How to Cheer Up Sick Children

Whether your child has a 24-hour stomach bug or a much more tedious case of the flu, being unable to play with friends or go to extracurricular activities is never fun. Even if your child insists she feels fine, but the thermometer indicates otherwise, cheering her up when she's feeling under the weather isn't difficult. What you should focus on is distracting and relaxing your child to stave off the discomfort and inevitable boredom that comes from watching television in bed all day.

Things You'll Need

  • Dominoes
  • Playing cards
  • Construction paper
  • Scissors

Instructions

    • 1

      Build an intricate tower or domino trail. Dominoes are great for kids ages 6 and up if they have an attention span long enough to build something spectacular. Also, the focus needed to construct an amazing structure of dominoes can detract from physical discomforts such as fever, hives or mild nausea. Help her construct a spiral of dominoes on hard flooring or make a train through the entire house if you don't have any pets or other children who might disrupt the arrangement.

    • 2

      Play card games, such as Old Maid, Go Fish or even Black Jack, if your child has the necessary skills. This is a great way to laugh and goof off without expending too much physical energy. Even if your child isn't especially excited about getting a pair of matching cards, try to muster up enough energy so that your enthusiasm becomes contagious.

    • 3

      Bust out the colorful construction paper and make colorful strands of linked paper dolls. Fold a single piece of construction paper back and forth like an accordion and trace a small figure or animal on the outermost flap. If your child is old enough to safely use and manipulate scissors around tight corners, have her cut out the tracing and pull the accordion-folded paper flat to reveal a paper doll or a paper animal.

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