I’m writing this led in bed with a 4 year old that hasn’t slept a wink in 2 days and figured if life gives you lemons, I may as well write a blog post on it. Hopefully this list of 100 Things to Do when your child has Chickenpox will help other parents having the same struggles too. Gosh this is not nice at all. I can only imagine how poor Arthur is feeling. He was unknowingly exposed to Chickenpox just before Christmas and it’s taken until now, 17 days later for the spots to develop.
It’s hard to keep a 4 year old entertained as it is, especially when they can’t go to playgroups, play areas, shops and visit friends or relatives. A lot of our friends/relatives either have young children that haven’t had Chickenpox before, or are immunocompromised in some way so it’s best to isolate ourselves for a little bit. Much to Arthur’s dismay. He was looking forward to going back to nursery this week.
This list should hopefully ease you through the isolation period. I think I’ve thought of pretty much everything here, but if there’s something else you can add, please let me know in the comments. Some of these are season/weather/age dependent but hopefully there’s enough ideas for everyone.
Indoor Activities:
- Do a puzzle
- Play a board game
- Watch a movie with microwave popcorn
- Play lego/duplo
- Play dress up
- Role play
- Make a fort
- Colouring
- Drawing
- Write a story or poem
- Read books
- Play games consoles/computer games
- Watch TV
- Have a bath
- Do makeup/nails
- Play hide and seek
- Do forgotten craft kits
- Make ice lollies
- Bake cakes
- Make lunch/dinner (something like these pinwheels)
- Make smoothies
- Have a pancake party
- Make homemade pizzas
- Make hot chocolates
- Cheese/chocolate fondue
- Have an afternoon tea
- Put up a tent in the lounge and have a camp out
- Redecorate a bedroom
- Organise bedrooms/toys
- Write a Christmas or Birthday list (we cut out pages from the Smyths catalog)
- Make Christmas or Birthday cards
- Make homemade wrapping paper by colouring large paper roll (IKEA)
- Clean (my 4 year old loves cleaning the windows)
- Video call relatives
- Homemade salt dough decorations for presents
- Make slime
- Make cloud dough/playdoh
- Paint bean tins to make flowerpots
- Playdoh
- Start a band with musical instruments (or improvise)
- Do a YouTube workout or dance
- Play on a dance mat or any active game
- Write a play then perform it
- Write a poem
- Indoor treasure hunt
- Make an obstacle course
- A (careful) pillow fight
- Teddy bears picnic
- Bubble painting
- Plan a birthday party
outdoor activities:
(Make sure all of these are in your garden or a quiet place where you won’t come into contact with anyone else)
51. Go for a walk
52. Play frisbee
53. Go for a bike ride
54: Take a remote control car outside
55: Go to a quiet beach
56: Paint the fence/shed
57: Make bubbles
58: Slip and slide
59: Paddling pool
60: Go on a bug hunt
61: Make a daisy chain/necklace
62: Camp in the garden
63: Fly a kite
64: Wash cars
65: Have a picnic
66: Plant fruit/vegetables
67: Have a BBQ
68: Roast marshmallows
69: Make a fairy garden
70: Build a bug hotel
71: Draw with chalk/hopscotch
72: Plant flowers
73: Stargaze
74: Find shapes in the clouds
75: Make a toy car car wash
76: Forage for fruit
77: Splash in puddles
78: Feed the ducks
79: Mud kitchen
80: Make potions or mud pies
81: Go bird watching
82: Collect conkers
83: Go for a scooter ride
84: Go on a scavenger hunt
85: Build a fort in the woods (or garden)
86: Collect fallen leaves to make a picture
87: Identify trees/flowers
88: Find a four leaf clover
89: Make a bird feeder
90: Learn to skip
91: Go on a walk/drive to find Christmas lights
92: Make a mini golf course
93: Family sports day
94: Collect rocks for rock painting
95: Have a water fight
96: Make an obstacle course
97: Pokemon Go/Geocaching
98: Water/sand table
99: Make confetti with leaves
100: Make a windsock or water gauge
