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Celebrate Read Across America and Dr. Seuss' birthday by setting these fun literacy and math activities and the lively stories of Dr. Seuss on the loose at your next Family Night!
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Please Note: Since I am not currently teaching, I have not been able to implement these ideas with my students at our annual family nights. So, if you have benefited from these ideas and have chosen to use them with your class or school, I would love to see a photo or two of your activities. I may even place them on this site (with your permission, name, school, and date of event of course =) ) Enjoy! I hope you have a great Seuss-filled evening!
Cat in the Hat Stations
Let students create their own Cat in the Hat Edible Hat
Why: To practice following directions; to reinforce that print has meaning; to practice tracking print left to right
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How:
(Note: Each person in your family may make a 'Create a Snack'.)
1) Take 1 napkin.
2) Place each of the following on your napkin
1 Ritz cracker
3 Red Lifesavers (gummy ones would work best)
3) Use a knife to spread a thin layer of frosting
(white frosting or cream cheese) onto your Ritz cracker.
4) Carefully place one red lifesaver in the middle of the cracker. This is the first red stripe on the hat!
5) Spread more frosting onto the lifesaver.
6) Add the second lifesaver.
7) Spread more frosting.
8) Top with the last lifesaver.
9) Eat the Cat's hat!
10) Throw all of your crumbs, napkins, etc. away before leaving for the next station = )
Why: To match numerals to sets; to practice using one to one correspondence
How:
(Note: This game can be played with 2 or more people.)
1) On your turn, roll the die and then use a crayon to color in that many hats on your sheet.
2) Play alternates between players.
3) The first person to fill their sheet with colored Cat in the Hat hats wins!
Printables:
Cat's Hat Count Sheet
Why: To practice sorting by color, size, etc.
How:
1) Start by looking at a few of the sample hat mats. Why are the hats grouped as they are?
What is the sorting rule? Can you find other hats that would belong in one of the groups?
2) Let one member of your family sort some of the hats into either one, two, or three alike
groups. See if other family members can guess the sorting rule!
(Note to teachers - Use pictures of all kinds of hats in different colors and sizes. Some suggestions, fireman's hat, police hat, chef's hat, hard hat, western hat, baseball cap, sun visor, straw hat, bonnet, ski mask, stocking cap, and of course a Seuss style hat! I found a few hat pictures in Pictograms: Graphing Pictures for a Reusable Classroom Grid (Blackline Masters) by Laura Duncan Choate and JoAnn King Okey, Dale Seymour Publications, 1989 (ISBN 0866514872) )
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Why: To practice making sets of objects to correspond with numerals (4-10); to join sets of objects and count how many there are in all
How:
1) Choose what number you want to work with (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10) and count out that many beans.
2) Shake and roll the beans.
3) Count the red beans. Draw that many green eggs on 1 half of your plate and write the numeral to show how many you have.
4) Count the white beans. Draw that many green eggs on the 2nd half of your plate and write the numeral to show how many you have.
5) Count how many you have all together. Draw that many green eggs on the full plate and write the numeral to show how many you have in all.
Printables:
Eggs On My Plate
Why: To practice identifying the letters and sounds at the beginning of pictures
How:
(Note: You may keep this game if you wish so that you can play again and again at home! It is a game that can be played with 2 people or with 2 teams.)
1) Lay the picture cards face down in a pile.
2) Let one team be the egg and the other team be the ham.
3) On your turn, turn the top picture card over, say the name of the picture, and then say what letter the picture begins with. If you are correct, you may place one of your team's playing
pieces on the tic-tac-toe plate. If you are not correct, then you do not get to place a piece down for your team.
4) Play alternates between teams.
5) To win, a team must get three in a row and then say 'Tic-Tac-Toe!'
Why: To increase fine motor skills; to practice orally retelling the main idea of a story
How:
1) Trace a Sam-I-Am head pattern onto white paper. Then cut it out.
2) Use the smaller pieces of construction paper to add his eyes, nose, and mouth to his head.
3) Freehand or trace his hat onto red construction paper.
4) Glue Sam-I-Am's head and hat together.
5) Trace Sam-I-Am's body, arms, and legs onto yellow construction paper.
6) Glue the head and body onto a brown lunch sack.
7) Cut out and attach the tray of green eggs and ham to Sam's arm.
8) Use the Sam-I-Am puppet tell someone else what happened in Green Eggs and Ham!
