We are kicking off Day 1 of our Seuss-tastic STEAM challenge with two STEAM activities inspired by Cat in the Hat!

STEAM Challenge #1: Can you create a hat like Cat in the Hat made from slime?

Objective: Recreate the Cat in the Hat’s famous hat with red and white slime.

Book: Cat in the Hat

Materials:

• Red Slime
• White Slime
• White Plastic Cylinder
• White coated paper plate
• White Duct Tape

Step 1: Make your slime! Check out our favorite (and super easy) slime recipe here. We used red food coloring and clear glue to create the red slime and white glue to create the white slime.

Allow your students to be part of the process. Encourage thinking like a scientist by asking questions and predicting what they think will happen as the ingredients are mixed together.

Step 2: Tape a white plastic cylinder to the paper plate to create your “hat”. Make sure to use a coated paper plate so the slime doesn’t stick to it!

Step 3: Let the children explore and play with the slime before introducing the “hat”.

Step 4: Introduce the white hat and challenge your students to re-create Cat in the Hat’s famous hat with slime!

Allow this activity to be a time of open exploration. Your goal is to engage your students and encourage them to ask questions. Thinking like a scientist, artist or mathematician is asking questions!

It also is fun to let the slime sit on the hat and observe what happens or try mixing the red and white slime together to see what new color is produced!

STEAM Integrations:

Science: How is slime made? What will happen if starch and glue are mixed? What happens when the two slime colors are mixed?

Technology: Take digital photographs or video to document the process of your slime Cat in the Hat.

Engineering: Build a hat like Cat in the Hat!

Art: Draw a picture of your slime hat.

Math: What are other ways you can recreate the pattern of the Cat in the Hat?

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STEAM Challenge #2: How tall can you stack the cups to create a pattern like Cat in the Hat?

Materials:

• Red Plastic Cups
• White Plastic Cups

Objective: Recreate the Cat in the Hat’s famous hat with red and white plastic cups.

Step 1: Allow time for open exploration and play with the cups. Then after your students have had time to explore then introduce the challenge of stacking the cups to create a pattern like Cat in the Hat.

Step 2: Count the cups or even measure how tall you can stack the red and white cups. Encourage your child to see how tall they can build other structures using the cups.

Modification for younger children: Arrange the cups horizontally on the table in a red and white pattern rather than stacking.

STEAM Integrations:

Science: Why do the cups fall over?

Technology: Use a timer to see how long your stack of cups will stay upright before falling over.

Engineering: What can you build with the cups?

Art: Create a three-dimensional sculpture using the cups.

Math: How tall can you stack the cups?