Make special occasions in your home really sing with some Seussian musical fun! Dr. Seuss’s books are full of rhythm and rhyme—excellent inspiration for composing catchy lyrics. Read and explore The Cat in the Hat with your child with the goal of writing a song.
You might also want to discuss some of the basic concepts of songwriting: rhythm and rhyme, song structure (verses, chorus), melody (patterns), and lyrics (story or narrative), and discuss types of songs: pop song, folk song, ballads, lullabies, etc.
- Read The Cat in the Hat aloud, and have your child listen carefully for patterns, rhythm, and rhyme. Ask your child to retell the story in his or her own words or describe feelings about the story’s characters and their actions.
- Work together to write lyrics. Decide on the main message for your song and use it as the chorus. Writing the words first is easier, as they may help hint at a melody. Alternatively, you could set the lyrics to a well-known tune.
- Help your child by offering a familiar nursery rhyme or lullaby to use as a template, such as using the pattern and melody of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” for This ol’ cat he wears a hat, wears a hat, wears a hat.
- Once your child has the idea, let him or her find inspiration in favorite Dr. Seuss books to create songs for any occasion! Hop on Pop and Dr. Seuss’s I Love Pop are ideal to inspire a song for dad on Father’s Day. Happy Birthday to You! is perfect for thinking up a new birthday song. And Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is sure to encourage ideas for a commencement song.
Once lyrics are written and a tune chosen or composed, your child can make Seussical Musical Instruments to perform this new family classic!