Play Learn Grow Together

Learning Together Joyfully: Dr. Seuss and St. Patrick

March is a month bursting with change as Mother Nature begins to bloom and show off her colors – especially after such an usually chilly winter.  As we slowly enter into Spring, it’s the perfect time to celebrate some March events. You will find a multitude of fun activities to engage with children as you celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2 or learn more about Irish traditions, history and the Irish humor when celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.

1.  Read together 📚 

DR. SEUSS BOOKS

Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2 and consider using it to kick-off a Week of reading Dr. Seuss books! You can’t go wrong with a Dr. Seuss book as they make everyone giggle as kids have fun and enjoy the rhyming words. Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated more than 60 children’s books over his lifetime. There are several related Dr. Seuss activities in the following sections which you may wish to place at a Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Centre or choose to enjoy at home with your children after reading one of the following books.

• Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. This rhyming romp includes chicks with bricks, chewy blue glue, a noodle eating poodle, and so much more! Just try to keep your tongue out of trouble! Rhyming has never been more fun! These laugh-out-loud books, using simple words with supporting illustrations, are easy to read and should encourage children to read on their own.

• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. “Do you like green eggs and ham?” asks Sam-I-am… “In a house or with a mouse? In a boat or with a goat? On a train or in a tree?” Sam keeps asking persistently. With unmistakable characters and signature rhymes, this beloved favorite has cemented its place as a children’s classic. In this most famous of cumulative tales, the list of places to enjoy green eggs and ham, and friends to enjoy them with, gets longer and longer. Follow up this read with a sequencing activity.

• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Poor Dick and Sally. It’s cold and wet and they’re stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process! Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 in response to the concern that “pallid primers” with abnormally courteous and unnaturally clean boys and girls were leading to growing illiteracy among children. This book thankfully changed the way children learned how to read.

• Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss. From a shoe stuck on the ceiling to tigers at school to flying cars, this is no normal Wednesday! Kids will love counting up the crazy things they see on every page in this search-and-find activity book featuring the madcap magic of Dr. Seuss’s rhyme, and  hilarious illustrations!

• Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss. Celebrate sleep with Dr. Seuss’s classic rhyming bedtime story picture book. Van Vleck, a very small bug, is getting sleepy, and his yawn—contagious as yawns are—sets off a chain reaction, making all those around him feel sleepy, too! With typically “Seussian” nods to alarm clocks, sleepwalking, and snoring, this charming ode to bedtime will lull listeners (and readers) toward dreamland. Zzzzzzzzzz.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY BOOKS

With St. Patrick’s Day, a delightfully fun holiday, coming soon on March 17, share some books that will enchant children as they search for four-leaf clovers, pots of gold, leprechauns and learn more about favored Irish traditions. The following are books to help children understand and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. Whether it’s a book about the significance of the holiday, a classic folktale, or a romping adventure with a leprechaun, read on and enjoy!

• The Leprechaun Under the Bed by Teresa Bateman. “A leprechaun can be alone without being lonely,” says Brian O’Shea. And that’s how Brian likes it– so when a big human man tries to build a cottage on top of Brian’s underground home, the leprechaun does his best to scare the fellow away with his magical tricks. But Sean McDonald refuses to be frightened off. 

• Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola. This classic folktale is a favorite for a reason! The hilarious story of Jamie O’Rourke, the laziest man in Ireland, and the giant potato is bound to be a favorite of children. Jamie grows a giant potato and has to enlist the help of anyone he can find to get it out of the ground. But what do you do with a giant potato? This story is excellent for sequencing.

• Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman. This original folktale tells the story of an Irish girl named Fiona –  a strong female role model! She devises a cunning plan to get back all of the good fortune that a greedy Leprechaun King has taken. Fiona is clever and uses her brain to bring luck back to the Irish people. Through clever charades, Fiona uses her wit to outsmart the powerful Leprechaun King and restore luck to the Emerald Isle.

• The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing. In this story, two siblings spend the night before St. Patrick’s Day creating a plan to trap a leprechaun. Not only do the siblings work together to create a plan but the author also does a great job of adding in St. Patrick’s Day traditions. The most exciting part is trying to figure out if their plan will work and if they will end the story with the leprechaun’s pot of gold!

• How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace. This fun, rhyming story is written from the point of view of a leprechaun! Children enjoy trying to find the leprechaun on each page and trying to figure out what the leprechaun will be up to next. This story can be used to discuss, brainstorm and write how they would create a leprechaun trap. Start a St. Patrick’s Day tradition and inspire your children to build leprechaun traps of their own at home or in the classroom! Laugh along in this zany story for kids that blends STEAM concepts with hilarious rhymes and vibrant illustrations!

• That’s what Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting. Set in Ireland, this story captures the legend of the leprechaun. What do leprechauns do? They bury a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, of course. But as Mrs. Bally Bunion’s ox, Miss Maude Murphy’s hen, and Old Jamie soon find out, they can’t resist having a little fun along the way. For, besides burying pots of gold, mischief is what leprechauns do! It is a longer book and may have to be read multiple times in order to practice skills such as: identifying character traits, comparing and contrasting with other St. Patrick’s Day books, or discussing cause and effect.

• The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever by Teddy Slater If you are looking for a story to highlight St. Patrick’s Day traditions, this is the story for you! The story uses rhyme to describe a charming St. Patrick’s Day parade and all of the events leading up to it. This book is especially great for sequencing . Have fun with your children as you go through a traditional St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. 

• My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza.  If you are looking for an engaging book to further explore the idea of luck around St. Patrick’s Day, this is the one. Fox thinks it is his lucky day when an absolutely scrumptious piglet knocks on his door by accident … or is it? Through amusing, lively illustrations, this laugh-out-loud tale is about a very gullible fox and a sly piglet that students will love! A story perfect for read-aloud time or personal reading time.

