Cures for “Sick Days”

Peyton was sent home early from school Monday with a 101.6 fever. Which meant all of Monday night was spent keeping her in quarantine (in her bedroom with Disney movies), and London and Addy far, far away from her plague. Which was perfect, in theory… but in reality was more like: London sitting, dangerously at the top of the stairs, screaming for Peyton, while Peyton found every excuse to come upstairs.

Like to ger her third glass of water, despite having a water bottle in her room. Which resulted in this adorable hug…and London catching whatever sickness she had.

Needless to say, Peyton stayed home from school today. Keeping two sick kids from whining, over-exerting themselves, and fighting with each other over who gets to infect lay on mommy. To survive, we were going to have to get creative.  And that is just what we did! Nothing will stop a toddler from whining faster than handing her a paint brush and a cup of water.

So here are a few of our favorite activities for when the kiddos are sick, but too stir-crazy for a day of couch chilling and movies watching!

1. Watercolor paints. I keep a steady supply of watercolor sets, spare paint brushes, and roll paper on hand. There’s something therapeutic about painting, and kids are definitely not excluded when it comes to instantly settling down!

2. ColorWonder coloring sheets. Markers that don’t stain your kids’ hands and clothes, or worse – your walls and floors! My girls love the blank pages, but there are fun glitter sheets, too. And don’t forget to stock up on extra markers.

3. Play dough. We like to make our own! I follow this easy recipe (but most times, we skip out on the glitter). Peyton and I usually whip it up when London is napping, and then the girls can mold and smash all they want. The weather has been so nice lately (save for some annoying rain storms), so I can send the girls outside with their play dough, and don’t have to stress about finding it in the carpet for the next week.

4. When all else fails, think back to when you were a kid. What did you play with? My mom was a teacher, which meant most of my “play time” was also somehow related to learning/creating. She used to have blank books for me to illustrate, and she would write the story for me (on occasions, you can score these in the Target Dollar Spot!). I also loved playing with wax molding sticks, which have apparently come back into style under the name of Wikki Sticks. Turns out, the apples don’t fall far from the tree – the girls will sit still for a solid 15 minutes!

5. Since they’re both sick, I’ve been letting them play together, and Legos are always a win, as far as Peyton is concerned. We have one of the Lego Junior sets from when Peyton was younger, so I don’t have to worry about Lo inhaling small pieces.

6. And last, but not least, a fun “spa night.” After London went to bed last night, I ran Peyton a “very special” bath in our free-standing tub. I added a few drops of Breathe (which is my favorite oil ever), and let her soak. She was excited, and it definitely cleared out her sinuses enough to get a good night sleep!

Sick kiddos are never fun, but neither is keeping them cooped up in bed (which gives them that insane sick-energy, that isn’t good for anybody!). If you have any favorite low-key activities for when your kids are sick, please share them in the comments below!!