Dr. Seuss Activities, Printables, and Free Stuff for Your Classroom or Homeschooling
Note: This blog post contains resources from our TpT store and our Amazon Associate store.
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Awesome for a Literacy Center - Word Families Dr. Seuss Style!!!
Click HERE to see this poster and lots of other Dr. Seuss resources in my Amazon store.
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Word Families
Early Readers (like Dr. Seuss) lend themselves nicely to teaching about word families.
Here is a FREEBIE to help you get started.
Note: These word families will work with any children's literature.
One of my favorite Dr. Seuss books is Ten Apples Up on Top.
Here are five fun activities to go along with this book:
1. Counting and Stacking Apples:
Give each student red and green paper circles (or plastic apples if available) and have them practice counting and “stacking” their apples as high as they can go, just like in the story.
Extension: Challenge students to count by twos or fives as they add apples to reinforce skip counting skills.
2. Apple Balancing Relay Race:
Set up a relay where students balance beanbag “apples” on their heads as they walk from one end of the classroom to the other. Each student can add an “apple” after each round to see how many they can balance.
Extension: Discuss balance and coordination with students, introducing the concept of persistence when things fall (just like the characters in the book).
3. Apple Graphing:
After reading the story, give each student a handful of apple-shaped counters (or real apples if possible) in different colors, and ask them to create a bar graph based on the number of each color they have.
Extension: Use this as a math lesson on data collection and analysis, talking about “most,” “least,” and “equal” amounts.
4. Apple Addition and Subtraction:
Create story problems based on the book, such as “If there are three apples on top and we add two more, how many are there in total?” Use apple cutouts to model each problem.
Extension: Have students write their own apple-themed math problems to challenge their classmates.
5. Apple Art and Writing:
Have students draw or paint their own characters with apples “stacked” on their heads and write a short sentence or two about how many apples they have, using numbers and descriptive words.
Extension: Encourage students to make up their own version of Ten Apples Up on Top! by adding different objects or by creating new characters with unique traits.
You may also like the no prep, printable math worksheets packet:
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Another favorite is Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman.
1. Color Sorting and Matching:
Provide students with small dog cutouts in various colors (red, blue, green, etc.) and colored construction paper. Have them match the dogs to the corresponding color backgrounds or sort them by color.
Extension: Use this as an opportunity to introduce or reinforce color vocabulary in English or a second language!
2. Dog-Themed Obstacle Course:
Set up an obstacle course in the classroom or on the playground, inspired by the different movements and directions in Go, Dog. Go! Students can crawl, jump, weave, and climb like the dogs in the book.
Extension: Add signs with direction words like “up,” “down,” “over,” and “under” to practice positional language.
3. Dog Hat Craft and Show-and-Tell:
Let students create their own colorful dog hats with paper and art supplies, just like the hats in the book. Afterward, have a “dog party” where students wear their hats and talk about what makes their hat special.
Extension: Hold a mini “fashion show” where each student explains their hat’s colors, patterns, or decorations.
4. Opposite Words:
Make a list of opposites featured in the book (up/down, fast/slow, in/out) and have students act out each pair. For example, when you say “up,” they stand up, and when you say “down,” they sit down.
Extension: Ask students to come up with their own opposite pairs and add them to the list, expanding their vocabulary.
5. Graphing Favorite Hats:
After reading the part about hats, discuss different types of hats (sun hats, baseball caps, winter hats, etc.). Have each student pick their favorite type of hat and create a class bar graph showing the most popular choices.
Extension: Use the data to discuss math concepts like “more,” “less,” and “equal,” or create simple addition/subtraction problems based on the graph.
You may also like this free, no-prep transportation-themed packet:
Dr. Seuss has a way of sparking joy and imagination in kids (and teachers!), making his books such a gift in the classroom. With these fun activities, Ten Apples Up on Top! and Go, Dog. Go! become more than just storybooks—they’re jumping-off points for hands-on learning and laughter. I hope these ideas help you create memorable, joyful moments with your students and bring Seuss’s magic right to your classroom. Here’s to lots of smiles, lots of learning, and a love of reading that’ll stick with them long after the final page!
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