50+ Dr. Seuss Day Costumes

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Originally published February 25, 2013 and updated April 5, 2023.

54 Dr. Seuss dress up ideas to make or buy with ideas for every skill level and budget for 10 different popular characters.

Dr. Seuss Day, also known as Read Across America Day, is usually on March 2nd, which is Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Many schools have students dress up as favorite literary characters. If you need Dr. Seuss dress up ideas for school this year, I’m sharing three Dr. Seuss character costumes and a Skippyjon Jones costume idea that we made for my children over the years.  Let’s have fun this year with Dr. Seuss dress up day ideas.We love Dr. Seuss in our family.  I remember how much I enjoyed Dr. Seuss books and TV shows as a child. And to be honest, I still love Dr. Seuss books as an adult. 

How to Dress for Dr. Seuss Day

1. Make sure you understand your school’s guidelines for dressing up on Dr. Seuss Day.

• Some schools or teachers encourage dressing up in any costume.
• Some ask children to dress up as just Dr. Seuss characters.
• Some schools ask that children dress up as any children’s literary character.

Over the years, my children have attended schools that encourage the students to dress up for Dr. Seuss Day.  The children were asked to dress as a Dr. Seuss character or as their favorite literary character.

2. Consider whether your child wants to wear a complex costume or if choosing a simple costume is a better option.

3. There are many simple and budget-friendly costume ideas for Dr. Seuss Day, including the ones below. Don’t be overwhelmed. You’re sure to find one that your child will like and you’ll be happy to put together.

Dr. Seuss Day Costumes

Here are easy and adorable (if I do say so myself)  homemade Dr. Seuss Day costumes that we’ve made in our family. 

Sneetches Costumes

The Sneetches are one of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved characters. In the book, the Sneetches are divided into two groups: those with stars and those without stars. Because there are two different styles of Sneetches, it allows you to choose which costume you want. It also makes it the perfect partner or group Dr. Seuss costume idea.

The Sneetches costume was a match-your-friend costume.  My daughter’s friend went as a Plain-Belly Sneetch and my daughter went as the Star-Belly Sneetch. This was a last-minute, night before costume and requires no sewing.  It’s a quick and easy Dr. Seuss costume for your child or for your child AND for a friend. You can see my step-by-step tutorial for this easy Dr. Seuss Costume – The Sneetches.

• A different tutorial from The Mom Creative for a No Sew Star-Belly Sneetches Costume
• Homemade Dr. Seuss Star Bellied Sneetches Costume from Coolest Homemade Costumes
• Star Bellied Sneetch Costume for Kids
• Star Bellied Sneetch Costume for Adults
• Sneetches T-shirt for Children and Adults

Check out these 20+ Fun and Easy Dr. Seuss Crafts, Printables and more for all ages and skill levels.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Costumes

Thing 1 and Thing 2 are two of the most memorable characters from Dr. Seuss’ classic book, The Cat in the Hat. These two mischievous creatures are always up to something, and they’re always having a good time. Because Thing One and Thing Two are always together, this costume idea makes an ideal partner or best friends costume.

These Dr. Seuss costume Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes one took about 2 hours on a weekend, plus drying time.  My daughter and her friend got together and painted the tee-shirts themselves with fabric paint. They placed The Cat in The Hat book on the table and used copied the Thing 1 and Thing 2 logo freehand.   They put the rest of the costume  together from clothes they already had.  

• Easy DIY Thing 1 and Thing 2 Costume by Anointed Heels
• DIY Thing 1 & Thing 2 Costumes from How to Play Today
• Kids’ Thing One and Thing Two Costumes
• Thing One T-shirt
• Thing Two T-shirt
• Thing One and Thing Two Iron-on Patches

SkippyJon Jones Costume

Skippy Jon Jones is a Siamese cat who lives in San Francisco, California. He is the main character the popular children’s book series by Judy Schachner. Skippy is a very curious cat, and he loves to explore the world around him. He is also very brave, and he is not afraid to try new things. Because he’s a beloved children’s book character and the costume is easy to make, it’s an excellent choice for a literary character costume.

