5 Ways To Make Sick Days Special

This cold and flu season has been miserable for our family. In the past month it’s been passed around… back and forth. ICK! We are ready to be well. But I will admit we certainly enjoyed those snuggle filled, quiet sick days.

Children’s Mucinex is running a three part series helping parents prevent illness and then keep their kids smiling even on sick days! This is part two of the series… check out Hand Washing Fun (and learning) if you missed it. At the end of the last post I asked readers what they do to keep their little ones smiling on sick days. I used those answers to help shape this post! Thanks for the great ideas!

5 ways to make sick days special

1. Keep a stash of new coloring books, crayons and colored pencils especially for sick days. It will give your little one something to look forward to and will be fun to look through as they get older.

2. Make a birds nest with blankets and pillows. Enjoy some baby bird pampering and resting. Doesn’t that sound especially cuddly? What a perfect place to recoup.

Children’s Mucinex

3. Try out a simple science experiment that takes very little prep and very little energy. We did this science experiment on Big M’s last sick day. Use three cups of water put blue food coloring in one, yellow in the other and leave the center cup clear. Connect the cups with paper towels. All that’s left is to wait. Since this project takes so long it’s perfect for the poor sickie to peek at when they get up to go to the bathroom or feel like stretching their legs a bit. I’m not going to tell you what happens… but it’s cool! Tips: 1. Use A LOT of food coloring. The brighter the colors the better the final product. 2. We left ours up for over 24 hours and there was change all the way through.

4. Make it a screen day. Since sick days are the kind of days that make it hard to get off the couch it’s a great time to extend screen time a bit. Watch a few shows together or introduce your little one to a movie you loved as a kid.

5. Bring out some books they haven’t seen in a while. We have special holiday books that are put up for most of the year. Sick days are perfect days to bring out these books and enjoy some of our family favorites. Plus it’s fun to think about holidays any time of year!

  What activity makes your child smile when they are under the weather? 

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123 Comments

  1. Similar to your “nest” idea, I create a “sick bed” for my daughter on the sofa. I lay a blanket or comforter over the seat and back of the sofa, then fold the blanket over her creating a cocoon of sorts. I make a big deal out of it and it comforts her having a sick bed. I also let her drink a lot of juice to keep fluids in her. She normally gets to drink very little juice, so this is special to her.

  2. These are our favorites:
    Button box: sort and play in various ways
    Stick and peel dioramas [like Melissa and Doug scenes]
    Magic painting books: painting with water so color appears
    Playdoh

  3. my son loves to play angry birds so we draw, color and play some more on sick days and always keep a few leappad games to keep him busy and occupied

  4. Usually my kids like to lay on the couch with a bunch of pillows and a special cuddle blanket and they like to watch special movies that they pick out.

  5. When we spend time reading together, or doing any other craft projects at home, and television, they always feel better.
    jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com

  6. frozen yogurt – I always get them their favorite flavor at the yogurt store and they love it! (and perfect for those sore throats)
    tvollowitz at aol dot com

  7. My kids just like to stay in bed and watch their favorite cartoons or play on the ipad.
    mom22girlz at ymail dot com

  8. Making tea with lots of honey. Celestial Seasonings has one called Sleepytime Sinus Soother that we call “nose tea.”

  9. Oh Carter always loves when I read books to him when he is not feeling well! Always his favorite!
    landfjacobson @ charter.net

  10. My daughter loves to watch The Parent Trap in her room over and over again when she feels crummy. She knows the words by heart.

  11. My son loves to cuddle with me and his favorite blanket while watching his favorite movies when he is feeling under the weather.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com

  12. When kids are sick, it’s hard to get smiles. When they really feel bad we bring out the fuzzy blanket and read their old fave books. If they are up to it, we play a board game but usually watching tv and falling asleep gets them the rest they need.

  13. When really sick, my kids were happy to snuggle in the fuzzy blanket and we’d read their old fave books. Older kids were still soothed by listening to those beloved toddler bedtime stories. When we were in the getting over it phase, they liked coloring and board games.

  14. If staying home from school weren’t enough to make them smile, then being taken care of, made comfortable and getting to watch their favorite shows on tv always does 🙂

  15. When My 2 year old grandson is sick , I go to his house and he snuggles up to me for a day of watching Dumbo and Sesame Street.

  16. A funny movie while snuggled together always brings a smile. Laughter always seems to make her feel better

  17. We usually put in movies since they normally don’t get to watch them. Leaving TV and movies for special times only makes it so they really enjoy watching it when the opportunity comes along.

  18. changing the bed sheets with them in the bed is always a hit.

    good thing that CNA training means something, huh?

    ky2here at msn dot com

  19. Painting makes my kids smile whenever they are under the weather. I’m not a good painter myself though. So, they must have got their artistic genes from daddy! LOL

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  20. They like to have someone read to then while drinking hot chocolate and then to play games like puzzles.

  21. My little cousin likes to make storybooks, we also keep a stash of coloring pens and paper. She also likes to watch tv when she’s feeling sick, I like the extra cuddle 😀
    songyueyu at gmail

  22. When my granddaughter is under the weather, she likes to snuggle on the couch with her blankets and pillow and watch a movie.

  23. I don’t have kids but can remember when I was sick myself as a kid my dad would bring me home a new Barbie doll or He-Man figurine and it was always the highlight of being sick! LOL

  24. There is no activity that makes her smile when she is sick except watching Wizard of Oz. Luckily, she doesn’t get sick very often. When she does she just lays on the couch.

  25. I like to shop at the dollar store for small things that make kids happy. Surprises make life fun.
    Thanks for the contest.

  26. I agree with your suggestion to bring out books they haven’t seen lately. I think the old faves are reassuring; they snuggle up and listen to Dr Seuss tales they haven’t heard in 2 years and it really does make them smile

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