How to Make a Child's Get Well Gift Basket

If you know a family with an ill child, there are a few things that you can do to help. Making a child's get well gift basket may be one of the small ways. Putting a smile on a child's face with a get well basket can be a benefit for the child and the parent.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Basket
• Homemade chicken soup and individually packed oyster crackers
• Fruit or fruit cups
• Reading books
• Puzzle or sticker books
• Clay
• DVD or hand held game
• Purchased or homemade craft or science kits
• Plush toy

1. Find out what is wrong with the child. You can include a mason jar of homemade chicken noodle soup if the child has a cold. Add fresh fruit or fruit cups to the basket, unless diarrhea is part of the problem. Make individual packages of oyster crackers from plastic zip lock snack bags. For extra fun, include chow mien noodles for the chicken soup.
2. Find a book that's at the reading level of the child. If the caretaker is a stay at home parent, or has time, include a book that can be read by the caretaker.
3. Include some puzzle books. Word search, cross words and hidden pictures are good ways to pass the time. You can include coloring books and crayons with the puzzle books. You can also use an alternate, like an Etch-a-Sketch. Sticker books are also appreciated by young children.
4. Give some bake-hard clay or no bake clay. The creations that the child makes can be kept in a place of honor after they're baked or air dried. There are craft kits that have great directions for creation, or just the clay and imagination can be satisfactory.
5. Try a hand held game or child's video. If there's a DVD player in the room or the child has a portable DVD, some wonderful children's movies are available.
6. Give a craft set or science kit. You can purchase a kit or put together one of your own. Draw up a pattern for a simple square bodied pajama dog with Velcro closures. Include fabric glue. You can include the pattern or precut the parts. Make packets for all the trim, stuffing and fabric. Type out the instructions in simple, easy to read words.
7. Give a friend. Put a small plush toy in the basket to keep the child company during recuperation time.

Tips & Warnings

• More inexpensive items such as crayons, drawing paper and pencils are often greatly appreciated.
• For a child with a fever, Popsicles and lemon lime drinks are good for keeping the fever down.
• Adjust all suggestions to the child's age. Very young children can be given larger simpler items.