It’s the call of a child who’s stuck in bed with a dreaded cold or flu. It breaks your heart, but there are plenty of things you can do to entertain her until she feels better. Here are 9 comforting and clever ways moms like you often use to help kids have fun while they recover.
Symptom Soothers
These 3 strategies help your little ones fight common cold and flu symptoms
and keep boredom at bay:
- 1. Make a splash. Feverish kids often feel better after a bath, so stock the tub with toys: floating animals, cars and boats, and special crayons to draw designs on the sides of the bathtub. A steamy bathroom also can help clear out a stuffy nose.
- 2. Care for a sick stuffed animal. If your child feels very ill, rest is best. Make catching extra z’s more fun by pretending your child’s favorite animal is under the weather, too. Tell your daughter that Teddy needs to take a nap so he’ll feel better, and she can tuck him into bed with her.
- 3. Go camping. Rest is more appealing when it’s in a special spot. Pitch a tent in the living room or make a fort by draping a blanket over a table. Make it a comfy, kid-friendly zone with pillows, blankets, a sleeping bag, and a lamp.
Feel-good Projects
Take your kid’s mind off the aches and pains with these 3 crafty creations:
- 4. Make a sick-day tool kit. Decorate a plastic bin with stickers; then fill it with comic books, Mad Libs™, beads, string, crayons, coloring books, and more. The lid can double as a lap desk. The catch? This super-fun box only comes out when your little one is sick.
- 5. Play post office. Remember how your daughter’s teddy bear is feeling under the weather, too? Have your child design a colorful get-well card for Teddy while you make one for her. Then be the mail carrier and deliver the mail.
- 6. Show off. Create cheerful animal puppets together out of paper bags or socks. Then put on a puppet show while your child rests in bed. Does she need a pick-me-up? Focus the plot on an animal that stays home with the flu and then makes a speedy recovery after receiving a card from your child.
Get-well Games
Laughter sometimes can be the best medicine, so here are 3 ways to put a smile on an ailing child’s face:
- 7. Play "Sick Simon Says." Let your child give you silly commands to do for five minutes every hour ("walk like a duck," "hop on one foot," or "oink like a pig").
- 8. Picture this. Make a DIY puzzle: Have your child choose a favorite photo and print it. Glue it to a piece of cardboard, and then cut out pieces in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle for her to put back together.
- 9. Have fun with cards. Stock up on card games from the dollar store. Go Fish and other kids’ classics like Crazy Eights and Old Maid are easier to play in bed than board games. Short on cards? Set up a memory matching game with photos of family and friends.
