How a child with flu can entertain themselves

My nine year old daughter currently has the flu (influenza). Thanks to the new wonder drug, Xofluza, she is really well after just one day. However, as per the rules in Japan, she has to stay off school for a total of five days. So I have three days of her at home, well enough to want to be entertained! I am not complaining, I am so glad and relieved that the Xofluza drug seemed to work so well for her. We have had flu many times in the past in this house and it was not pretty! 

She could easily spend the whole day watching Youtube and / or playing on her Switch, but there is no way I am letting her! Not to knock the merits of either, as they have a use too. But obviously nobody wants their kids on devices all day. Maybe, if she was as poorly as she was yesterday, I'd let her watch Youtube more than usual. But she is nowhere near as sick as she was yesterday and is well enough to sit up and do something. 

I always have at least one deck of cards in the house. Apart from playing basic card games with children yourself, children can also entertain themselves with the cards. And they can do it while sitting in bed, on a tray. Thankfully, she was keen to learn how to play Solitaire after watching her brother play it when he had Covid a couple of years ago. She was too young back then to play it, but I taught her how to play today and she is enjoying it.

Jigsaw puzzles and Origami are another two staples in the "quick fix" entertainment box for kids. Both something they can do on their own, and in bed. For the origami, I have a few books with simple origami instructions in them, which have proved very useful and popular over the years. We used to borrow such books from the library, but my kids were doing origami so often I ended up buying some books and they have been a great investment.

Actually, Japan has a really great selection of traditional 'games' that are useful when the kids are sick. For example, today she spent a couple of hours doing Ayatori, aka Cats Cradle, pictured above. All you need for that is some wool or string and preferably a book (rather than a device) with instructions. 

Another traditional Japanese game that is simple and suitable to playing when sick, is Ohajiki. It is a simple game much like marbles and can be fashioned out of small pieces of glass like material. My kids have used the fake jewels that are dispensed from crane games in the past! Today, my daughter played it on her own, until her next older sister got home from school and then they played together. 

These are just a few ways my child spent her day entertaining herself while (not so) sick with the flu. As she gets even better I can crack out the board games and add some arts and crafts to her day's entertainment too! Any other ideas you'd like to share?