Kid Books & Activities | There's Just One Mommy

Yertle the Turtle Activity: Stack the Turtles Game

OneMommy — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:52:01 +0000

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book?

One that I remember reading again and again as a child is Yertle the Turtle. There was just something about it that made me return to it time and time again.

I was happy to discover that my kids love this story, too. They wanted an activity to go with the book, and pretty soon, this Yertle the Turtle game was born.

It’s one of our favorite Dr. Seuss activities so far.

We love using games for kids in our homeschooling. This is one of our favorite Dr. Seuss math activities.

Yertle the Turtle activities

Materials Needed:

2 or more empty egg cartons
Construction paper (We chose green and brown, but your child may choose another color.)
1 or more game die
Clear tape

Before you can play the game, you will need some turtles.

This is the perfect opportunity for the kids to do a quick craft for Yertle the Turtle.

Yertle the Turtle Craft

Begin by using scissors to cut out the sections of each egg carton.

We used a blue Styrofoam egg carton. But, if you are lucky enough to have a cardboard carton, you can use markers or paint to color each section to look like a turtle’s shell.

Next, cut 1 inch long ovals from construction paper. These will form the turtle’s heads.

Use tape to secure a head to the inside of each egg carton piece.

Your child can use marker if they wish to add eyes to each head.

Yertle the Turtle Game

Once the turtles are made, it’s time to play the game.

Start by selecting one turtle to be Mack (the bottom turtle in the book).

Place “Mack” on a flat surface.

Take turns rolling the game die to see how many turtle to stack on top of Mack. If you roll a 3, you have to place 3 turtles on top.

The idea is to see how many turtles you can stack before someone makes Mack “burp” (like in the book), and the whole stack comes tumbling down!

We had so much playing this inspired by Dr. Seuss math game that the kids didn’t even realize they were working on counting skills and fine motor coordination along the way.

You can easily adapt the game to your child’s skill level.

For younger children one egg carton may make enough turtles to stack. Older children will be able to stack more of them before the tower falls.

To work on addition skills you can use more than one game die and have them add up the total before stacking on the turtles.

More Yertle the Turtle activities

Yertle the Turtle Craft and Treat — Your child will love making this adorable turtle that they can stack and eat.

Crumpled Paper Turtle — This turtle craft would be fun to do after reading the book.

Cupcake Liner Turtle — Cupcake crafts are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. This one makes some super cute turtles they can play with.

More Dr. Seuss activities:

More math activities:

15 Fun Ways to Practice Math Facts

Updated from Feb. 26, 2014.

The post Yertle the Turtle Activity: Stack the Turtles Game first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Classic Egg Drop STEM Challenge

OneMommy — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 15:46:24 +0000

The egg drop challenge is a favorite when it comes to STEM activities for kids.

The idea behind it is designing a container that can hold a raw egg and keep it from breaking when dropped from a high place.

It’s simple enough that younger children can participate, but it can easily be modified and made more challenging for older kids.

The egg drop is fun when done on its own. But it’s also a great Horton Hatches the Egg STEM activity.

And with spring just around the corner, it is the perfect time to get outside and give it a try.

Affiliate links have been provided below. See my full disclosure for more information.

Horton Hatches the Egg Activity

We decided to pair this STEM activity with one of our favorite Dr. Seuss books, Horton Hatches the Egg.

It fits perfectly with the story, as Horton is faithful in his promise to protect the egg. The message of being faithful and doing what you promised, even when it isn’t easy, is so important.

We had fun making nests that would protect the egg, just as Horton promised he would do.

It has become one of our favorite Dr. Seuss STEM activities, and it’s perfect if you are looking for Dr. Seuss activities for older students.

If you have enough materials you can challenge your kids to each make 2-3 different egg drop containers to see what works best.

If you are doing it with a large group of children you could have them work in pairs.

You can find a variation of this and 50 other engineering projects in my new book, Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids.