SONGS

DR. SEUSS

• Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
• Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! Song
• Dr. Seuss’s Mr. Brown Can Moo Sing-Along Music Video!
• You Tube medley of Dr. Seuss Songs

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

• I’m a Little Leprechaun
• Counting with a Leprechaun!
• St. Patrick’s Day Songs
• Green Song
• Green, St. Patrick’s Day
• More St. Patrick’s Day songs here

Askideas.com

2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Drawing and Constructing 🧩 

It is important to stimulate children with fun games and activities that will stretch their imaginations, encourage their creativity and engage them to think critically. 

ST. PATRICK’S DAY FUN

• After reading the book, How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace, set out resources for children so they can create and build their own leprechaun traps. You may wish to have them bring a shoe box from home.

• This leprechaun Number Playdough Mat familiarizes children with numbers 1 – 10. 
• After reading My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza, follow up with a discussion and completion of a chart detailing what attributes each child has to make them lucky as well as things they’re thankful to have. 

• Following that, have children create a I Am Lucky Four Leaf Clover writing activity where children write something that makes them lucky. This activity is available for purchase,  although you may wish to create your own version where students write something that makes them lucky or something they appreciate on each leaf of the clover.

CELEBRATE DR. SEUSS’S BIRTHDAY – MARCH 2 

• After reading the book One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish children will enjoy some one-to-one correspondence counting and colour matching activities.

• After reading Fox in Socks, read out the rhyming words together or create a pocket chart for children to match rhyming words.
• After reading Green Eggs and Ham, children may enjoy completing a reading maze.
  • You cannot eat these “green eggs,” but this fun Fizzing Green Eggs science experiment  is great to celebrate Dr. Seuss, St. Patrick’s Day, and Spring.  Kids will love all the color and fizzing action in this science project.
• After reading Cat in the Hat read out the rhyming words together or create a pocket chart for children to complete this rhyming activity or have children experiment with some of these center of gravity balance experiments.
• After reading Oh The Places You’ll Go, have fun counting together or completing a word search.
• Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with downloadable bookmarks.
• Download a fun ABC’s of Dr. Seuss Poster.
• Have children practice their cutting skills and then match these Dr. Seuss rhyming picture cards. This activity enhances language skills and rhyming skills in particular.  Rhyming skills are a part of phonemic awareness, a precursor for reading success. Add some fun and movement! Ask children to jump, clap, or hop, when they hear a rhyming pair.
• Read Bartholomew and the Oobleck and then engage in a sensory activity and make oobleck with your children.
• After reading several Dr. Seuss’ books, see how well children remember the characters as they complete Dr. Seuss’s Who’s Whoses?

ST. PATRICK’S DAY ACTIVITIES:

• Limerick Fun! Read A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear. These limerick’s were written in the 1800s and have been compiled into one book full of nonsense. Share some other zany limericks with children around St. Patrick’s Day. Share the video how to write limericks and create a few limericks together. Have children create their own using this limerick template.

• Do you believe in leprechauns? Have fun and survey the class to create a graph. Complete this fun math survey to supplement your graphing unit.

3. Explore, Engage & Interact together 🌍

• After reading The Lorax download these recycling signs for your classroom or home OR have a discussion about emotions and use these printable emotion cards so children can manipulate them and discuss what causes them to feel these emotions. .
• After reading Horton Hears a Who. encourage children to discuss acts of kindness and encourage them to be kind to others’ throughout the day. You may wish to present children with a Dr. Seuss Kindness Certificate.  
• For a great sensory activity and most appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day, make green slime with your children.
• After reading Dr. Seuss’ book Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? a great read around St. Patrick’s Day, children can brainstorm and make connections that remind them of how lucky they are.
  • Create and print off “I’m Lucky” cards that teach children to appreciate their family and community as well as emphasizing the importance of sharing kindness. 

• Enjoy this interactive online game as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and find a Four Leaf Clover. 

4. Healthy Living: Movement & Nutrition 👭

DR. SEUSS

• This fun and silly Cat in the Hat workout for kids is a great workout for all ages! It’s only 3 minutes long, which is great for improving focus in a short period of time. It can be repeated for a longer workout. It is divided into 4 sections for children to learn more easily. 
• After reading Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, enjoy creating this Healthy Green Eggs and Ham Recipe with your children.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

• Encourage everyone to don at least one piece of green clothing or accessory on March 17.  
• Organize a St. Patrick’s Day Green Tasting Party. Read about involving parents and menu suggestions for a variety of tasty green food. As extended learning opportunities, add some graphing activities about favorite foods or have children write delectable descriptions about their favorite foods.
• Bake an easy recipe for Irish Soda Bread with your children OR make a simple green St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Peppermint Shake.
• Enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day song with movement as children try to catch a leprechaun, pick a four-leaf clover, dance an Irish jig, draw a shamrock, play with green slime and find a pot of gold!
• Have Children grab a hoola hoop and move to this upbeat Hoola Hoopy St. Patrick’s Day Happy Leprechaun Dance!
• Teach children how to do an Irish Jig
  • Learn an Irish Jig 
  • Irish Jig (somewhat easier)
  • Watch Irish Dancing
• This shamrock shaped deep breathing exercise for kids is a great way to work on mindfulness, coping skills, and deep breathing during the month of March and in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about Learning 💭

The WISDOM of DR. SEUSS from woofwoofmama.com

WISEST IRISH PROVERBS to help you find your Pot O’ Gold!

OhSoSavvyMom.com