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Sick Day: Activities for R and R

Sick Day Activities
Being sick doesn't mean being bored! Follow our suggestions to keep your kids stimulated while they’re recovering.

Sick Day ActivitiesThere’s nothing worse than a sick kiddo—except maybe a sick spouse! During each bout of sickness, there’s inevitably a span of time in which your child is too sick to do anything strenuous but feels just well enough to be bored. What do you do? Below is a list of electronic-free activities to engage the mind while allowing the body to rest and recover:

  • Read – books, magazines, comic books, joke books, anything!
  • Board games – have a board game tournament.
  • Crazy straws – have fun staying hydrated.
  • Coloring books – or puzzles, activity books, or find-a-words.
  • Magnets – give your child a cookie sheet and some magnets to create story boards.
  • Flashlights – turn off the lights and chase each other on the ceiling.
  • Etch A Sketch or Doodle Board – endless fun!
  • Origami – grab some paper and find simple folding instructions online.
  • Card games – revive some card favorites like Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Solitaire, or even Blackjack.
  • Paper dolls – a classic!
  • Crafts – gather up any crafting supplies you have (pipe cleaners, beads, pom-poms, stickers, paper, glue) and go wild.
  • Play-doh – keep the soft stuff bed friendly by giving it to your kid in a cake pan for a self-contained play area.
  • Puzzles – set up a card table next to the bed or spread out the pieces on another smooth surface.
  • Models – build models (planes, cars, houses, or planets).

What activities do you do with your child when they’re sick? Post your ideas below!

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  • Shannon

    What great activities for sick days or anyday.

  • Lindsay Giedosh

    What an adorable bunch of ideas. It’s bad enough the little one has to be sick but making it so that it’s not completely miserable is a wonderful idea

  • Jana | Merlot Mommy

    I love this! I’m often looking for activities for sick kids, since with 4 kids, someone’s always sick it seems. 🙂

  • Jen St Germain Leeman

    I really like these ideas. I really don’t like it when my daughter takes a sick day and lays in front of the tv all day. I’d prefer to have her doing some of these laid back activities for sure!

  • Katie

    Thankfully we rarely have sick days around here, but these are great ideas for when that happens!

  • Sadie

    Great ideas!

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