Dr. Seuss Camp
Just a reminder, I am reposting these from an old blog I had during my kiddos’ younger years. Today’s post comes from July 2017! You can find all of the DIY Summer Camp themes here.
As a child, one of my best memories is laying on a bed, squished next to my mom and one (or more) of the kids she babysat, as she read countless Dr. Seuss books. I’m pretty sure she enjoyed them more than we did. She laughed so hard sometimes, tears rolled off her checks!
So it’s no surprise that I still love reading any of the Dr. Seuss books. Now that I’m an adult, the books are that much more funny to me–and yes, I get more into the stories and funny sayings than my kiddos!!
A bit of a disclaimer before we get on with the activities: You can do the activities in any order! Jump around, combine days, or spread it out over 2 weeks. We only had 3 “at-home” days to do camp this week, so that’s just what we did (I planned for 4 days, with 5 total activities that morphed into several “rabbit-trail” activities to keep the fun going!) Just remember to have FUN!!
Okay, let’s get started…
Day 1: Read The Cat in the Hat. Gather (or buy, if you don’t have any lying around) flimsy cardboard or sturdy paper (card-stock or poster board) to create the hat. Before assembling, allow kids to decorate and/or paint one side of the cardboard. Once dry, measure child’s head, cut cardboard to size and staple into a cylindrical shape. If you want a brim, cut the outer edge off a paper plate and glue to hat. (You could also add a “top” to cover the hat or leave it open for a tossing game!)
This next activity could be completed on the same day or as a completely separate event. It is based on The Cat in the Hat book, so you could opt to extend the fun of this book into a several day affair. We completed this all in the same day!
Cup Stacking STEM Challenge
To play, all you need are a bunch of plastic cups and thin card-stock cut into squares (roughly the same size as the cup’s opening.) Set the items out and instruct kids to build the tallest tower they can. My kids loved this challenging activity! We all took turns making what we thought would be the tallest structure. (It’s harder than it looks!!)
Day 2: Read Bartholomew and the Oobleck. (It’s ten-times more fun to read while pretend camping, in an indoor-tent!!) Then make Oobleck. We used 2 parts cornstarch to one part water and lots of food coloring to make this slimy, gooey concoction. Super fun!! (Yes, I played too!!) Just an FYI- the food coloring does stain hands temporarily. A good bit of water play in the kitchen sink took it right off.
Day 3: Read Oh the Places You’ll Go. This is possibly my favorite one of Dr. Seuss’ books. And it’s my little man’s absolute favorite book. We have it mostly memorized!! Did you know this was Dr. Seuss’ last book that he ever wrote? It’s basically his way to share the wisdom he had gathered through his life! We found this tid-bit out when we read, Dr. Seuss: The Great Doodler by Kate Klimo. (This could be done on a separate day as well, such as Dr. Seuss Biography day.)
I created a simple scavenger hunt around our house and hid wooden stamps in each location. The kids created simple Passports out of card-stock to be stamped in each location. (One kid carried the list, the other carried a stamp pad, along with their individual Passports.)
Later that day, we also read, Oh the Thinks you Can Think and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I joked that the kids might be thirsty for Pink Ink and they agreed. I whipped up a super simple glass of milk with strawberry syrup mixed in. Delish and fun!
There are honestly hundreds (maybe thousands!!) of activities you could come up with based on Dr. Seuss’ amazing books. He was such a talented author and illustrator. The world is definitely a brighter place because of him!
Before I go, let me leave you with the best bit of advice, courtesy of Dr. Seuss:
…Remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up you right foot with your left….
(Oh-ee! Those last few pages always inspire me!!)
Thanks for checking out this fourth installment of the DIY Summer Camp At Home series. You can check out more here… See you next time!
