with their spelling which can make playing games like this frustrating. Consider a word unscrambler app to install which will still allow the games to be fun and educational but take the frustrations from building. Seems like it would make it too easy, right? Word recognition begins just by seeing the words. So, even if it may seem like cheating, it is building their spelling bank and broaden their range of vocabulary by using a word unscrambler while playing word games.

Create a Puzzle Online

I’m A Puzzle (not part of Osmo) is a straight-up classic jigsaw puzzle game available online. It is a free online game that allows players to even upload images and customize their own puzzles. Your child will enjoy the puzzle that much more when it is a familiar image. Maybe upload an image of your favorite furry animal or a picture of your child with their best friend to make it even more exciting. Puzzles are a great way to encourage children to problem solve, focus on the task at hand, and improve cognition and visual-spatial reasoning.

Watch a Family Movie

Many children really do not feel like doing anything while they are sick. They may just like to relax and watch a family movie. Even if you limit their television usually, you might want to relax the rules to help them feel better.

Board Games

A child might enjoy playing board games with you. If you have other children try to find a game where he or she won’t be touching the other children so that the illness does not get spread. There are many games you should be able to play, however.

Activity Books

Many kids love activity books. They can be puzzle books, drawing books, joke books or other books. You might want to keep a few handy for when a sick day comes along.

Get Comfy and Naturally Medicated

So, get your child all snuggly for a restful yet fun day at home. A pair of FeeJays bring a snuggly comfortable feel to any cold day! Have some Oilogic on hand to naturally treat your child’s symptoms to make them feel even more comfortable! Oilogic uses 100% pure essentail oils to treat everything from ear aches to stuffy noses.