Celebrate the Birthday of Dr. Seuss - March 2 - with Crafts and Other Activities

If you are around 50 or younger, chances are you grew up with Dr. Seuss stories. Those great children's books that showed us that it's okay to rhyme and even make up words are a part of our culture and history. What parent hasn't read Green Eggs and Ham at least 101 times? To celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel, on March 2, plan for some fun and easy-to-make crafts and other Seuss-worthy activities with your kids.

Read Dr. Seuss Stories

What is a celebration of the creator of The Cat in the Hat without reading Dr. Seuss books? Choose your favorite Dr. Seuss classics and read them aloud. If your child is able to read, enjoy letting him or her read them to you.

When you read Dr. Seuss stories, be sure to add lots of voice inflection, animated reading and drama. I have read Dr. Seuss stories to my three children from the time they were babies. All three have loved hearing me make sound effects and change my voice with each story. The more silly I read the stories, the better they like it. If a parent can't get silly while reading Dr. Seuss then when can they get silly?

Write Like Dr. Seuss

If your children are old enough, help them write a story in the style of Dr. Seuss. Have fun with this. Find out how many ways you can rhyme simple words. Help the kids make up funny and goofy words to fit in with the rhyming.

Be sure to write down the stories you come up with and save them. If your child or children like to draw, have them make illustrations to go along with the story the put the whole thing together. Pull it out and read it together occasionally.

Make Some Dr. Seuss Crafts

Check out various websites for Dr. Seuss and related crafts and activities. About.com has a huge list of links to crafts and learning activities focused on Dr. Seuss and his many books. You can find it here.

Childfun.com also has a number of interesting and simple Dr. Seuss activities for all ages.

I remember Dr. Seuss stories from my own childhood and one of the best things about celebrating Dr. Seuss now, as a parent, is the memories I am creating with my own children. I hope when they have kids of their own they will also enjoy celebrating Dr. Seuss with them and remembering the things they enjoyed growing up.