20 Dr. Seuss Activities to Fill Your House with Stacks of Books

March 2, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! His books are scattered all over our house.  We will be celebrating by reading several of his books, playing games and munching on Seuss style snacks. I'm excited to share several activities and snacks with my son's kindergarten class in the morning.

"Fill your house with stacks of books...in all the crannies and all the nooks." This quote is from the movie, In Search of Dr. Seuss.  Dr. Seuss knew the average kid would pick up a book and be hooked. It has been the inspiration for my blog.  I really want children to be surrounded by books at home.   We have well over 1,000 books. I am constantly trying to sort through them and share with others. We donate many to the Burmese refugee children we work with in Salt Lake. We've held book drives to collect and donate more books for them. My children love helping pass out the books.

This is one reason I haven't been blogging as much in the last year.  I've been "in the trenches" trying to spread literacy instead of behind my computer blogging as much. I still share quick ideas and activities on Instagram but I don't have the time to share more details on my blog for now.

I'm also our school PTA president this year.  I'm currently helping with our readathon which has been a Dr. Seuss theme the past five years.  This year we have a new mascot so we are doing a fantasy reading theme. I'm helping plan a medieval festival to celebrate all the extra reading our students do.

Image by Kellie Ungritch for D. Elementary

I hope you all are reading more with your children or classroom. Share a Dr. Seuss book today to celebrate his birthday. 

If you're looking for some additional fun ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday, check out 20 of my favorite obSEUSSed with Dr. Seuss activities, crafts, snacks and party ideas here.

Plus I’ve collected more than 1,500 Dr. Seuss ideas on several Pinterest boards.  Follow these boards for Dr. Seuss parties, classrooms, crafts, Grinchmas, activities and more.


Start filling your house with stacks of books.
We buy books at yard sales, thrift shops, local books stores and online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. We love to give and receive books as gifts. We've also done a book exchange at church where we have a cupboard we bring a book to leave and take a book to keep. I'm also excited to start working on building my own Dr. Seuss Little Free Library house for my yard this summer.

If you don't like books taking up a lot of space at your home long term, make sure to rotate books from your local library.  Sometimes owning too many books can be overwhelming and my kids get used to seeing them and aren't as interested in reading them.  A new stack of books borrowed from the library gets them excited.  Whatever method you choose, just make sure to keep books accessible for children.  Help them find books they are interested in and get them excited about reading!  

I'd love to know how you're celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday. Leave a comment below or leave a link to your blog if you've shared ideas online.

Follow me on Instagram (@reading_refuge) and Facebook: obSEUSSed.

Read Across America: School Readathon and Printable Reading Log

Our elementary school PTA hosts a two-week read-a-thon for the students.  The past few years the theme has been Dr. Seuss so we coordinate it around Dr. Seuss’ birthday (March 2) which is also Read Across America Day. I have been lucky to help with the Dr. Seuss reading weeks for the last 3 years.

Students track their reading minutes for two weeks.  The top grade and the top student in each grade receive prizes.  All the students are rewarded with a Dr. Seuss Carnival Celebration at the end of the two weeks. The Cat in the Hat from our local PBS station (KBYU) attends our carnival.

FREE PRINTABLE DR. SEUSS STYLE READING LOG

Here is a sample of the reading log with details specific for our readathon.


I made a blank sheet that you can add to or use it like it is. There is also a version with 4 post card sized hats on one page.


I drew this hat inspired by the Cat in the Hat. This is available as a Free Printable to be used for educational purposes only in homes or classrooms. Please do not repost this image (or any others on this site) without permission.  See this printable and more Dr. Seuss printables here.

Accelerated Reader Challenge

This year we held an assembly read-a-thon for 45 minutes for all students in the gym.
They could take Accelerated Reading (A.R.) tests on laptops on the stage to correlate with the 'Read the Most Coast to Coast' National A.R. Challenge the same day. We showed the number of words being tracked nationally up on a screen. We had 20 laptop stations set up and kids lined up to take tests for an hour.

Nearly 600 students sat on the floor trying to quietly read. We handed out large Tootsie Pop suckers as they came in the door to help them stay quiet and enjoy a treat at the same time. I've blurred some faces to protect privacy.

I spotted one child reading Dr. Seuss and holding The Cat in the Hat.

Dr. Seuss Style Flash Mob

At the end of the read-a-thon one teacher stood in the middle of the room as I turned on the music and she started to dance.  10 seconds later, more teachers and a few PTA moms joined in the middle of the room and started dancing with a few coordinated moves ('Can Can" kicks and "The Wave" with books + more). Quickly, the students jumped to their feet and started dancing along too.  The entire room was a dance party dancing to the tune of Black Eyed Peas "I've Got a Feeling" song. The words were changed to "Gotta Keep Reading, cause this book's gonna be a good book!"  See a sample of this song on YouTube.

