1-2-3 Come Do Some Seuss Hat Craftivities With Me

Since Seuss's hat is so iconic, with the stripes making it an easy vehicle to cover an assortment of standards, I decided to design a few more activities featuring the cat's hat to celebrate Seuss.

First up is a Seuss-hat, “flip the flap” ABC booklet. My kiddos absolutely LOVE making these emergent readers. I enjoy the versatility.


The packet contains a booklet for each letter of the alphabet. 

You can make these as a whole group activity, as an independent center, for a bulletin board, for a class-made book (each student contributes a letter) or have each child do all of the letter booklets as a “letter a week” activity, and keep them in their ”portfolio" file folder.

Students trace and write the upper and lowercase letters, as well as the words that begin with that letter.  They read the sentence and add end punctuation.

I have used almost all of the words from the Pre-Primer, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Dolch word lists, plus many of the Dolch nouns!

There are covers for the class book, as well as the file folder, and I’ve also included a mini, set of letter cards that you can toss into a Seuss hat.

Children choose one, and that’s the letter they will contribute to the class book.

The packet also includes upper & lowercase letter assessments, plus "trace and write" upper and lowercase letter worksheets, plus a "Hats Off To Wonderful Work!" poster.  

From letters let's go to numbers with “I’ve Got Your Number!” Seuss hat booklet.

This is super-fun for your kiddos and easy-peasy for you to "print & go". 

The booklet helps review quite a few math standards as you flip from left to right, and then again, with another section, of "flip the flap" pages, from right to left, to show a group/set of apples.

I chose apples as the object because of Seuss’s story: 10 Apples Up On Top

You don’t have to add that extra flap to make it simpler for PK kiddos, but it’s really not hard at all, and provides great fine motor cutting practice.

I've also included a pattern without clocks for them, as well as completed teacher samples in full color, to expedite making a sample to share.  

For more math practice, I designed a simple "print & go", "Show Me The Number!" worksheet that covers a variety of math standards.

Teachers can choose a number, give children a choice or have them roll dice to figure out what number they will use to fill out their worksheet.

Interest remains high, even though you can use the worksheet for an entire week or even all of March, because the number changes daily.

Students look forward to working on their Cat Hat Math Mat, because they know what to do, which empowers them.

They can get right down to business, without waiting for directions., which is a real time saver.

Use the large template to explain and demonstrate what you want your kiddos to do.  To conserve paper, I created a 2-on-a-page worksheet for students.

I’ve also included a completed sample. Laminate & hang up as an anchor chart poster, which will help remind children of the directions.

The beauty of this worksheet, is that you can use it for any number. Younger students can work on numbers less than 10, kinders can work on those toughie teens, while older kiddos tackle bigger numbers.

The worksheet is also an easy way to whole-group assess, is great for early finishers, homework or a sub folder too.

Laminate several large worksheets and keep in your math center. Children fill them out with a dry erase marker.

The packet also includes a helpful cat’s hat bookmark with math symbols, which my kiddos keep in their math journals.  

Finally, "You Can Count On Seuss" can be a worksheet or a workbook.   I absolutely LOVE making “print & go” workbooks for my kiddos.

I become queen of the copy room for a bit, which is well worth the effort because after I’ve got them done, I’m free and have reduced my stress level a ton!

My students enjoy working on a page a day, and I have a little lesson for 10 days! Woo hoo. 
There are full-page, large templates to make a worksheet, poster, bigger booklet, and teacher’s edition.

I’ve also made 2-on-a-page worksheets to conserve paper, plus a cover if you’d like to make a workbook like I do.

When my students complete their booklet, they earn a “Hats off to you!” bookmark. These come 5 on-a-page, as well as 12-on-a-page.

I also laminate a set of the large patterns and put them in my math center.  Children use a dry erase marker to do X number of pages.

I complete a set using Seussical colored markers, mount them on turquoise and red construction paper, laminate, and hang them up as posters.

1-2-3 Come Count and Flip Stripes With Me!

This Seuss flip hat is a bit more complicated than the money “cent-stional” one that I designed earlier, but it is still a pretty easy project that nails a lot of Standards in a fun way. Common Core State Standards: K.CC.4a, K.CC.4b, K.CC.4c, K.OA.1,K.OA.5, K.CC.6, 1.MD.3

How To Make A Hat:Run off the templates. I’ve made a teacher answer key with the time-consuming parts done, to expedite making a sample to show your students.  Because of the cutting. gluing, and assembling, this is a terrific fine motor skill activity.

You can have students either color every other stripe on the front cover flip portion of the hat, in an ABAB pattern, or you can run off the cover template on red construction paper.

Cut the stripes so that one child gets the odd numbers to glue to his white cover, and another child gets the even numbers.

