Clean It Up
In The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss, whenever the Cat tries to clean up the pink mess he started in the bathtub, it just seems to spread and spread. Inspired by the Cat's infamous antics, this energetic racing game will send your child scrambling around the house trying to clean up a trail of pink crepe paper as fast as he can. It's a great way to celebrate Read Across America Day, and provides a bit of Dr. Seuss-style exercise, too!
What You Need:
- Copy of The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
- 1-2 rolls of pink crepe paper
- Pink cupcake (optional)
What You Do:
- Start by reading the Cat in the Hat Comes Back with your child and talking it over together. What happens when the Cat tries to clean up his mess?
- Now set up the game. Have your child spread the pink crepe paper around the house, wrapping it over, around, and under furniture. Be careful not to break anything! Encourage him to create a complicated trail just like the mess in the book.
- Once he's finished setting up, get ready to start the race. Explain to your child that the goal of the game is to clean up the crepe paper mess as fast as he can, rerolling it as he goes. When he's ready, say "Go!" and start your timer. Call out words of encouragement to him as he plays to keep up the energy!
- When he finishes, congratulate him on completing the race and call out his time. How fast did he go? If he likes, he can do the race again to try to beat his time. If not, how about celebrating with a nice pink cupcake prize?
You can also play this game with more than one player by having the kids race against each other. Another idea is to do a mummy-wrap game instead: divide into teams and see which one can wrap up a teammate in pink crepe paper the fastest!