Where the Wild Things Are Monster Glyphs

The Virtual Book Club for Kids is featuring Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak this month. Inspired by all of the wild things in the story, we created monster glyphs. A glyph is a sort of secret code written with pictures or symbols. Affiliate links are included in this post. Clicking on the book titles or covers will take you to Amazon.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

In Where the Wild Things Are, Max’s imagination is running wild! He gets sent to bed without dinner for acting like a wild thing. Instead of pouting, his imagination takes over. His room becomes a forest. He sails for a year to where the wild things are and becomes king of all wild things. Eventually he becomes lonely wants to return home where he is loved best of all.

Where the Wild Things Are Monster Glyphs

Our monster glyphs are similar to a bioglyph we found in a detective exhibit at a children’s museum. In the bioglyph, different parts of a face drawing represent different things about you. You can set up a secret meeting and send the bioglyph so the person you are meeting will know what you look like. Of course the person would also have to know your secret code.

Just like the bioglyph, different parts of our monsters represent different things. You can either have kids draw the monsters themselves or you can cut out the parts of the monsters. Then, they can assemble it.

Download the Monster Glyph Directions here. For your own personal or classroom use.

Aiden and I came up with the monster features by looking at the wild things in the book. We noticed differences in horns, noses, mouths, teeth, tails, and feet. What else would you add?

I read the directions to Aiden and he drew his monster features after answering each question. Here’s his first monster.

He wanted to see how answering the questions differently would change his monster. He answered some of the questions the same. Here’s his second monster.

Aiden didn’t want to color his monsters. He liked them the way they are. I decided to color my monster and give it some scales and fur.

I love that this activity practices following directions while allowing for creativity. It’s also super fun that hidden in the drawings is a secret message.

More Ideas from the Virtual Book Club for Kids

See more activities inspired by Where the Wild Things Are:

Monster Hands Alphabet Match from Toddler Approved
Name Crown Craft from The Pleasantest Thing
Where the Wild Things Are Counting Game from Mom Inspired Life
Wild Things Scented Monster Play Dough! from Preschool Powol Packets
Where the Wild Things Are Treats from I Can Teach My Child
Where the Wild Things Are Color Tree Game from The Educators’ Spin on It
Where the Wild Things Are Action Word Rumpus from Growing Book by Book
Make a Wild Thing Shape Craft from Still Playing School
Where the Wild Things Are – Mapping Our Backyard Habitats from Rainy Day Mum
Where the Wild Things Are Gross Motor from 3 Dinoasaurs
Where the Wild Things Are Sand Tray Activity from Study at Home Mama
Sailboat Tangrams from Mama Miss
Also stop by the Virtual Book Club for Kids Facebook page to see what others are sharing!

Next month we’ll be featuring Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney. See our entire Virtual Book Club for Kids book list here.

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