By gluing the stripe to the matching number, you are reinforcing sequencing, one-to-one correspondence, as well as odd or even numbers, plus skip counting by 2’s for the even numbers.

Before assembling, have students fill in the inside of the hat.  If you have them use a yellow and green highlighter, you can revisit the science fact that apples come in red, yellow and green.  You can also have them color their apples in an ABC color pattern when they get to that portion of the hat.

I used apples for the group/set of things, because it’s a school theme, easily recognizable by students, and is a terrific transition activity, if you read Seuss’s 10 Apples Up On Top to your kiddos.

There is plenty of room to have your students write the numbers in as well.  I did this AFTER the tally marks, so that the first column of numbers stays separate from the writing of the numbers, so that the first number does not look like an 11, the next a 22 and so on.

Children draw hands on the clock to the hour.   Remind them that the hour hand is shorter than the minute hand.

Making A Hat: Students cut and glue the correct matching dice to the appropriate column.

I purposely used part of the fact family of 5.  Counting the dots on the dice and adding them together to = their number, will reinforce yet another Standard.

Students trim their front and back covers, and cut out their hat.  I found that it was easier, to fold the edge of the front and back covers and then glue them to the front and back parts of the hat, before cutting the stripes.

This way everything wasn’t flapping all over the place, with the risk of getting torn or completely ripped off.  This will also help prevent children from cutting their strips entirely off, if they don’t stop at the dashed line.

My Y5’s often did that because they were simply on a roll and kept cutting.  Once students complete their hats, there are all sorts of things you can do with them.

How Can I Use The Hats?  They are great for whole group assessing. Call out a number and have students flip to it.

Have them flip all of their even or odd numbers over. As they flip the even numbers, have them count by 2’s. Call out a number and have them flip over all of the numbers that are greater or less than that number.

Call out a time and have them flip to that. Do quick story problems by saying: “Flip to 2:00 o’clock. If 3 hours go by, flip to what time it will be.”  Call out 2 numbers, have them flip them and then add or subtract them.

Students can choose a partner and take turns rolling first one dice ‘til they have flipped numbers 1-6 and then add the 2^nd dice to roll and flip numbers 7-10.  The first one to flip over all of their flaps, or the one who has the most flipped stripes, by the time the timer rings, is the winner.

If you happen to think of more ways to use this number hat, I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com, or post a comment here if you like.   Click on the link to view/download the I've Got Your Number Dr. Seuss Hat.

Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

“The most precious jewels your arms will ever have around your neck, will be the arms of a child.” -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make A Flip Hat With Me.

I got the idea to make hat flip books from Mrs. Zrihen over at A Teachers Treasure. She teaches 6-8 grade reading and made one for figurative language.   Click on the link to check out her creative blog.

My wheels were of course turning, of what I could do for lower elementary,  so I whipped together this one on coins.

The Cent-sational Seuss  hat is a quick and easy little activity for your Seuss unit that will help review coins in a fun way.

Students cut their cover into flaps and glue it to the edge of their hat, so that when they flip a stripe over, it reveals the appropriate coin that they've glued and how much it's worth.

Completed projects make a great spring bulletin board.  Click on the link to view/download the Cent-sational Seuss hat. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  

For another fun Seuss hat activity (this one on patterning) scroll down. 

"If you follow the crowd, you might get lost in it." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Pattern With Me!

Whenever I covered patterns, I usually passed out several colored manipulatives like Unifix cubes or patterning blocks, so that my students could complete the patterns and show me one of their own and then name it, such as ABAB, ABCABC, ABBA etc.

I wanted to think of something different to do, as a math center, for Dr. Seuss Week, so I frogged around with a variety of things a child could create with the stripes on a Cat in the Hat hat.

The result is the 10-page packet: Dr. Seuss Hat Patterning

I think your students will enjoy these hands-on activities and game.  

They are an easy and fun way to whole-group assess patterning. 
Make a class set of the white-hat template, and cut a variety of colored construction paper strips.

Children choose 2 colors.  Teacher calls out a pattern and students arrange their stripes to show it.  You can see at a glance who needs help. 

If you don't want to save the game for next year, when you have completed your assessment, have students glue their stripes to their hat showing their favorite pattern. 

There are also several art "craftivities" as well, including my Y5's favorite, which was designing their own Seuss hat.

For little ones, use the pattern that has stripes on it, so that they can simply color it differently than the real cat's hat.

For some great fine motor practice, instead of coloring their hat, have children rip and tear a colored strip of construction paper and then glue the pieces to their hat.  Reinforce an ABAB pattern by having them choose only one color. 

Use the blank template for older students and encourage them to design a hat with something other than stripes.  Click on the link to view/download the Dr. Seuss Hat Patterning Packet.