Click here to see a short video on Instagram. The sound is not good. I will post a better clip soon.

When watching the video back I spotted several kids who just sat on the floor and kept reading in the middle of the dance party. They were so into their books. I love that! I'm not even sure they realized the Grinch was up by the stage.

School Dr. Seuss Decorations

Our PTA created Dr. Seuss character cutouts with Dr. Seuss quotes and hung them throughout the hallways.  The large truffula trees each represent a grade to track reading minutes. At the end of the first and second week of the read-a-thon, a small Dr. Seuss character will climb the tree representing the minutes read. The first tree says ‘Whoville’ and represents our preschool and special needs classroom.

I made a few Truffula Trees too out of tissue paper and foam pool noodles or black plumbing foam. 

Principal Stuck on Reading
Our principal is a good sport. He got ‘Stuck on Reading’ for our school read-a-thon. These photos are from 2014 but we will be doing it again with our new principal on March 12.
 In the middle of the two week read-a-thon we asked students to bring their reading logs back to check in. If they have been reading, they got a piece of duct tape and got to tape the principal to the wall during lunch time.

He read several Dr. Seuss books while the kids added tape.

We used a white painters outfit so his clothes wouldn’t get ruined. He also wore the red and white stove pipe hat like The Cat in the Hat.

See how he is standing on a stack of books?  Once he was taped well, we took the books out and let him hang there. Truly ‘Stuck on Reading.’

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE DR. SEUSS BOOK
We had five posters for popular Dr. Seuss books and asked the kids to sign their name and vote for their favorite.  I attached a cover of the books (from a bulletin board set) and a marker hooked to yarn so they could sign.  The kids had fun doing this while only 2-4 could be trying to tape the principal at a time.  It was also Fox in Socks Crazy Sock Day so there was a lot of energy buzzing around the read-a-thon for the day.  (What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? Leave a comment below.)

Does your school do a read-a-thon? What kind of things do you do to motivate your students?  Have you ever had a read-a-thon at home?

Simple Seuss Celebrations

Next week is Dr. Seuss’ birthday (March 2). Teachers and parents around the globe enjoy celebrating his birthday through crafts, activities, special food and parties.  Some celebrations can be quite elaborate but there are plenty of simple ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss and Read Across America day.
In fact a quick search of the web or Pinterest will show you thousands of ideas. 
Angie, from Country Chic Cottage and I are excited to share a few simple ideas to help you find something that will be just right for your home or classroom.
The ideas pictured above can be found on this Pinterest Board. Just click the links and it will take you right to the details.
Follow our Simple Seuss Celebrations board on Pinterest.

Angie has a huge variety of creative Dr. Seuss crafts and treats.

She also has a fabulous round-up of 40+ links for Dr. Seuss crafts, parties, printables and activities.

I’m sharing 20+ of my obSEUSSed with Dr. Seuss activities, crafts, snacks and party ideas here.

I have a list of 350+ Dr. Seuss activities I’ve collected on this page:

Plus I’ve collected more than 1,500 Dr. Seuss ideas on several Pinterest boards.  Check out boards for Dr. Seuss parties, classrooms, crafts, Grinchmas, activities and more.

Sarah from Bombshell Bling shares her own Dr. Seuss décor, printables, crafts and more.
She collected some fabulous Dr. Seuss ideas here:

Sara from Mom Endeavors shared 75+ Dr. Seuss crafts, activities and recipes.

Jill from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons has amazing visually creative snacks for kids.  She has a great round-up of Dr. Seuss recipes and crafts.

Taralyn from Keep Moving Forward with Me blog shares 6 simple Dr. Seuss ideas.

Ashlee Marie is the most fabulous cake maker I personally know.  Here is her Cat in the Hat Cake, Cake Pops and printable Dr. Seuss book invitations for parties.

Jamerrill from Free Homeschool Deals share 100+ Dr. Seuss printables, crafts, recipes, activities and more.

Great Hands-on activities inspired by Dr. Seuss at Learn with Play at Home.

Tons of Dr. Seuss teaching printables and ideas for Read Across America Day at the Teaching Blog Addict.

Katie from Clarks Condensed blog shares tons of ideas for a Dr. Seuss themed party or baby shower.

We hope you can find a few simple ideas from these lists to choose your own way to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Read Across America Day sometime in March.  You don’t have to do it on March 2nd. It is fun to celebrate with this theme anytime of year.  Happy Seussabrations!

Dr. Seuss Crafts, Activities and Party ideas by obSEUSSed

I’ve been busy the past few years celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Read Across America Day (March 2).  We actually celebrate all year long by making Dr. Seuss crafts, snacks, printable worksheets, activities and more. This may be why people call me obSEUSSed.