Egg Drop Challenge

For this activity you will want to have scissors and tape on hand, plus a variety of building materials for kids to explore.

You will also need a few raw eggs for this STEM project.

Suggested Materials:

Small Boxes
Cardboard Tubes
Plastic or Paper Cups
Shredded Paper
Bubble Wrap
Packing Peanuts
Cotton Balls
Plastic Shopping Bags (can be used as parachutes or for packing)
Drinking Straws
Yarn
Pipe Cleaners (Chenille Sticks)
Craft Sticks

Part of the engineering process is experimenting with different designs and materials.

Let your child test their ideas out and make changes if needed.

Remind them that this is how scientists and engineers learn. They make mistakes and they come up with new ideas to try.

Once the egg drop containers are built, and the eggs are safely tucked inside, it’s time to find a high spot to drop them from.

If you have a ladder handy you can carry the containers up and drop them from the top of the ladder.

You can also stand on a sturdy picnic table like we did or even drop them out of a second story window.

Once they’ve been dropped, carefully open each container to see if it was successful.

Egg Drop Ideas

Once your child has been successful, you can increase the difficulty level and have them try it again.

Allow kids to only choose 2-3 items from your box of materials.
Try dropping the containers from increasingly higher positions to discover which containers continue to work.
Assign the items and the quantity they can use. (For example, “You may only use cardboard tubes and 3 feet of tape.”)

This egg drop activity makes a perfect Horton Hatches the Egg STEM activity to go with the classic Dr. Seuss book.

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Dr. Seuss Inspired Activities for Older Kids

OneMommy — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 19:48:48 +0000

With the creative characters and silly stories, Dr. Seuss books are popular with beginning readers.

But Dr. Seuss isn’t just for preschoolers and kindergartners.

With so many fun books, there are plenty of Dr. Seuss activities for kids of all ages..

Below are some of our favorite Dr. Seuss activities for older kids.

When my kids were in preschool and kindergarten we had lots of fun reading my favorite Seuss book, In a People House and making a simple paper plate Cat in the Hat.

Picture books are perfect for older kids, too.

Not only are they fun to read, but you can use the stories to discuss rhyming and sentence structure, as well as elements of fiction like characters, plot, and theme (moral of the story).

Dr. Seuss Activities for Elementary

Thing 1 & Thing 2 pencils — These cute pencils are fun to craft and may even inspire your child to write their own creative stories.

STEM Activity for Horton Hatches the Egg — A classic STEM challenge pairs perfectly with the book for a fun Dr. Seuss activity for older students and young ones as well.

If I Ran the Zoo activity — Dr. Seuss is the master of creating new words and encouraging readers to really stretch their imagination. This activity will encourage kids to stretch their imaginations as well as work on rhyming skills.

Host Your Own Wacky Wednesday — No matter what age they are, kids love having a zany day inspired by Dr. Seuss’s Wacky Wednesday.

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think printable activity — This is an activity with cute rhyming questions that your child can answer on their own, or you can interview them yourself. I love the idea of doing it each year to watch their answers change as they get older.

Cardboard Tube Lorax — Even the Lorax himself would love this recycled craft.

Dr. Seuss-Inspired Sight Word Game — This DIY game is perfect for working on sight words. You could also modify it to work on math facts.

Cat in the Hat balance activity — In the book, one of the cat’s first tricks is a zany balancing trick. Kids will have fun learning about the center of gravity and trying their own silly balancing acts.

Make the Cat’s Hat— That red and white striped hat is symbolic of Dr. Seuss. Follow these simple directions to make your own wearable hat just like the cat’s.

Green Eggs & Ham inspired Lego sling-shot car — In the book Sam invites the main character to eat green eggs and ham in a car. Challenge your child to create their own crazy car in this Seuss-inspired STEM activity.

Lorax Math Game — This cute printable math game is a fun way to work on addition and subtraction facts.

