How to Occupy a Sick Toddler Stuck at Home

Riley came down with scarlet fever (yes when I first found out, I too wondered what the heck was that? some mid 19th century epidemic?). Doctor said he had to stay away from daycare for a whole week (WHAT? ONE WEEK AT HOME?!), so I had to think of activities to keep him occupied. I chanced upon this simple magic flowers activity from this home schooling mum and decided to try it.

The results were fascinating. We experimented with different types of paper and found that the thinner ones unfolded the fastest. Also, we found that waterproof crayons were good as they prevented the colours from running. The best part? The flowers could be reused again after drying them. I used paper towels and a warm iron to speed things up. We coloured flowers the whole afternoon and watched them unfold over and over again.

Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Idea?

Then I thought, hey this would make a great last minute gift for Mother’s Day. Messages can be written in the middle to reveal a surprise for mum. Or when done with activity, stick the flowers on disposable chopsticks to create a bouquet for mum. Because it keeps toddlers occupied for a good amount of time, it also gives tired mums a chance to take a breather.

ANY ACTIVITY THAT GIVES MUMS A BREATHER IS ALREADY A GIFT IN ITSELF 🙂

Freebie Yay!

I’ve come up with a simple template that you can use to recreate this activity with your toddler. And when you are done, turn it into a simple Mother’s Day Gift.

This is Part 1 of our 2 Part series on last minute chop chop Mother’s Day gift ideas any toddler can make. Read about Part 2 ‘Super Cool Magic Card’ here.

Subscribe below to get this freebie template plus some useful tips and science facts behind the magic!