We’re big fans of SkippyJon Jones in our family.  This was another last-minute costume.  We stapled felt ears to a knit cap we already had and whipped together a simple green cape that we drew lines on with a marker.  We made the black mask out of a scrap of fabric that we already had. I simply followed the image of SkippyJon Jones in the book. It took less than an hour to create this fun costume.

Quick and Easy Dr. Seuss Costumes for a Variety of Characters 

 You can find my tutorial that takes only minutes to make for this easy Dr. Seuss Costume. 

Red Fish Blue Fish Costume

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is a classic children’s book by Dr. Seuss. It was published in 1960 and is one of Seuss’ most popular books. The simple images in the book also make it simple to create a last-minute costume that still looks great.

• DIY Dr Seuss Costume {One Fish Two Fish} by Homemade for Elle
• One Fish Two Fish Costume from Glued to My Crafts
• Women’s One Fish Two Fish T-shirt
• One Fish Two Fish Book Cover T-shirt for adults and children
• Child’s Red One Fish Two Fish Costume
• Fish Headbands in 7 different colors, including red fish and blue fish

Cat in the Hat Costume

The Cat in the Hat is a popular children’s book because it is funny, exciting, and unpredictable. The Cat is a larger-than-life character who is always up for a good time. He is also a bit mischievous, which makes him even more fun. The popularity of the Cat in the Hat makes this a top request for Dr. Seuss themed costumes.

• Cat in the Hat Costume by Desert Chica
• Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat from Journey of Parenthood
• DIY Cat in the Hat Costume – in a Pinch! by Mind Over Messy
• Simple And Easy DIY Cat In The Hat Costume by Stay At Home Mum

• Cat in the Hat Kids Costume
• Deluxe Adults Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat Costume
• Cat in the Hat Red and White Striped Hat

Cindy Lou Who Costume

Cindy-Lou Who is a character in the Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. She is a young girl who lives in Whoville. Cindy-Lou is a kind and caring girl who loves Christmas. Cindy-Lou Who is a popular character among children, and many girls choose to dress up as her.

• Cindy Lou Who by Journey of Parenthood
• Cindy Lou Who Costume by Life is Sweeter by Design
• Easy No-Sew Cindy Lou Who DIY from Little Grey Thread
• Adult Who Costume
• Child’s Cindy Lou Who Costume

Lorax

The Lorax is a character in the Dr. Seuss book of the same name. He is a small, orange creature who speaks for the trees. The Lorax’s determination and protectiveness of the environment makes him a popular character among children. His costume is easy to make and fun.

• Lorax Costume Tutorial by Surviving a Teacher’s Salary
• DIY Kids Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Costume from The Effortless Chic
• Quick and Easy DIY Lorax Costume by Mommyhood Life
• Child’s Lorax T-shirt
• Lorax T-shirt for adults
• Lorax Hat

Truffula trees are the ones the Lorax is protecting in the Dr. Seuss book. You can make Truffula trees with my very simple tutorial for your Lorax to carry.

The Grinch Costumes

The Grinch is a popular character among children because he’s a tempting mix of the bad guy who develops a good heart. Plus, the costume is very dramatic.

• Grinch Inspired Outfit Tutorials from Photos on Cloud 9
• DIY The Grinch by The Primary
• Grinch Costume T-shirt
• Child’s Grinch Dress
• Adult Grinch Costume

Other Dr. Seuss Costumes

• Green Eggs and Ham DIY Costume from Easy Peasy Pleasy
• Easy DIY Green Eggs And Ham Costumes by It’s Always Autumn
• Sam I Am Green Eggs and Ham Costume for Children and Adults
• Child’s Green Eggs and Ham T-shirt
• Sam I Am Green Eggs and Ham T-shirt for kids and adults
• Girls Dr. Seuss themed costume

More Dr. Seuss Activities

I wish my children were young enough to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day with costumes.  Sigh.  Hope this inspires you to celebrate with your little ones. Treasure these costumes and Dr. Seuss Day celebrations because they fly by much too quickly!

• Dr. Seuss Book Scavenger Hunt
• Dr. Seuss I Spy Games
• Dr. Seuss Quotes
• Dr. Seuss Word Search
• Fun & Easy Dr. Seuss Crafts, Free Printables & More