Lorax Collage Craft — Challenge your child to create a collage of the Earth-loving character from the book.

Cat in the Hat slime — Kids love slime, and this one is perfect to go with The Cat in the Hat.

Yertle the Turtle math game — Work on addition facts with this DIY game to go with the book. You could also use the game to work on subtraction or multiplication facts.

Dr. Seuss Printable Lunch Notes— Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday (and Read Across America Day) with a few of these printable famous books quotes, perfect for tucking into a lunchbox.

Ultimate Planning Guide for The Lorax — From writing prompts, and math activities, to building your own “Truffula Tree Cutters,” this is the ultimate list of activities for The Lorax.

Activities to go with The Sneetches — The Sneetches is great for discussing prejudice with kids of all ages. These printable activities are perfect for working on sight words and math skills.

Celebrate Read Across America, and Dr. Seuss’s birthday with a few fun book crafts.

These Dr. Seuss activities for older kids are perfect for kids that are long past Hop on Pop and Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You.

ABC Activities Inspired by Dr. Seuss Books

OneMommy — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 22:19:49 +0000

Every year in March, all around the United States, elementary school classrooms celebrate reading and the books of Dr. Seuss.

Young kids have fun listening to some of his wacky books, doing colorful crafts, and participating in a variety of Dr. Seuss Activities.

These Dr Seuss ABC Activities, inspired by some of his most popular books, are perfect for preschoolers and kindergartners.

Affiliate links have been used below. See my full disclosure for more details.

These activities can be done in the classroom or at home.

If you are looking for Seuss activities for young learners, you will also want to check out these Dr. Seuss File Folder Games.

Dr Seuss ABC Activities

Dr. Seuss ABC Book Activities — Simple activities inspired by Dr. Seuss’s ABC Book to help kids recognize the letters.

Cat in the Hat Alphabet Game — Kids will love practicing their ABC’s with this fun printable game. It includes both uppercase and lowercase letters.

Red Fish, Blue Fish ABC Match Up — This fun twist to the classic memory game is a great way for little ones to work on matching upper and lower case letters.

Seuss-Inspired ABC Scavenger Hunt — Send your child on a scavenger hunt for “Seussical” items for each letter of the alphabet.

Printable Make Your Own ABC Book — Kids will have fun creating their own miniature ABC book.

Letter Fun with the Cat in the Hat — This letter game uses that iconic red and white hat that we love to create a fun way to work on letters and the letter sounds.

Gross Motor Activities for the ABC Book — This is such a fun way to go through the ABC Book together! Your child will have fun pretending to be an alligator, being a “lion licking lollipops,” pretending to play violin, and so much more.

Green Eggs and Ham Color Word Eggs — Work on color words, and the letters used in each of those words, with this simple activity that uses plastic eggs.

Phonics Activities — Each inspired by a Dr. Seuss book, these activities are a fun way to help kids begin to recognize the sounds each letter makes and how to put them together when reading.

While many schools will have fun with Dr. Seuss and his books in March, you can do this Dr Seuss ABC activities any time of the year.

For more hands-on early learning activities, including lots of alphabet activities, check out ABCs & 123s.

Dr. Seuss-Inspired Craft for There’s a Wocket in My Pocket

OneMommy — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 17:19:02 +0000

Dr. Seuss books are known for their silly characters and their fun rhymes. Over the years we have had lots of fun with Dr. Seuss crafts & activities inspired by his books.

When it comes to silly characters, There’s a Wocket in My Pocket takes the prize. It is a great book to read when working on rhyming skills.

After giggling over the wacky rhymes in the book, let your child create their own rhymes with this fun Dr. Seuss-inspired There’s a Wocket in My Pocket craft.

Kids of all ages love reading Dr. Seuss’s books.

Early readers take pride in being able to read the simplest Seuss books, while older children delight in the wacky stories of some of his more advanced books. (If your child likes things silly, try hosting your own Wacky Wednesday.)

