Paper Plate Hat: Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss)

Happy Read Across America Week! (What would we do without Dr. Seuss?! Such creativity from one person!) My kids needed a quick Cat in the Hat costume for school and I didn’t have much time. I came up with this simple paper plate hat and it took me about 3 minutes. I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. It would be easy to have my class make them!

Supplies:

  • White paper plate (I used uncoated, but I’m guessing the coated would work as well. I would not use Styrofoam.)
  • Red marker
  • Scissors
  • Tape (I used packing tape, but Scotch tape would work too.)

Steps:

  1. Cut the paper plate as shown below. Consider cutting a small hole to get each kid started (or if you teach younger kids, cut them out ahead of time and just let them color the stripes.)

2. Color 3 red stripes as shown below.

3. Turn the paper plate over and reinforce the fold with a small piece of tape. Without the tape, my son’s hat started to tear when he pulled it down on his head too hard. After we put the tape, it was just fine.

4. Fold the center piece up gently.

Note: you may need to cut more off (making the brim more narrow) if you’ve got larger heads you’re making this craft for. But overall, it was so simple and it turned out great. Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Pattern Art Project

Heart pattern project STICKER

I recently blogged about a DIY Zentangle (patterns) art project I ran into and loved. So I made my own version using snowflake shapes. It was so fun, that I had to make another one… with hearts for Valentine’s Day!

Click here for the free printable PDF: Pattern Party- Hearts

Pattern hearts

If you have an older grade class and you’re looking for a more complex project, you could use your school’s die-cut machine to cut our a bunch of card-stock hearts of varying sizes. Then let your students create their own version of the printable I made. Just warn them not to create too many sections or too small of sections. This will help ensure that ti doesn’t take them FOREVER to complete it!

Dr. Seuss Field Day- Station 21

Station 21- Sneetches Frankfurter RoastI recently learned about an awesome Dr. Seuss-inspired field day planned and organized by Patti, an elementary school PE teacher. Here is the last of her 21 stations:

Station 21

Title: “The Sneeches Frankfurter Roasts”

Skills: relaxation

Description: This is the refreshment and first aid station. Students are to get a cup of water. If they want another please have them reuse and fill up the same cup. Also, each student gets 1 otter pop (no color picking they can trade with a class mate if they like). There will be extra BANDAIDS here if a student needs them.

[Your school could also have a picnic lunch or snack bar at this station.]

Dr. Seuss Field Day- Station 20

Station 20- Great Day For UpI recently learned about an awesome Dr. Seuss-inspired field day planned and organized by Patti, an elementary school PE teacher. Here is one of her 21 stations:

Station 20

Title: Great Day For Up!

Skills: team work, upper body strength

Description: space students equally around the parachute. Have students in “elevator down” position and roll edges 3 times.  Divide the class in half (ex. 28 students #1-14 on 1 team; #15-28 the other team) Give each side a color. Place 2 different sets of color objects in middle of chute. On the cue of “elevator up” students bring chute to waist level and start to shake the chute trying to bump the other team’s items out. The team that gets all the other teams items out. 1st team to succeed scores a point. The game begins again until the rotation horn is heard. (K-2’s hands might get tired after 2 min so elevator down let them wiggle their fingers and start again you can see when they are getting tired.) 

Dr. Seuss Field Day- Station 19

Station 19- Hop on PopI recently learned about an awesome Dr. Seuss-inspired field day planned and organized by Patti, an elementary school PE teacher. Here is one of her 21 stations:

Station 19

Title: Hop on Pop

Skills: gross motor, balance

Description: Divide students into 6 equal teams with the first person from each team sitting on a hoppity hop ball. On the signal to begin, these players hop on the balls around the cone and back to the start. The next person in the starting hoop will sit on the ball and wait for the next signal to begin. This is an individual race, not a team relay. These races should continue until time has been called.

Dr. Seuss Field Day- Station 18

Station 18- Star Belly Sneetches Tug Of WarI recently learned about an awesome Dr. Seuss-inspired field day planned and organized by Patti, an elementary school PE teacher. Here is one of her 21 stations:

Station 18

Title: Star Belly Sneeches’ Tug Of War

Skills: Muscle strength, team work

Description: Class will compete against each other. Divide the group in 2 (MIX the groups equal with both boys and girls on each team). The students will pick up the rope only after the volunteer’s command and then pull only when told to “GO”. The object is to pull the center of the rope past the cone marker. The students are not to let go of the rope, and are to stop pulling once the volunteer declares a winner. Play until time runs out, new teams every few times.

**Please remind students not to wrap the rope around any body parts and to make sure their hands are dry. (Dryer hands will cause less rope burn.)

Dr. Seuss Field Day- Station 17

Station 17- Fox in SocksI recently learned about an awesome Dr. Seuss-inspired field day planned and organized by Patti, an elementary school PE teacher. Here is one of her 21 stations:

Station 17

Title: FOX IN SOX

Skills: THROWING AND CATCHING: EYE/HAND COORDINATION

Description: STUDENTS GET INTO GROUPS OF 2 EACH STANDING ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER THEY TOSS THE FOX TAILS TO EACH OTHER IF CAUGHT THEY TAKE A STEP BACK IF THEY DROP IT THEY MOVE BACK TO THE START AND BEGIN AGAIN. (LIKE A EGG TOSS CONTEST).

Dr. Seuss Field Day- Station 16

Station 16- Go DogI recently learned about an awesome Dr. Seuss-inspired field day planned and organized by Patti, an elementary school PE teacher. Here is one of her 21 stations:

Station 16

Title: GO DOG. GO!

Skills: GROSS MOTOR, AGILITY, CARDIO FITNESS

Description: K-1ST GRADE: TAG AND DROP TAG

2ND-5TH GRADES: FASTEST TAG IN THE WEST

(IF A 2ND GRADE CLASS SAYS THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO PLAY FASTEST TAG IN THE WEST YOU CAN HAVE THEM PLAY TAG AND DROP TAG.)

FASTEST TAG IN THE WEST- EVERYONE IS IT

TAG AND DROP TAG- GIVE 4 STUDENTS BEAN BAGS TO TAG WITH.

TAG AND DROP TAG K-2

WHEN A STUDENT WITH A BEAN BAG TAGS ANOTHER STUDENT THEY DROP THE BEAN BAG. THE STUDENT WHO WAS TAGGED PICKS UP THE BEAN BAG AND BECOMES IT.

FASTEST TAG IN THE WEST 2-5 (IF 2 SAYS THEY KNOW HOW TO PLAY THEY CAN. IF NOT HAVE THEM PLAY TAG AND DROP TAG) EVERY ONE IS IT WHEN STUDENTS GET TAGGED THEY GO DOWN ON 1 KNEE AND WATCH THE PERSON WHO TAGGED THEM WHEN THAT PERSON GETS TAGGED THEY CAN GET UP AND THEY ARE BACK IN THE GAME IF BOTH STUDENT TAG AT THE SAME TIME THEY ROCK PAPER SCISSORS TO SEE WHO GOES DOWN. PLAY UNTIL TIME TO GO IF EVERY ONE HAS BEEN DOWN FOR A WHILE AND YOU HAVE 3 OR 4 OF THE SAME STUDENTS STILL UP YOU CAN CALL EVERY ONE UP AND THEY ALL JOIN BACK IN.