Having a sick toddler stay at home can be difficult, especially if all he wants to do is play outside with his friends. Here are some fun, quiet indoor activities you can use to keep your sick child entertained.

Watch Movies

Children love movies and there is no perfect time to let your little one watch as many movies as he wants than when he is sick. Have your toddler pick out several movies (make sure they are age-appropriate) he wants to watch. Set up a sofa bed on the living room floor for him to lie on or have him curl up on the couch. Bring his favorite stuffed toy (if case he gets bored) in the living room so he can play with it while watching. Give him a blanket so he can cover himself if he feels cold. You can either watch with your little one or finish your household chores, either way, your toddler will remain preoccupied.

Read Books

When your toddler is feeling blue because of flu, one effective way to cheer him up is to read him books. Aside from your usual bedtime story, read books to your toddler throughout the day. To keep it interesting, pick out a different genre each time you read to your toddler. For instance, you can save fairytale stories for bedtime and stick to board books, picture books and easy-to-read books during the day.

Play Board Games

This is the perfect time to play card and board games. Set up a table or sit on your living room floor with your toddler and complete jigsaw puzzles or race to the end line by playing classic board games like Snakes and Ladders, Cranium Cariboo, Melissa and Doug’s Flip to Win Memory and Monopoly and card games like Crazy 8s, Go Fish, Old Maid and Snap. Playing these games will be so much fun that it will make your toddler forget he is sick.

Do Arts and Crafts

Keep this activity quick and easy since arts and crafts can be messy which will only add stress to your sick child. Skip finger painting for now and let him try out these projects instead:

• Make Your Own Necklace – place Cheerios in a large bowl, give him a cord and have him string Cheerios to make a necklace
• Tie blankets - cut 2 large pieces of fleece and have your toddler place the pieces of fleece on top of each other until a medium-sized blanket is formed
• Decorative Hats – look for a plain fedora, hat or beanie around your home or you can buy one at a department store and help him customize it by placing strings, buttons, googly eyes, feathers or craft fabric letters

Host A Puppet Show

Use old socks, popsicle sticks, straws or paper bags to create puppets. Decorate it together and then put on a puppet show while your little one relaxes in bed. You can pretend that puppet A (the main character) cannot play outside because it is sick and show how all the other puppets helped puppet A recuperate.

Give A Bath

A warm bath can soothe an aching and feverish body. Rubber duckies, ships, plush stuffed animals, bath time crayons and finger paint soap will keep your toddler occupied while he is cooling down.

It is very hard to watch your usually energetic toddler get sick. But with the help of these ideas, you can divert him from his uneasiness and make time fly quickly.