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Sick Day Activities
A Little Fun for Toddlers When They're Not Feeling So Well
By Amy Henry
- Get out the digital camera and take turns making silly faces. Download the photos and ask your toddler to vote for the funniest picture.
- Play "I spy" or hide a small, bright object and give your toddler clues as to whether she's "cold" or "hot" as she searches the room.
For a child who finds it hard to sit still, Douglas suggests reading a story together into a tape player. "The child can listen to it again, later, while lying down," she says.
Another lure for the restless sick child is to share a nap with a parent. "Sick kids get clingy," Gaige says. Her son has a special robe she brings out when he's craving physical contact. "We get on my bed and cuddle with the robe," she says.
The most energetic toddler can still be laid low by a sick tummy or a seriously stuffy head. "If someone is feeling really miserable, bed's probably the best place," Dr. Blier says.
But bed gets boring fast for little ones, and parents can read only so many stories.
"Take out a cookie sheet and fridge magnets," Douglas says. Simple shapes like circles, squares and triangles let toddlers make their own magnet pictures.
