Creating your own Dr. Seuss character is a fun way to engage older kids on Dr. Seuss Day. With so many strange beings making an appearance in the books, challenging the students to come up with their own character is a great extension.

For younger students, using the handout offers a way to control the amount of time the children spend on the project. By selecting one head, one body and one pair of legs, the kids can move quickly through the drawing.

Older kids can use the drawing guide for it’s intended use but they can also use it as a springboard to designing their own character. After the character is created, the student can create a character sketch by creating a name or species, defining a habitat and diet.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 12” x 18” white drawing/sulphite paper divided into 3 @ sections 6” x 12”
• Black marker (I like Sharpie markers)
• Colored paper for background (optional)
• Assortment of colored markers
• Glue
• Scissors

For older kids, it’s not necessary to do a directed line instruction in order for them to create a character, but it does help tremendously to demonstrate the strategy.

Here’s my strategy:

• Select a head shape. While the kids don’t have to draw the head exactly, it does help to plan the general shape. I like to start with the eyes.
• From there, draw the nose. With most Seuss characters, the nose is a flattened oval, but in the case of the profile, the nose looks like an elephant’s trunk.
• Draw the mouth which is most likely a curved line but it can be open.
• The head shape is what creates a great deal of interest to the character. This is where the child can have some fun.
• Neck shapes can be thick, long, or hidden. Some have collars, fur or frills.
• After the head, drawing the body is very easy. The child can determine how thick, round, long or thin it is.
• Select one pair of arms and one pair of legs/feet. Again, children can make any of the selections long or short, think or thick.

TIP: Try to draw one of the characters on the white board before the students arrive. They’ll be intrigued and you’ll get a practice session in. 

COLORING WITH MARKERS

By 5th and 6th grade, kids color with markers really well. This is also a great project to finish with markers as they allow for lots of details (which kids at this age love).

If the kids try to cut around whiskers, tell them not to bother. It’s easier to cut the whiskers off entirely then redraw them once the drawing is glued to colored paper.

TO CUT OUT OR NOT…

You can color with markers and then CUT the figure out OR you can leave on the white paper.

I chose to cut the figures out because it’s an added steps that promotes more skills.

But if you are short on time, don’t bother.

WANT THE HANDOUT?

Click on the yellow box below, enter your name and email and we’ll will email you the PDF.

ARE YOU A SPARKLER?

The full lesson (more photos and art standards) is included in The Seuss Bundle inside the membership!

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