There’s a Wocket in My Pocket craft

This craft is meant to spark your child’s imagination as they create they own silly Dr. Seuss-inspired characters.

Having a wide selection of materials they can use will enable them to really unlock all those creative ideas.

There is no need to have every item included in the following list, and you can certainly add your own materials. Affiliate links have been provided below; see my full disclosure for more details.

Suggested Materials:

Cardboard Tubes
Craft Sticks
Construction Paper
Foam Stickers
Wiggly Eyes
Pipe Cleaners (Chenille Stems)
Pom-Poms
Buttons
Yarn or Ribbon
Markers
Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks (Remember: Hot glue is hot. For younger children an adult should handle the glue gun.)

Directions for this kids craft are simple: let them use the materials any way they want to create their very own characters.

Your child might start off designing their own simple craft stick Wocket to stick in their pocket.

It’s fun seeing how different each child’s characters turn out.

My son chose a big craft stick to create his Wocket.

My daughter went with a skinny cardboard tube, adding pipe cleaner arms and fuzzy pom-pom hands.

Both are cute and totally unique.

One of the things kids like about Dr. Seuss books is the variety of silly characters.

In There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, each character’s name rhymes with where you find it (think Wocket and pocket).

This Seuss craft is a fun way to work on rhyming skills.

Allow your child to create several characters and challenge them to give each a name that rhymes with where they choose to display their creation.

They might choose to recreate characters like the Zelf on the shelf. Or they might create their own unique characters.

Be ready for plenty of giggles with this fun There’s a Wocket in My Pocket craft.

Other Dr. Seuss-Inspired Posts You May Enjoy:

Yertle the Turtle Stack the Turtles Game
Simple Activities for Ten Apples up on Top
Cat in the Hat Paper Plate Craft
Craft for The Foot Book
10 Minute Preschool Crafts from Homeschool Creations

The post Dr. Seuss-Inspired Craft for There’s a Wocket in My Pocket first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Book Activity and Printable

OneMommy — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 19:32:58 +0000

Dr. Seuss books are great for beginning readers. The books grab the attention of kids as they listen, and the non-sense words make them giggle and enjoy reading.

Dr. Seuss crafts & activities are popular every March as schools celebrate his birthday.

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You is full of fun sounds and has been one of our favorite books for a while now. We had lots of fun with the book and these simple Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You activities.

Affiliate links have been provided below. Click for my full disclosure.

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You is full of sound words that are great for working on phonics skills. Not only that, but kids love to repeat the fun noises.

The phrase “How about you?” is repeated several times in the book. When reading it aloud be sure to pause to give your child time to make each sound.

Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You Activities

Once you finish reading the book together, head outdoors for a sound hunt.

Listen. Can you hear a dog barking? Are birds tweeting?

What noises can you hear as cars drive by?

Bring a small dry erase board or a notebook and have your child help sound out the spelling for each noise that you hear.

Then head indoors for this printable activity for Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You.

Print out the activity on thick printer-friendly paper. You may want to laminate it if you plan on using it more than once.

Cut each sheet in half.

Place the cards in a circle. Have your child walk around the circle until you say stop, kind of like a cake walk.

For even more fun you might even want to use Dr. Seuss music, instead.

When they stop, have them read the card and make the sound it is asking for.

I have created two versions of the Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You game.

One set includes just sounds from the book: moo, buzz, klopp klopp, boom, pop, and hoo hoo. This set would be perfect for preschoolers and early kindergartners who are just learning to sound out words using phonics.

The second set includes descriptions of the sounds. This set would be great for kindergartners and first graders to read and then make the sounds described.

You can get your own copy of the Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You printable activity here.

For the simple version, print out pages 1-3. Pages 4-6 include the more difficult version. You can choose which one to use. Or, print out both and mix them together to use.

This Dr. Seuss book is a great book for working on phonics skills with beginning readers, and theseMr. Brown Can Moo Can You activities make the book even more fun.