12 MORE Ideas for Celebrating Read Across America

You know when you have a huge, crazy event and you’re running all over the place and totally stressed out, and then as soon as it’s over, you say, “Next year, it’s going to be even bigger!” That is what I do after every Read Across America Week. And my librarian just about dies every time I do it.

I know everyone else celebrates Read Across America next week, but my school celebrates a week early, so we can avoid trying to overbook our guest readers.  

We do fun stuff all week long to celebrate reading and have a little fun. Here are 12 of my favorite things from this year’s Read Across America celebration!

Before all these shenanigans began, I made some cute frames and props to use in a “Seuss Yourself” photo booth. The teachers used the photo booth to take cute pictures. (We also kept the photo booth up for our guest readers on Friday – it was adorable!)

All of those pictures were printed and we made them into a “Seuss Yourself” bulletin board!

This was our calendar for this week:

#2 Seuss Snack: Thing One & Thing Two cupcakes

#3 Dress-Up Day: Wear green for Grinch Day!

Guest readers: retired teachers

 #5 Dress-Up Day: Wear a mustache for the Lorax Day! Always a favorite.

Guest readers: Teachers switch classes and read to their neighbor’s kids!

#6 Seuss Snack: Red & Blue Seuss Popcorn Use melting chocolate in Seuss colors. Lay the popcorn out on parchment, waxed paper, or paper towels and drizzle away!

#7 Dress-Up Day: Wear stars for Sneetches Day! This was a new one for us, and honestly, I really loved it.

#8 Fun activity: Read Across Capistrano. Every student (and teacher) sits in the hallway and reads! This is such a fun event for our school. It’s about thirty minutes, but it’s so neat to see everybody read!

#9 Seuss Snack: Red & White Muddy Buddies Get the recipe here.

#10 Dress-Up Day: Wear a crazy hat for the Cat in the Hat Day! I made this hat myself, she said proudly.

Guest readers: preservice teachers

#11 Seuss Snack: Seuss cookies Our amazing niece made us these beautiful cookies to give out to teachers and guest readers!

I dressed up as a scene from The Lorax. I made my shirt out of everything I could find at Hobby Lobby!

Our teachers and kids really outdid themselves with their adorable Seuss costumes! We had foxes in sox, Grinches, cats in hats, Things, Cindy Lou-Whos and more!

# 13 Guest readers: community members We invite members of the community (mostly FOTs: Friends of Teachers) to visit our classes and read to them! My incredible librarian creates a schedule to make sure that every teacher gets a reader.

I’ve already started planning for next year. It’s going to be BIG!