11 Insanely Useful Things Every Parent Needs When Their Kids Are Home Poorly

Help your kids bounce back to normal with these little tips and tricks.

1. Soothe a sore throat with homemade ice lollies.

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Use mango puree or orange juice for a tasty Vitamin C boost. Get these fun rocket ship moulds here.

2. Use a lap tray to keep your kids crafty without leaving the couch...

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Let your kids...be kids...even when they're not up to getting out of bed. Get it here.

3. ...or stock up on good old-fashioned colouring books.

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This is a cheap and simple way to spend time together that doesn't require a lot of energy. Get them here.

4. Help them nod off with audiobooks of their favourite stories.

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Using audiobooks is a handy way to squeeze in storytime throughout the day, while giving you a chance to get other chores done. Browse for your favourites here. Remember to check the volume first and give your child regular breaks from using headphones.

5. Build a blanket fort together.

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Gather up lots of blankets, pillows, clothespins, and fairy lights to create your own cosy fort. Use removable hooks if you want to hang anything from the ceiling.

6. Dig up old photos and make a scrapbook together.

To create your own scrapbook, you'll need to pull out old family photos as well as coloured card, stickers, and colourful pens. Find everything here.

7. Make staying hydrated fun with crazy straws...

Making sure your kids drink lots of fluids when they're poorly can be a struggle. Colourful crazy straws are a fun way to make water and juice look a little more appealing. Get them here.

8. ...or a personalised mug that changes colour.

This magic mug is a cute way to serve up tea, soup, or broth for older kids. As the mug temperature changes, your photo is revealed. Create your own here.

9. Ease congestion and create your own steam room...

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Run a hot shower and sit in the bathroom together for 10 minutes to help clear congestion. Get your own personalised fluffy robe for the occasion here.

10. ...or run a lukewarm bath and go fishing.

Once your child is feeling up to it, a warm bath may also help ease congestion in the nose and chest. Make it fun with this bathtub fishing game.

11. Let them scribble away on the window with washable markers.

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Thanks to these washable mega markers, your child can draw all over the windows and mirrors without you breaking a sweat. They won't believe their luck. Get them here.

Celebrating 50 years of helping kids get back to normal, with CALPOL®

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The CALPOL® range of products can help to relieve your child's cough, pain and fever, and blocked noses. For more information and advice from Calpol, visit calpol.co.uk.

CALPOL® Infant Suspension contains paracetamol. For pain and fever. Always read the label.