Horton Hears a Who Stations
Why: To reinforce letter recognition; to match upper and lower case letters; to practice identifying the letters at the beginning of pictures
How:
1) Choose one of the two sets of elephants and peanuts to work with first.
2) Put the peanut puzzles together by matching the upper and lower case letters.
(A with a, B with b, etc.)
3) Look at the pictures on the elephants. What letter does each picture start with? Match each elephant to the correct letter peanut.
4) Return all peanut pieces and elephants to the correct bag when finished.
Printables:
Horton's Letter Peanuts - Print and cut into puzzles for matching upper and lowercase letters.
ABC Sound Elephants A - L
ABC Sound Elephants M - Z
Here is a variation sent by Tessa Scheperle. Thanks for sharing!
Match upper case letter elephants to lowercase letter peanuts.
Horton's Uppercase Letters A-L
Horton's Uppercase Letters M-Z
Lowercase Letter Peanuts
Why: To measure and compare length using a non standard measurement
How:
(Note: There are two different activities at this station.)
1) Choose a mat with a picture of an item on it to measure. Use the unifix cubes to measure the length of the object. Then count and record the number of cubes you used.
or
2) Choose a three to five different mats with pictures. Use the unifix cubes to measure the length of each object on the mat. Were you correct in ordering your picture cards by sight?
(Note to teachers: Either collect and use real items or trace the outline of various sized items onto cardstock, draw a line next to each object, for easier measuring, and then laminate for reuse! Provide sheets with either a smaller picture and word or just the word for students to record the number of cubes long each item actually is.)
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If I Ran The Zoo Stations
Why: To make sets of objects to correspond with numerals (1-20); to use objects to add and subtract
How:
(Note: There are two different activities at this station.)
1) Choose a zoo animal cage that has a numeral on the top. Read the number out loud and then count that many animals into the cage.
or
2) Choose a zoo animal cage without a numeral on the top. Have an adult read a short story problem. (See below.) As the story is being read, place that many animals in the cage. Listen
carefully. You may need to add more animals into the cage or take some animals out of the cage based on what happens in the story. At the end of the story, you will need to count and tell
the adult how many animals are left in your cage.
1. Today, Gerald McGrew brought 4 tigers and 5 seals to his new zoo. How many animals in all did he bring today?
2. Yesterday, Gerald sent 3 animals to each of his 4 friends. Count the total number of animals he gave to his friends.
3. Gerald was playing a game with 7 of the animals. 2 animals unexpectedly ran away. How many animals did he have left?
4. Before taking them to the zoo, Gerald hid 2 small snakes in his mom's purse and 3 bear cubs under a blanket. How many hidden animals did he have that may surprise his family later? (Don't try this at home!)
5. Gerald made a house for the monkeys. He placed 3 monkeys in the kitchen and 8 monkeys in the living room. How many monkeys did he place in the entire monkey house?
6. Gerald had 6 rabbits. When he opened the cage to place more rabbits inside, 3 rabbits jumped out! How many rabbits were left in the cage
7. Gerald collected 5 mini alligators and placed them near a river in the zoo. He noticed that 3 alligators liked it better under the trees. How many alligators liked being near the river still?
8. Gerald and his friends were looking for unusual animals. They found 2 strange black lions, 2 small polka dot seals, and 1 purple and gold striped cow. How many animals in all did they find on their hunt?
(Note to teachers: I found some good animal picture cards in Building Better Language Skills, Creative Teaching Press, 2001, but you could also use a clipart CD!)
Printables:
Zoo Counting Sheet - created by Tessa Scheperle.
Why: To practice letter formation and letter/sound associations in context ; to encourage creativity by drawing/writing
How:
1) Gerald McGrew found many strange and exotic animals! What type of animal might you find
and bring to YOUR new zoo? Draw a detailed picture of this 'never seen before' animal!
2) Help your child to stretch out the sounds of the words with you to try to write at least the
beginning and ending letters they hear (like in our kid writing and writing notebooks) to write about their new animal. What is the new zoo animal's name? What is special about this animal?
Where does it like to live? What type of foods does it need to eat?
Printables:
Create An Animal Sheet - created by Tessa Scheperle.
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Why: To develop beginning estimation
How:
(Note: There are three related activities at this station. They may be completed in any order.)
1) Look closely at the three jars with the goldfish crackers. Without counting, which jar do you think has the most/least goldfish inside? Move the numeral cards to reflect your prediction. Then lift the flap to show the number of goldfish in each jar. Which jar really did have the most/least? What might have made this difficult to determine?
