Finding ways for kids to express their feelings can be challenging. Sometimes exploring a book together like Where the Wild Things Are can help to explore these emotions. I’m sharing a colorful game to help kids learn to identify how they are feelings. Don’t forget to check out at the bottom all of the other ideas to use as your read Where the Wild Things Are.
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A classic book that I hope all children have the opportunity to read is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The characters in the story bring your child into a magical world where one special boy is the king of the Wild Things. It also shares that it’s ok to dream and think big and that at the end of the day you are loved, even with a bowl of warm soup. It addresses the topic of anger with kids a topic which is important to discuss with your child.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
One fun way to talk about emotion is with colors. In the post I’m going to share with you a Color Game that you can play after you read the book. Your child will color the various Wild things and then you can or they can cut them out and hand them onto the trees of the forest you will create with pipe cleaners. It’s super easy and take about 10-20 minutes to set up and start playing.
Where the Wild Things Are Color Tree Game
Here’s a playful game with Max that will encourage your child to identify their colors and talk about their feelings.
Materials
- white Paper
- green Paper
- Scissors
- Crayons or Markers
- Colored Pipe Cleaners 4 per tree color
- Paper Clips
- Tape
- Lid of a box
Directions
1. Using the pipe cleaners create trees with your child making one for each color. To Assemble twist the four pieces on pipe clear together leaving 2 inches at the bottom and 3 inches at the top for the branches.
2. Tape the trees down to a lid of the box
3. Cut out leaves for the trees like the book and attach to the pipe cleaner trees with tape
4. Have your child color images of the Wild Things. We printed the printable pack from RoyalBaloo with many other activities too. You can download your own graphics from MelonHeadz Illustrating here to create a different printable. OR you can simple have your older child draw the characters from the story. When they are coloring have them select the colors you’ve chosen for the trees.
5. Cut out the Wild Things images and attach an opened paper clip to the back with tape so that they can hang form the trees just as they do in the story Where the Wild Things Are.
6. It’s Game Time! Have your child sort the Wild things by their color and hang them onto the tree for their own Wild Rumpus.
7. As your child plays with the colors discuss with them how certain colors make them feel. Does red feel angry? Is yellow happy? Does green feel calm? Encourage them to express how they feel.
My Many Colored Days
by Dr. Seuss is another great book for color Emotions.
Next we’re going to add Max’s Boat and Bed for our Small World Play for Where the Wild Things Are!
If you haven’t read the story yet, here’s a peek to Where the Wild Things are on youtube.
Printables for Where the Wild Things Are
Printable Pack of Free Where the Wild Things by RoyalBaloo
Where the Wild Things Are Lesson Plan Ideas
Go Check out the other ideas from the Virtual Book Club Activities for Kids Bloggers
Alphabet Activity
Monster Hands Alphabet Match by Toddler Approved
Name Activity
Name Crown Craft by The Pleasantest Thing
Math Activities
Where the Wild Things Are Counting Game by Mom Inspired Life
SailBoat Tangrams by Mama Miss
Sensory Activity
Wild Things Scented Monster Play Dough! by The Preschool Powol Packets
Cooking with Kids
Where the Wild Things Are Treats by I Can Teach My Child
Science Activities
Where the Wild Things Are Monster Glyphs by Inspiration Laboratories
Where the wild things are – Mapping our Backyard Habitatsby Rainy Day Mum
Color Activity
Where the Wild Things Are Color Tree Game by The Educators’ Spin On It
Movement Activities
Where the Wild Things Are Action Word Rumpus by Growing Book by Book
Where the Wild Things Are Gross Motorby 3 Dinosaurs
Writing Activity
Where the Wild Things Are Sand Tray by Study at Home Mama
Shape Activity
Make a Wild Thing Shape Craft by Still Playing School
For more Book Themed Activities {Click Here
I love the trees! they turned out so great.
I love how you used colors to talk about emotions! We have a couple kiddos that need frequent discussions about emotions and appropriate ways to display them!