Friday, March 2nd was not only the world famous Dr. Seuss’ birthday, but also “Read Across America Day” in schools across the country AND the opening of the new Dr. Seuss animated movie, “The Lorax!” “The Lorax” was the Dr. Seuss book of choice in many classrooms this year because of the way the book teaches about conservation of our planets air, water, and plants! To celebrate with your child at home, there are many activities you can participate in as a family.
1) Any age: Bake Lorax cupcakes to go along with the book! Use pipe cleaners and puff balls to make Truffala tree toppers for some cupcakes and toothpicks and yellow and orange foam pieces to make the Lorax’s face. Use yellow frosting, yellow cupcake mix, sprinkles and ta-da, you have a delicious Lorax treat! 
2) Ages 4-5: Make a Lorax Hat after reading the book to your child! You will need 2 pieces of orange construction paper taped together (for the hat itself), yellow construction paper for his eyes, mustache and Truffala trees to go along the side of the hat, a black Sharpe for the eye balls, and lines for the Truffala trees, a red piece of construction paper for his tongue, and a puff ball for his nose! Your child will not want to take this fun hat off for days!
3) Ages 6-9: Build a Truffala tree forest in your child’s room or playroom. You will need empty wrapping paper tubes, ribbon, and different colored Easter grass that you would put in an Easter basket. Wrap the wrapping paper tube with different colored ribbon and top with the Easter grass! You can have the tree’s leading to your child’s bed. After you have constructed the Truffala trees, talk about how important it is to conserve our planets natural resources by using the following teaching guide: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/EPA_DrSeuss-Resources.pdf . (Adapt this to a home activity and not just a classroom activity by making a chart to hang on your family’s refrigerator incorporating goals for using less energy in everyone’s everyday life.)
4) Ages 9-11: Construct a piece of art to go along with the book! Your child will need various pieces of construction paper (blues, greens, yellows, oranges, pinks, and whites), different colored Easter grass and a Sharpe. He/she should re-create a part of the book in which the Lorax is being an activist for our planet. Then, he/she should choose a quote out of the book that shows what the Lorax’s ultimate goal is in the story to put in a thought bubble that will float outside of the picture. He/she will end up with a work of art that looks like this: 
And, remember, “Unless a person like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”- The Lorax. Happy reading!!!