2) Look at the largest jar containing goldfish crackers. Each family may make 1 prediction as to how many goldfish are in this jar. Write your families' prediction (number guess and first and last name) and then place it in the can. (You may win a prize if your families' estimate was the closest!)
3) Choose 1 paper fish bowl. Estimate how many paper fish will be able to fill the fish bowl. Once you have told someone your estimate, start placing fish on the fishbowl until it is completely filled (without overlapping the fish). Count to see how many fish could 'swim' in the fishbowl!
Printables:
Goldfish Estimation Guess Slips - created by Tessa Scheperle.
Why: To match pictures that rhyme; to practice hearing sounds that are alike at the end of words
How:
1) Grab a free fishing pole and fish for any fish in the stream. Say the name of the picture and then place it in your pail..
2) Next, look in the stream for another fish that has a picture that rhymes with the picture on your first fish. Check yourself by orally saying the name of each picture that rhymes.
3) Once a match is made, see if your child can orally generate more words that rhyme with the
two pictures.
4) Return all fish back to the stream, picture side up when finished.
(Note to teachers: Create a stream or pond on the floor by using the large rolled bulletin board paper. Set out pails and fishing poles for the number of students you wish to participate at the station. Attach metal paper clips to each fish and magnets to the end of each fishing pole. Students have to 'fish' for the two fish that contain pictures that rhyme! The pail is for students to collect their fish matches in.)
Printables:
Rhyming Pictures - Cut apart and glue onto fish cut outs from an Ellison Press or fish notepad paper.
Why: To practice identifying, copying, and making AB, AAB, ABC, & ABB patterns
How:
(Note: There are three patterning activities at this station that progress in difficulty.)
1) Choose 1 pre-made fish pattern strip. Place the exact same color and size of cutouts on top of the pattern strip. Can you continue with the same pattern off the edge of the strip? Recheck your pattern by going back to the beginning and pointing to each fish. Either say the color/size or letters for the pattern!
2) Use just the laminated cut outs of fish to layout and form your own pattern. Tell an adult what your pattern is or see if they can guess your pattern.
3) Use crayons and the fish outline sheet to color and create your own pattern. Make sure to tell someone your pattern and check it!
Printables:
Fish Patterns
Fish Pattern Outline Strips
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Wacky Wednesday Stations
Why: To begin the development of the concept of time; to practice following verbal and pictorial directions; using fine and large motor skills
How:
1) Two family members pick up a pictorial task card that tells what each must do.
2) Discuss what the opposite of each task would be. (exp. - If you have a picture of child tying shoe. The opposite would be to untie your shoe!)
3) Predict whether the tasks will take the same amount of time, more time, or less time.
3) Do the 'opposite' task and check to see if you were right!
Why: To sequence events in the correct order; to reinforce the use of position words such as first, next, last
How:
1) Choose one of the bags of story pictures.
2) Look carefully at the separate portions of the small story. Talk about the details that you see and what is happening in each picture.
4) Rearrange the pictures so that it is in the correct order.
5) Check by orally telling a story to go along with the order you placed the pictures in. Make
sure to use the words first, next, and last or first, second, and third.
Various Seuss Stations
Why: To encourage the enjoyment of each families' favorite Dr. Seuss story!
How:
As a family, decide which one of the many books written by Dr. Seuss your family would like to read together. There is not time to read them all in one night =). Read and enjoy the story together!
(Note to teachers: Set up a cozy reading area for your families! Place pillows, cushions, some smaller reading lamps, a photo and short biography of Dr. Seuss on the wall, some pictures of famous characters from his stories, and of course many, many books written by Dr. Seuss!)
Why: To encourage oral language; graphing- to compare sets to see which has more or fewer items
How:
1) Graph your favorite Dr. Seuss book used at tonight's Family Night! Each person in your family needs to write their first and last name on a sticky note and place the sticky note on the
graph to show which book is their favorite.
2) Look at the graph. Discuss which Dr. Seuss book is liked more than the others, less than the
others, and which ones are liked the same amount. You may want to check back later to see if the graph has changed.
Why: To help us remember the fun we had with Dr. Seuss!
How:
1) Gather your family around the Cat in the Hat.
2) Ask the photographer to take your family photo.
3) Write the names of the family members who were in the photo with the Cat in the Hat and
leave this information with the photographer.
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