For kids in the ’80s, unexpected sick days easily became mini-adventures filled with simple joys. These joys helped us make figurative lemonade from life’s lemons. In this article, we time-travel to experience the activities that every sick kid from the ’80s remembers.

Cartoons Marathons

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Even sick days couldn’t cancel “Scooby-Doo” or “He-Man.” Propped with toast crumbs on the couch, kids would watch cereal commercials in pajamas. The cartoons’ antics and familiar theme songs packed enough adrenaline to almost make them forget their sickness.

Pillow Fort

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This indoor activity was perfect for passing the time while resting. Dining chairs could turn into castle walls, and quilts became drawbridges. Stuffed animals stood guard while kids smuggled snacks into their imaginary city. The outside world was a distant myth—at least until Mom interrupted.

Colorforms: The OG Snapchat

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Before Snapchat, kids had fun with Colorforms by sticking and re-sticking vinyl shapes. This therapeutic pastime involved peeling different shapes off waxy backdrops. Was Spider-Man scaling the fridge? Was a unicorn invading the kitchen? It was all possible—the only limit was the child’s creativity.

Cassette Tape Jukebox

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Staying home sick didn’t always have to be a dull affair. As kids, we were armed with a trusty boombox and several mixtapes to help create playlists featuring favorite artists. You could rewind Michael Jackson’s Thriller with a pencil, decode mixtapes from friends, and pray the deck wouldn’t eat your favorite ballad; the whole shebang!

Made Homemade Popsicles

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Kool-Aid, ice trays, and toothpicks were all kids needed back then to show their kitchen skills. The anticipation of waiting for them to freeze made the first bite even more satisfying, and the first lick of neon cherry proved they were John Cadbury in the making.

Read Scholastic Books

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For some kids, nothing could match dog-earing pages of “Choose Your Own Adventure” or “The Baby-Sitters Club” while buried under Star Wars sheets. The musty-paper smell mixed with Vicks VapoRub was bliss.

Played Board Games

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One perfect activity for kids in the 80s was dusting off their favorite board games for some solo fun or sibling rivalry. Classics like “Guess Who?” where players would guess the other’s chosen character after asking yes/no questions made days like this fun.

Watched Classic ’80s Movies

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In the 1980s, there was a wide range of kid-friendly movies. “E.T.,” “The NeverEnding Story,” “The Breakfast Club,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” were popular choices. These movies were perfect for a cozy day off and were the ideal distractions to forget their ordeal.

Crayon Picasso Mode

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Days like this meant diving into a world of creativity with coloring books and drawing pads. The waxy scent and the struggle of staying inside the lines as their heads throbbed were ways to spend time. The result was often a fridge-worthy masterpiece of rainbows and a lumpy family portrait.

Played with Fisher-Price Toys

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The “Little People” school bus was their commute, and the “Record Player” was their concert hall. Some playsets like the “Play Family Barn” and “Airport” allowed hours of imaginative play. The “Adventure People” series turned a day under the weather into an exciting one.

Made Puff Paint Crafts

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This one involved squeezing neon goo on T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other items with vibrant, raised designs. With bottles of colorful fabric paint, you could personalize anything you wanted. This activity allowed for self-expression and accomplishment, as some would wear their creations later.

Listened to Read-Along Storybooks

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Before today’s audiobooks, Disney tapes made a “ding!” sound to turn the page. These books came with accompanying cassette tapes or records and allowed children to listen to narrations while following along in the book. They would mouth along, half-asleep, as the narrator’s voice echoed while they were in a cough syrup haze.

Played Doctor or Pretend Games

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Creative minds would sometimes dive into imaginative play with games like “Playing Doctor.” A broken Walkman headphone would serve as a stethoscope while they were in a makeshift clinic diagnosing stuffed animals or willing siblings. This role-playing not only provided entertainment but also helped demystify actual hospital visits.

Snacked on Junk Food

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Sick-day indulgences in the 80’s included Carnation Instant Breakfast, Doritos Cool Ranch chips, and Fruit by the Foot. So, you knew being ill could pay off with some seriously tasty treats. It’s the only time Mom pretended not to see the Cheetos dust on the remote.

Napped on the Couch

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Kids would nap to the lullaby of soap operas and a ticking clock. They’d then wake up disoriented, wondering if “Days of Our Lives” was a fever dream. Curling up on the living room couch for a restorative nap worked its magic, especially as it was uninterrupted.

Dan Smith