These are a few of my favorite projects I've created.  You can see more details when clicking the links below each collage.

• Thing 1 Thing 2 Cupcake printable signs (free printable)
• Truffula Tree elastic bookmark
• Truffula Tree and Cat in the Hat pencil holder cans
• Lorax Truffula Tree Cupcakes
• Dr. Seuss School Carnival with Cat in the Hat from PBS Kids {KBYU-local station} and fun signs for the party.

• Our Dr. Seuss reading nook in our playroom.
• Our Dr. Seuss {free printable} library card and how we display books.
• The {free printable} Dr. Seuss book mark with the ‘Fill your house’ quote.
• Tips on reading with your children.
• Again, the Dr. Seuss carnival photo booth.

ONE FISH TWO FISH and GREEN EGGS and HAM IDEAS:
One Fish Two Fish {free printable} fishing game for letter recognition.
1 Fish 2 Fish placemat {free printable} to practice counting.
1 Fish 2 Fish bathroom and dresser.
Green Eggs and Ham Egg Hunt and Rhyming Game
Green Eggs and Ham puzzle/cutting practice {free printable}.
Green Eggs and Ham snack tray.

HOP ON POP
We love having Hop on Popcorn at our school Dr. Seuss carnival.
Try this fun Hop on Popcorn sight word game.
Really Hop on Pop when you draw him on a yellow bed sheet.
The Cat in the Hat storage container also makes a great Valentine box.
Take a look around this sight and you’ll find more Dr. Seuss and more regular children’s book crafts and activities.

I have a list of 350+ Dr. Seuss activities on this page:

Plus I’ve collected more than 1,500 ideas on several Pinterest boards.  Check out boards for Dr. Seuss parties, classrooms, crafts, Grinchmas, activities and more.
Visit Victoria Saley @obSEUSSed's profile on Pinterest.

Dr. Seuss Experts: Just READ

Happy Read Across America Day! Dr. Seuss’ characters are often symbols used to represent reading on this day.

I’m obSEUSSed with Dr. Seuss but I’m not an expert by any means.  I’m inspired by Dr. Seuss’ whimsical world and his desire to help children love reading. I get a little carried away collecting Dr. Seuss ideas, so much so that I don’t have time to do all the Dr. Seuss activities I've seen on Pinterest or other blogs.  I’m busy planning a Dr. Seuss carnival for our elementary school happening mid March so I haven’t had time to plan anything to do at home to celebrate his birthday this weekend.   Yes, me, obSEUSSed. I have no elaborate Dr. Seuss crafts or projects planned this weekend. This is real life, with three kids.

So, here’s my plan:   I’m just going to READ to my kids.  Nice and simple. That is what the NEA’s Read Across America Day is really all about.  Just pick up a book and read with your kids.  Just ask the experts.

THE EXPERTS

Although it is fun to see other bloggers’ and teachers’ ideas across the web, my most favorite and trusted official resources for Dr. Seuss are the following.

SEUSSVILLE

Seussville is the Official Dr. Seuss site. They have online games, videos, a store filled with Dr. Seuss products and more.
They also have excellent teacher and parent sections including this book guide.


Random House, the official publisher of Dr. Seuss books, has official worksheets and games at their site too.


The National Education Association runs the Read Across America campaign. Today they are celebrating RAA for the 16th year.  This program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources.  They also have a store with Dr. Seuss products (great for party planning) and excellent education resources.


Scholastic has excellent Dr. Seuss resources as well. Check out: Dr. Seuss  Everything You Need. They also have a fun Dr. Seuss Weekly Reader online


As I mentioned earlier this week, I love that PBS has joined with Dr. Seuss to present The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! The children’s TV/DVD series. You can also watch episodes online, play games and they have a store too.


I’ve featured several of Oceanhouse Media’s Dr. Seuss book apps on obSEUSSed before.  They have done an excellent job of keeping the books simple and true to their original feeling while making them interactive for kids to touch and hear the words and sounds that go along with the story. They now have the ‘Read and record’ feature so you can record your voice reading and play it back with the book.


And I can’t forget our favorite official Dr. Seuss board game creators. Wonder Forge has creative and classic games for preschoolers and grade school children. Just take a look at their site featuring all their games.


I hope you enjoy visiting these Dr. Seuss experts when you’re ready for some Seusstastic fun. Even though I haven’t planned anything other than reading, I know I can pull up The Cat in the Hat on PBS.com, or have my kids play a Dr. Seuss book app or pull out a board game without any planning – or craft supply gathering- necessary.

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with Dr. Seuss Enterprises or any of these companies in any way. I have not been compensated by them for this post. I enjoy their resources and hope you will too.