March 2 marks the birth of a well-known children’s author, Dr. Seuss. Born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904, Seuss grew up listening to his mother recite rhymes to him before bedtime. More than 100 years later, parents across the globe do the same for their children with his rhymes.
Reading and learning how to rhyme can help expand a child’s vocabulary and reading comprehension. Consider setting aside some time this week to celebrate the life of Dr. Seuss by pairing these fun crafts with one of his books.
1. Read Green Eggs and Ham and make a meal to accompany the story. Use blue food coloring to dye the eggs green.
2. Read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. After story time, have each student trace one hand onto a piece of yellow, green, red, and blue construction paper to create “fish.” Turn the hands horizontally and draw faces on the fish. Cut out each fish and glue them onto a piece of dark blue construction paper. Feel free to let students decorate the fish any way they wish. Write the book’s title in the spaces surrounding the fish to complete the project.
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3. Read Yertle the Turtle. Cut a piece of green construction or tissue paper into several small squares. Glue the paper pieces onto the back side of a small paper plate. Cut out a two inch square of green paper and round one side. Glue or tape the square end to the backside of the plate to form the turtle’s head. Cut out a long, skinny triangle of green paper and glue or tape it to the opposite end of the plate to form the turtle’s tail. Cut two craft sticks in half and glue or tape them to the underside of the plate to form the turtle’s legs. Draw a face on the turtle to complete the project. You can also choose to glue on wiggly eyes to spice up the craft.
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4. Read The Cat in the Hat. Have students use their handprints to create Thing One or Thing Two. Paint the fingers of one hand blue and the palm of that same hand white. Stamp the hand vertically on the upper half of a sheet of yellow construction paper to create the head. Excluding the middle finger, paint the student’s other hand red. Have the student hold his or her three interior fingers together with the pinky and thumb spread apart. Stamp the red hand directly below the white and blue handprint to create the body. After allowing the handprints to dry, paint a white oval in the center of the red handprint. Allow the paint to dry once more. Then, have the student draw a face and number on the Thing to complete the craft.
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