Dr. Seuss Day is March 2, and it marks both the birthday of Theodore Geisl, who is better known as Dr. Seuss, and Read Across America Day. While Dr. Seuss is often thought of as the author of wonderful books for younger kids, he has a universal appeal, even with teens. Here are five fun, easy ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day with older kids.
Read to your older kids (and have them read to you, too!)
“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild,
to pick up a book and read to a child.” – Dr. Seuss
That’s one of my very favorite quotes from him, and advice that’s well worth following. There are proven benefits of reading aloud to kids, even teens. Moreover, it’s just really lovely.
For many older kids, it’s a nice throwback to their younger days, even if they don’t want to admit it. And should they do it just to humor you, well, the books are pretty short, and also a lot of fun. Chances are, they’ll get into it.
And if you have the fortitude, read Oh, the Places You’ll Go to them. Because older kids in particular need to be reminded of our support and that we really do believe that “Kid, you’ll move mountains.”
Learn about Dr. Seuss’ life and how he handled challenges
Dr. Seuss was a pretty fascinating individual. In 1984, he received a Pulitzer Prize for “his special contribution over nearly half a century to the education and enjoyment of America’s children and their parents.” You can find some quick fun facts about his life here and a more detailed biography here.
These facts can serve as interesting conversation starters. How did he handle pressure from his family? repeated rejections? obstacles that seemingly would prevent him from doing what he wanted to do? He’s pretty inspirational.
Make Green Eggs and Ham
Teaching kids to cook is an important life skill but one that often falls by the wayside during busy school days and event-filled weekends. And sometimes it doesn’t always seem fun. But having your kid make Green Eggs and Ham not only gives them a great meal that they can go to time and time again.
You can find the recipe from Seussville here, but I prefer to turn the eggs green with spinach and/or pesto. It gets in a little extra nutrition to a meal that’s already packed with protein and cost-effective for future college students. And it shows kids that when you’re the chef, it’s okay to play with your food.
Pick a Dr. Seuss quote to use as a mantra
Dr. Seuss was a wise man and a master at distilling valuable life advice into just a few words. Check out Dr. Seuss quotes. You can find many of his quotes here. See which ones resonate with you and your kids and each pick one to use as a mantra for the week ahead (or beyond) and see what kind of impact is has.
Be kind to the environment like The Lorax
Read or watch the movie version of The Lorax which often really resonated with older kids. Then, do some good for the Earth together, whether that’s cleaning up some trash, planning some gardening to do in the warmer months or talking about what you could do a little better at home to conserve energy. (Who knows – you may just get them to agree to take shorter showers!)
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Prior Post: Why it’s so important to know your mandate when parenting a teen
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