amazing activities for young kids while mom is sick

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Oh the joys of being sick as a mom.

Not only do you not get a day off, but you also still have to keep life going. Laundry running. Food prepared. And of course, entertaining the littles. Finding activities for young kids can feel extra difficult when you just don’t feel like engaging.

Recently I battled something that feels like a mild flu. The symptoms? Exhaustion, weakness, sneezing, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, aches. Oh, and if you count this as a symptom, a severe case of leave me alone so I can curl up under a blanket and pass out -itis.

Which, as all moms know, doesn’t quite factor in when you’re taking care of kids. Particularly toddler and preschooler age range.

So for those of you out there trying desperately to find something that keeps your kids entertained for more than five minutes while you struggle through feeling sick and tired, I’m with you, and I’m here to help.

Here are some tried-and-tested activities for young kids to keep them occupied while you’re sick.

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A stash of new or unfamiliar toys

New toys from celebrations past, or even old toys that they didn’t know were missing, are golden. It felt like Christmas, made for hours of distraction, and really only cost me a trip to the attic, and replacing a few batteries.

Bonus! It declutters the everyday house a bit to keep some toys out of view.

(Some of our hits: a remote control car and a talking alphabet tablet.)

Activity books

We have a craft box full of crayons and coloring books that I was happy to pull out for another 30 minutes or so of entertainment. It was something I could engage in without a lot of animation. You might even try a whole roll of plain paper!

I personally love Color Wonder markers and books because they don’t show up on anything but their special paper, so it can be an unsupervised activity.

Sticker books, water “painting”, and dry erase books make for good options with older kids. Also, it’s another great thing to stash cheaply – just grab some activity books on your next trip to the dollar store.

Books on tape

A friend suggested books on tape, which is perfect. They’re free at the library! Or try a talking storybook that has a bunch of stories, and comes with books they can follow along with.

Play-doh

Another friend suggested Play-doh, which can be iffy for my kids. (I’m afraid I’d find it on the walls.) But if you can trust your kids with it, or feel well enough to supervise, I say go for it!

Games where they get to be in charge

Well, sort of. Things that give your kids a role and a job (while you can “supervise” from the couch.) Some good ideas?

Hospital – Take care of Mama! She’s sick!
Zoo – Taking care of all their stuffed animals.
Post Office – We played this at a friend’s house recently and it was a hit!
Restaurant – They can “deliver” play food you order.
Vehicle repair – With small toy cars, or maybe a ride-on toy.
School – Again, with the craft supplies and activity books.

Build a fort

Sometimes just having a new space to play is enough to generate some excitement.

Cardboard boxes

Along that vein – if you have any cardboard boxes around, put one out, and see what their imaginations come up with! It could be a house, a fort, a car, a spaceship. You can open it up and let them color on it. Or they can fill and spill with their toys.

Building toys

A few moms on Instagram suggested magnetic tiles, which we love on the regular! My boys get so absorbed in these colorful building units – my oldest to build them up, my youngest to tear them down.

Legos are always a favorite, too. We tend to go with the bigger ones around here.

Movies

Movie time just rocks. But I put it last because I just know that movies don’t always work long-term, and I usually prefer them not to watch shows all day. (It makes for cranky kids in my house!) But DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO, Mama.

If you feel up to it, take a drive, head to a park, or just sit and watch trains or airplanes go by. (Another favorite in our family.)

There you have it! My best and brightest ideas for activities with young kids.