Are you looking for a creative way to celebrate Dr. Seuss week with your little ones? You have come to the right place!
Our pool noodle stamped Lorax craft idea offers the perfect afternoon activity. It combines sensory play, fine motor skill development, and a whole lot of orange paint. Kids absolutely love stamping, and using a repurposed pool noodle makes this craft incredibly easy and budget-friendly.
Whether you are a teacher planning an Earth Day classroom activity or a parent looking for a weekend art project, this tutorial will guide you through the fun!
Craft Supplies:
Gathering your supplies is the first step. You likely already have most of these items in your craft closet.
- One pool noodle: You only need a small section of it, so an old or broken pool noodle works perfectly.
- Orange craft paint: Washable tempera or acrylic paint works best.
- A paper plate: This will act as your paint palette.
- Grey cardstock or construction paper: This serves as the background. Grey helps the bright orange pop, but you can use any color you like.
- Yellow cardstock or felt: You will use this to cut out the Lorax’s iconic bushy mustache.
- Large googly eyes: The bigger, the better! This gives your character that classic, expressive Dr. Seuss look.
- School glue or a glue stick: To attach the eyes and mustache.
- Scissors: For cutting the pool noodle and the yellow paper.
Directions:
- First, use a sharp pair of scissors or a serrated knife to cut a two-inch ring off the end of your pool noodle. Adults should handle this step before involving the kids. This small foam cylinder becomes your stamp. Surt out a generous amount of orange paint onto your paper plate. Spread it around slightly so the pool noodle can pick up an even coat.
- Lay your grey cardstock flat on the table. Have your child dip one flat end of the pool noodle directly into the orange paint. Press the painted noodle firmly onto the grey paper. For a solid orange circle, they can twist the noodle slightly or stamp the same spot a few times until the circle is filled in. Let them stamp as many circles as they want! Each circle will become a different Lorax.
- While the orange paint dries, grab your yellow cardstock. Cut out sweeping, wavy mustache shapes. The Lorax has a very distinct, droopy, and bushy mustache, so do not worry about making it perfectly symmetrical. Quirky and uneven cuts actually make the craft look more authentic to the original illustrations.
- Once the orange paint is completely dry to the touch, it is time to assemble. Add a small dot of glue to the back of your yellow mustache and press it onto the lower half of the orange stamped circle. Next, grab two large googly eyes. Glue them right above the mustache, placing them close together to recreate that classic concerned Lorax expression.
- If you want to add extra flair, take a black marker and draw a pair of bushy yellow eyebrows just above the googly eyes. You can also have kids draw little Truffula trees in the background to complete the scene.
RELATED —> Pool Noodle Stamped Truffula Trees
Crafting is all about creativity, and no two Lorax faces will look exactly the same. We love seeing how your kids interpret this fun Dr. Seuss activity. Did you add a Truffula tree forest? Did you use fuzzy yellow felt instead of paper?
Grab a photo of your finished pool noodle stamped Lorax craft and share it with us! Post it on social media and tag @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS so we can admire your handiwork. If you enjoyed this project, be sure to also check out our DR. SEUSS ROUNDUP for more simple, budget-friendly, and educational craft ideas for Read Across America Week. Happy crafting, my friends!
