1-2-3 Come Do Some Lorax and Mustache Activities With Me

I'm clueless, as to why the mustache theme started in the first place, and continues to be so popular.  However, I'm a firm believer in using what's a "hot button" for children to help grab their attention and then engage them in learning.

Since the Lorax sports a wonderful big-yellow fluffy mustache, I designed some activities featuring this colorful creature.  Today's blog features some of my most popular Lorax-themed downloads.

Making a mustache/moustache to launch a writing prompt, is an interesting and "Suessical" way of doing things, that I think your students will enjoy. Make a sample, cover your nose, and ask your students in a deep voice: "I mustache you, would you save a Truffula tree?"  Thus begins the fun writing prompt "craftivity."

While children are working, you can play the "Let It Grow" song from the Lorax movie.  Click the link for the Lorax YouTube song video.

For an adorable bulletin board, take everyone's photograph wearing their mustache and put it next to their writing.   Flank the board on either side with 2 colorful truffula trees.

Mrs. Lodge, a very creative librarian, used PVC pipe to make some beautiful truffula tree trunks. 

You can also make the truffula trunks out of pool noodles and then stripe with colorful Duct tape.  I especially like these green and blue ones that EmBellish made for her 1st grade classsroom.

While you're "truffulling" why not whip together some truffula pencils. 

Writing about saving a truffula tree, with a truffula pencil will certainly add to the fun.

These were made by Jin Yong. Click on the link to get directions over at Under The Cherry Tree Blog.

Since the Silly Shaped Penguins, Owls, and Chicks have been such a huge hit, I designed some featuring the Lorax.    His easily recognizable, bright-orange oval-ish shape and yellow mustache, is perfect for other shapes too.

For an interesting and fun shape review during Seuss Week or March is Reading Month, make a set and use them as anchor charts or big flashcards.

Toss in some math, by graphing everyone's favorite shaped Lorax. Simply hang your Lorax samples in a row on the white board. 

Have students write their  name under the one that they like best, or have students choose their favorite shape and make their own. 

If you want to add a bit of keepsake-value to their shape, have children use their hand prints for the mustache.  Add wiggle eyes, and accordion-folded, construction paper arms and legs. 

Suspend the Lorax shapes back-to-back from the ceiling, or mount them on a bulletin board flanked by truffula trees. Your caption could be: "Reading Really Gets Us In Shape!"

To introduce the emergent reader shape booklet, also in the packet, tell students that the Lorax ate some leaves from the truffula tree and has Truffula-itis, which made him lose his normal shape. 

They can help him return to the real Lorax oval shape, by completing their Shapely Lorax emergent reader, circling the capital letters, adding end punctuation, tracing and writing the shape word, and then tracing and drawing the shapes etc. 

Click on the link to view/print the Lorax Shape Packet.

Finally, I used the Lorax's face to make a clock, and the truffula trees to show digital time.  There are 2 different games in the "It's Truffula Time" packet.

In the first game, students play in groups of 2-4, taking turns spinning the Lorax clock.  Whatever analog time they land on, they trace the digital time on their truffula tree trunk. 

Students can also use the Lorax spinner clock, to write numbers on their mini-clock recording sheet.

For this game, they can substitute dice for a spinner, rolling first 1 die for clock times 1-6, then adding two dice for the rest of the times to the hour.

Run the trufulla tree tops on colored copy paper and have students cut and glue their tree top to their digital answer sheet. Click on the link to view/download the Lorax Truffula Telling Time packet.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  Our week of Seuss is almost over, so it's time to start working on some activities for St. Patrick's Day. Wishing you a colorful and creative day.

"I like nonsense.  It wakes up the brain cells.  Fantasy is a necessary ingredient to living." -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Shape Up With The Lorax And Me!

Since the Silly Shaped Penguins have been such a huge success, I thought I'd try to make something similar, with a Seuss character.  The Lorax, because he's already an oval, was the perfect fit.

You can make a set and simply use them as shape anchor charts, for a fun review, during Seuss Week or March is Reading Month, or you can have students choose their favorite shape and make their own. 

I've included 2 different mustache patterns for you to choose from.  One says, "I mustache you what shape am I?" and the other one is plain. 

I personally love the play on words and think students will think that is sort of cornball fun too.

If you want to add a bit of keepsake value to their shape, have them pick a partner, so they can trace each other's hand, on a folded-sheet of yellow construction paper. 

Keeping the paper folded, they only have to cut once, making 2 hands that are perfect for a Lorax mustache.

Start off by reading The Lorax and asking students what shape he is. Show them your samples and ask them which they like the best.

You could graph this for an easy math extension.  Simply hang the Lorax shapes on the white board, and write students' names under whatever one they like the best.

Tell the students that the Lorax ate some leaves from the Truffula tree and has Truffulaitis, which made him lose his normal shape. 

They can help him return to the real Lorax, by completing the Lorax Shape Mystery easy reader. 

Show your sample and explain what you want them to do.  i.e. circle the capital letters, add end punctuation, trace and write the shape word, trace and draw the shapes etc.

As children complete their Lorax easy reader, they can make a Lorax shape of their choice.  Run the templates off on orange paper.

Children can add wiggle eyes, and accordion folded, construction paper arms and legs.  Suspend the Lorax shapes back-to-back from the ceiling, or mount them on a pastel blue bulletin board, flanked by truffula trees.

Your caption could be: "Reading Really Gets Us In Shape!"  Click on the link to view/print the Lorax Shape Packet.

Finally, another sweet Lorax "craftivity" is making a mustache/moustache to launch a writing prompt.  It's an interesting and "Suessical" way of doing things that I think your students will enjoy.

For an adorable bulletin board, take everyone's photograph wearing their mustache and put it next to their writing.  Your bulletin board title could be the same question you are asking: "We mustache you, would you save a truffula tree?" 

Flank the board on either side, with 2 colorful truffula trees, made out of strips of neon-colored tissue paper, and rolled up green bulletin board paper for the trunk, that you can stripe with brightly colored boarder.   Click on the link to view/download the Lorax Writing Prompt packet. 

If your class is into the mustache thing, click on the link for more mustache-themed FREEBIES.  To see another fun Lorax activity, scroll down for the next blog article.  

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others will find helpful.

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