Dr. Seuss wrote so many books that we love and treasure! The tongue-twisters, repetition, creative characters, outlandish places, and sing-song rhymes make his books a blast to read. My students can't ever seem to get enough of his books and usually have a favorite that they enjoy reading over and over again. This "Our Hats Go Off to You!" writing activity is a great way for students to celebrate their favorite Dr. Seuss book! Download the free printable to go with this activity here.
Throughout the year I love to showcase different authors, including the beloved Dr. Seuss! Since March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday I usually pick the month of March to feature him, but you could do this activity anytime during the year. Not only do we enjoy the author's books, but we also learn about the author. It is so interesting to get to know the person behind the books. My students are fascinated to learn that Dr. Seuss' real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel and that he wrote under a variety of pen names. While we always have Dr. Seuss books in our classroom library, during the month of March I like to pull out his books and put them in a designated bin that we feature for the month. I've collected quite a few of his books over the years, but if your selection is limited you could reach out to your school librarian and request to check out some of his books for your classroom.
After enjoying many of his books together during read aloud time and as part of various Dr. Seuss inspired lessons, having students write about their favorite Dr. Seuss book is a perfect culminating activity. I love the hat theme for this activity, because nothing screams Dr. Seuss more than the iconic red and white hat from The Cat and the Hat.
You'll start the activity by telling your students that they're going to celebrate Dr. Seuss with a "Our Hats Go Off to You!" writing activity. Be sure to explain that "Hats off to" is an idiom to express congratulations or to celebrate someone. Have your students pick their favorite Dr. Seuss book and write about why they like it on the "Our Hats Go Off to You!" printable. Kids adore getting new pencils, so when I found these Dr. Seuss Pencils with Toppers I knew the students would be excited to get to use them to write.
Students will also draw a picture of their favorite book in the box and then glue a Dr. Seuss the Cat in The Hat Bulletin Board Cutout to the paper above the box.
Incorporating this writing activity into your lesson plans is a fun way to celebrate Dr. Seuss' books! Plus, the student's writing can always be made into an easy, yet adorable bulletin board display too!