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN away.   Do you have a Dr. Seuss activity you could share with us? I'd enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwithme.com  or post a comment here.

"Fill your house with books, in all of the crannies and all of the nooks!" -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Tell Time With Me!

The Cat in the Hat Telling Time Game is a fun additon for your Seuss-themed activities.

Students make their analog Cat in the Hat clock and add digital time stripes to their hat by rolling dice.

They trace the stripe, place it on their hat and then manipulate the paperclip hands to show the analog time.

The first one with a completed hat, or the one with the most stripes when the timer rings, is the winner.

Teachers should make a sample for demonstration and then use it as an anchor chart for the month of March.

Click on the link to view/download The Cat In The Hat Telling Time Game.

These Seuss bookmarks would make a nice "prize" for the winners, or use them as a sweet surprise, and leave them on your students desks.

Click on the link to view/download the Dr. Seuss Bookmarks.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything that you think others may find helpful.

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Study 2D and 3D Shapes With Me!

Reading Across America Starts the 24th and runs through March 2nd this year, and of course March is Reading Month will be in full swing as well.  Are you hopping on board? 

I always planned a huge Seuss Theme for that week.  My Y5's really enjoyed all the goofy things we did.

It was difficult to find Seuss lessons that met my Standards, so I simply dreamed them up, using easily recognizable Seuss characters for the clip art.

A classroom favorite was of course Cat in the Hat.  I even dressed up as the cat to launch that special day. 

Since one of the more iconic pictures of the cat is him juggling, I thought it would be fun to create 2 shape books where the cat juggles 2D shapes in one, and then 3D shapes in the other.

I've included the hexagon, pentagon and octagon, in the 2D booklet, as I've had so many requests to add these shapes.

The Cat Juggles 2D Shapes also nails several more standards than just the recognition of shapes.  Students circle the capital letters and add end punctuation.  Remind them of spacing, and that they are reading from left to right and top down, and you've covered 2 more Standards.

Children also trace and write the shape word, as well as trace and write the shape. Click on the link to view/download The Cat Juggles 2D Shapes.

The Cat Juggles 3D shapes, relies on a similar format, so students feel empowered, as once they've done the 2D booklet, the 3D booklet needs little explanation before they can get down to business.  This empowerment will build their self-esteem as they know what they are doing and can set to work.

I take this booklet a step farther, in that students cut and glue the 3D shaped object, to the matching numbered box in their booklet.  I also challenge students to think up another 3D shape and write it down. 

The last page in the book, as with the first booklet, has students drawing the objects that the cat is juggling. Click on the link to view/download The Cat Juggles 3D Shapes.

If you're looking for more Seuss Activities, click on the link to pop on over to that section of my site, and be sure to stop in tomorrow for a new Seuss FREEBIE!

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything that you think others might find helpful. 

Do you have a Seuss activity you could share with us? I'd enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwitheme.com or leave a comment here.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter, and those who matter. don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Be A Thing With Me!

Seuss was always on the loose in my classroom for March.

I think I own every book Dr. Seuss ever wrote.

One of my favorite theme days was Cat In The Hat Day.   It was school wide, so everybody was in on the fun.

I think it’s more interesting for students, if you can add a “craftivity” to a writing assignment, sort of like an illustration.

I think it motivates them to get down to the business of writing, so that they can go to the “craftivity” center afterwards to complete their assignment.

After reading the Cat In The Hat story, my Y5’s often said they liked Thing 1 and Thing 2 even better than the cat!

Since the duo is so popular, I thought it would be fun for students to become Thing 3.

I’ve designed 2 body templates for your students to color. One is a full body, as a small blue hand, which is the hair of Thing 3 will fit on.

Since older students have bigger hands, I also made a partial body template.

Children can take turns tracing each other’s hands on a blue sheet of construction paper, or you can have a room helper trace them, as well as cut them out.

I recommend the 2^nd alternative to expedite things with little ones, as well as insure that the hand looks like one, after they start snipping away.

Enlarge your students school photo, or take a head shot of them and print them off.

I pre-cut them into the shape of an oval, for the same reasons stated above.

Children glue their hand to the neck of Thing 3 and then glue their picture in the center of the hand., and then color their Thing 3.

This is the cover of their “Something” booklet.

Run off copies of the writing page. Students fill in their answers to the 6 writing prompt questions.

You can collect all of the pages and collate them into a class book, or mount their writing on Seuss-colored construction paper (red, blue, yellow, green) and then staple the pages next to their “craftivity” on a black-background bulletin board.

There are lots of Seuss borders available that will add the finishing touch around the b. board.

Click on the link to view/download the Thing Three Something Booklet.

Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find useful.

“Why fit in, when you were born to stand out!” –Dr. Seuss