7 Amazing and Easy Ideas for Homeschool Sick Days
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Your kids are sick and bored from being stuck at home.
They’re too sick to concentrate on schoolwork or to leave the house. But healthy enough to be bored silly.
You need amazing and easy ideas to save your sanity on homeschool sick days!
1. Watch Educational Videos
Is everyone in the family on the same historical topic? What about the science topic you’re currently studying?
Sometimes the best option is to get documentaries and Bill Nye videos from the library or check out what’s available on NetFlix.
Everyone can curl up in sleeping bags and blankets, curl up on pillows, and enjoy watching education videos together.
It’s a fun change from the normal reading and writing routine.
2. Listen to Audiobooks
Audiobooks are perfect for sick days.
I don’t know about you, but I never want to talk much when I’m sick. My throat is sore and hoarse. But the kids are often bored silly. Sitting around feeling ill is no fun.
So start an audiobook for the family. You can listen to one of the Story of the World volumes, a favorite children’s book, or a funny novel. Or check out one of these historical audio dramas.
And remember to enjoy warm tea or hot cider as you listen. Honey and tea are perfect for soothing sore throats.
3. Play Mad-Libs
Have you ever tried Mad Libs?
They’re workbooks of short paragraphs with blank words all over the place. You get to choose an adjective, noun, adverb, or verb to fill in the blank.
The paragraphs quickly turn hilarious when one child reads the paragraph while asking siblings to fill in the blank with a random word.
The beauty of Mad Libs is they teach the eight parts of speech without kids realizing what they’re learning.
The kids think they’re just making up funny paragraphs. Nope, they’re learning grammar as well!
4. Create Crazy Notebook Pages
Hand out notebook pages to your children and ask them to think of a funny scenario.
It could be a cow jumping over the moon, a penguin exploring the deep sea, or whatever else their imaginations can dream of.
Ask your kids to draw an illustration of the scenario and write a short paragraph about it.
Get their imaginations going and keep it silly, light, and entertaining.
5. Play Math Games
Try playing math games such as the Mythmatical Battles Celtic/Greek or Mythmatical Battles Norse/Egyptian Double Deck Set. These card games teach both mythology and multiplication at the same time.
Older kids can have fun drilling their multiplication facts while younger children can use the Oracle to double check facts before they plan.
Yahtzee is another old and fun math game to play. And even old games are new to young kids!
6. Tell Stories on Homeschool Sick Days
My children love telling stories round-robin style.
One child begins with an introductory scene. A princess is being chased by an ogre. The next child continues the story by telling how she escapes by jumping over a cliff. The third child reassures us all by letting us know the princess landed on a Pegasus flying by and is headed to France. We’re back to our first child who informs us the ogre used a portal to read France first.
The story keeps going around and around until the kids are bored with the scenario.
Now another child begins with a new introductory scene!
7. Paint a Masterpiece
When dealing with bored, sick kids, try doing some artwork.
Study a painting by your favorite artist. Now pull out the watercolors, chalk pastels, or finger paints and try to replicate it. Keep the paintings simple, especially if you’re not feeling well. You don’t want to spend all afternoon trying to clean up the kitchen!
Let the masterpiece dry.
And now use construction paper to create a frame for your masterpiece, and hang it on the refrigerator.
Even homeschool sick days with grumpy children doesn’t mean that education has to come to a dead stop.
Instead use one of these amazing and easy activities to entertain the kids, keep your sanity, and have a light homeschool day. You’ll also enjoy quality family time together.
What’s your favorite activity on homeschool sick days?
These activities work wonderfully whether it’s you who’s sick or your children. They’re also marvelous for those days the kids are recovering. My kids are usually grumpy for a day or two as they’re getting over an illness. They’re too sick to play or work, but well enough to squabble.
Get well soon, Gale!