Celebrate one of Dr. Seuss’ most iconic characters with these Horton Hears a Who crafts for kids! Perfect for Dr. Seuss Day on 2nd March!

Imagine you’re this big, powerful person who can do pretty much anything they want. You come across a group of teeny tiny people who’re being harassed by powerful bullies. These bullies are mean, and if you intervene, you’re going to be their target too.

What are you going to do?

Well, most people would choose the safe route and simply stay away. But not if you’re Dr. Seuss‘ Horton!

Horton the elephant believes that “a person’s a person, no matter how small“, and that everyone deserves to live freely, regardless of their size. Horton sticks to his guns, even if he has to face the bullies, and that’s what makes him a hero!

Horton’s story resonates today more than ever, because the world has become a cruel place for people who don’t have a lot of power. Let’s take a look at how Dr. Seuss came up with this story.

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The Story Behind ‘Horton Hears a Who’

During World War II, Geisel (Dr. Seuss), working as a cartoonist at the time, began drawing posters and cartoons to support the U.S. war efforts. He didn’t have great views of Japan, and this reflected in his work.

However, after the war, Geisel was upset by all the destruction caused by the atomic bombs, and his views changed. He realized that people all over the world deserve to live in dignity and peace, no matter how small or powerful their country is. He decided to convey this message in a book, and that’s how he began working on Horton Hears a Who!

The book was published in 1954, and Geisel dedicated the book to his Japanese friend. The book was a big hit, and has since been adapted into a television special in 1970, a Broadway musical in 2000 and an animated movie in 2008.

Since 2nd March is Dr. Seuss’ birthday and we’re currently in Read Across America Week, we think it’s the perfect time to celebrate Horton’s message – with some delightful Horton Hears a Who crafts for kids!

15 Delightful Horton Hears a Who Crafts for Kids

1. Toilet Paper Roll Horton Craft

If you have a toilet paper roll lying around, you’ve got the base to make this cute Horton craft! The rest of the supplies you need are probably already in your craft closet – craft paper, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and pompoms.

2. Horton Hears a Who Quilled Paper Craft

To protect the Whoville community, Horton places their planet on top of a red clover. This then becomes the center of the story, and that’s why we’ve put the focus on the clover in this paper quilled craft!

3. Horton Hears a Who Bookmark

While this is a list of Horton Hears a Who crafts for kids, we do recommend that you read other books too! But Horton can still be with you, in the form of this cute corner bookmark from Big Family Blessings.

4. Horton Hears A Who Handprint Craft

Handprints work perfectly as the ears of elephants, which includes Horton! Simple Everyday Mom shows us how we can use craft paper and little handprints to create our own Horton Hears a Who crafts for kids.

5. Horton Hears a Who Bubble Wrap Craft

The Inspiration Edit brings us a free template that we can use to make a fun Horton craft! We love the use of the bubble wrap to make the red clover – the all-important safety haven for Whoville!

6. Horton Hears a Who Paper Bag Puppet

Read Across America Week is a great opportunity to turn Dr. Seuss’ stories into little puppet shows. And if you need Horton to be in the show, check out this paper bag puppet from Mom Brite!

7. Fork Painted Horton Hears A Who Craft

We’re also including an art project in this list of Horton Hears a Who crafts for kids! Happy Toddler Playtime shows us how to create a fun fork-painted, multimedia Horton project.

8. Paper Plate Horton Hears a Who Craft

Put those old paper plates to good use with this fun Horton craft from Our Kid Things! Paint it blue or grey – Horton can be both! We love that you can make a slit in the trunk to insert the clover.

9. Horton Hears a Who Cotton Ball Painting

There are so many ways to create Horton’s red clover when you’re making Horton Hears a Who crafts for kids, but our favorite is probably this cotton ball painting by Growing up Gabel!

10. Horton Hears A Who Paper Cup Craft

We’ve done paper plates, so it’s only fair to turn a paper cup into a Horton craft! Simple Everyday Mom shows us how easy it is, especially since they provide a free printable template to use.

11. Popsicle Stick Horton Craft

Can you make an elephant out of Popsicle sticks? Well, turns out you can! Simply follow the instructions at Glued To My Crafts that show how to create Horton’s head using craft sticks.

12. Handprint Horton the Elephant Collage

A Little Pinch of Perfect has the perfect Horton craft for little ones! They can print their little hands to create Horton’s body and then add on little bits of craft paper along with a straw and a pompom to complete the collage.

13. Horton Hears a Who Card

Once you read the book, you’ll realize that Horton is a sweetie pie, which makes him appropriate to feature on a cute handmade card! Check out In the Bag Kids Crafts to find out how you can make this fun project.

14. Free Printable Horton Hat for Kids

Would you like to be Horton for a day and go around saving little people? Well, with this printable headband from Simple Everyday Mom, you can do it easily!

15. Egg Carton Horton Hears a Who Craft

We believe that craft supplies are important, no matter how small or ‘trashy’, which is why we love how Our Kid Things has turned egg cartons into Horton crafts!

With the world today being what it is, we think these Horton Hears a Who crafts for kids are a great way to encourage them to have more kindness, compassion and love towards others. It doesn’t matter if other people look different from us, speak differently or wear different clothes; a person’s a person, and we can all live together in peace!

If you’d like to check out crafts based on other Seuss characters, you may like these: