Let’s have a wild rumpus!
This week we’re sitting AT THE KID TABLE with Where the Wild Things Are. After introducing you to the inspiration behind the book, I’m sharing 28 activities inspired by the story. Ready to have a wild rumpus? Let’s go!
Introduction to Where the Wild Things Are
“Dear Mr. Sendak, How much does it cost to get to where the wild things are? If it is not expensive, my sister and I would like to spend the summer there.” — from a fan letter to Maurice Sendak
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is one of the most beloved books of all time. Though some critics initially thought it was too scary, millions disagreed and Sendak won the Caldecott medal for it in 1963.
About the adult reactions to his book, he said: “The common wish to protect children from their everyday fears and anxieties [is] a hopeless wish that denies the child’s endless battle with disturbing emotions…The book doesn’t say that life is constant anxiety. It simply says that life has anxiety in it.”
It was originally called Where the Wild Horses Are until Sendak realized he couldn’t draw horses (which is hilarious and confusing since he draws horses in his other books). Sendak said the actual title came from the Yddish phrase vilde chaya or “wild beast,” that Jewish parents would often say to their offspring: “You’re acting like a vilde chaya! Stop it!” He chose the word “Things” because no one could critique him for not drawing it right.
Sendak felt like his style was solidified in this book. The design of the wild things were based on his Jewish relatives who said things like, “We’ll eat you up—we love you so!” About the wild things in the book, Sendak said: “The fun of that book is a perilous tightrope of a little boy very vulnerable to these huge creatures and the absurdity of his having control of them by staring into their yellow eyes. It’s what every child would like, to have control over such things. Kids are not afraid of them because Max is not afraid of them.”
Sendak loved Max, whom he felt was his “truest creation. Like all kids, he believes in a world where a child can skip from fantasy to reality in the conviction that both exist.”
When people asked him to do a second book, he found that “the most boring idea imaginable.” But the book was made into a movie. The director Spike Jonze said about Sendak, “He basically gave me three rules, ‘I want you to make it personal. I want you to make it dangerous. And I don’t want you to pander to children. And if you do those three things, then that’s all I care about…I completely support anything you do.”
About the success of Wild Things, Sendak said: “How many people have a five year old child care for their fathers all through his life? That kid in the silly wool suit has made my life pleasurable. Not many people have children who are so financially dependable. Which has allowed me to invest in all kinds of experimental work. One should be happy to have one book like that.”
One little boy was so happy about the book, that when Sendak responded to him with a card and a picture of a Wild Thing, he received a letter back from the kid’s mom that said: “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” Sendak took that as a huge compliment because, “He didn't care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.” That’s how great this story is.
“It is only when a man tames his own demons that he becomes the king of himself, not the world.” — Joseph Campbell about Wild Things
Let the wild rumpus begin: 28 fun things to do inspired by Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are
Make a supper like Max’s mom made with a bowl of soup, piece of cake, and a glass of milk. Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches could also work. Or roasted carrot soup.
Have a wild rumpus. On a night of the full moon, build a fire with a friend and dance your wild heart out.
Climb a tree. Become a wild thing and swing across the branches.
Be still. Listen to Max and take a moment to be still. If you struggle with that like me, you can…
Go for a forest walk. If you really want to embody Max, you can do it in footie pajamas but that might push it.
Vacuum your house. Sendak was terrified of the vacuum as a kid, but later used a vacuum as a base for one of the puppets he designed for a ballet.
Watch Invisible Man. Sendak claimed watching it as a kid made him an insomniac his whole life.
Observe from your window (bonus points if you do it with your dog). Sendak was sick a lot as a kid which inspired a lot of windows and movie-like perspectives in his books. His dogs also inspired many of his books (especially Jenny) and he saw them as family members.
Watch Fantasia. Mickey Mouse was a huge inspiration for Sendak. He loved him so much, he ended up with one of the biggest figurine collections in the world.
Do a fantasy sketch while listening to Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, or Schubert. This was an exercise Sendak made up where he would listen to a piece of classical music (usually Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, or Schubert) and draw a sequential story before the song ended. He said, “Music helped unravel my imaginary scenes; it pressed the button, turned the key, kept my pen moving across the paper.”
Read William Blake, Emily Dickinson, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. These were some of his favorites.
Make your own crown. You could use this tutorial or this one.
Challenge a friend to a staring contest. Which one of you will be crowned as the official wild thing tamer?
Plant a forest. Maybe start by planting one plant in your yard, and go from there. Or you could do a whole wall of indoor plants like this living plant wall tutorial looks cool and so does this one.
Make a forest garland. Here is a classic leaf looking one and a colorful one.
Or a leaf garland. Here is one way to do it using beeswax.
Go on a leaf hunt. The book’s end papers are filled with leaves, so grab a basket and fill ‘er up.
Make a leaf lantern. You could make one with freezer paper and an iron. Or one with tissue paper and glue. Or modge podge and glass.
Create leaf art. You can stick with crayon or even add watercolors.
Sail away on a boat. The classic paper boat is always fun. If you want to actually send it down a river, you could use natural materials or even ice.
Make a wild thing. Like look at this cute felt one. And these made out of toilet paper tubes. If all you have is a paper plate, that works too.
Turn yourself into a wild thing. Like adjust this paper dinosaur foot pattern into a wild thing feet and claws pattern.
Learn how to crosshatch. Sendak used crosshatching to make the art for this book. You can follow online tutorials to learn how like this one.
Watch the Where the Wild Things Are movie. Sendak actually approved of the movie.
Make a pull-apart pizza. Here’s one inspired by Max’s crown.
Make a wild things fruit and veggie tray. Here’s an idea for the fruit trees. And the apple and cheese Max boat. And the wild thing veggies.
Get fancy and make a wild things lunchbox. Food is definitely art. Like these boat deviled eggs. And for dessert, these cute wild things coconut bites.
A few favorite Sendak quotes:
“Too many parents and too many writers of children’s books don’t respect the fact that kids know a great deal and suffer a great deal.”
“The magic of childhood is the strangeness of childhood.”
“Why would any book be good for all children? I mean no grown up book is good for all people so we mustn’t assume that a book that won a Caldecott is appropriate for every child reading it.”
“[Making books] is the only true happiness I’ve ever ever ever endured in my life. It’s sublime. It’s just going into another room and making pictures. It’s magic time. Where all your weaknesses of character and blemishes of personality and whatever else torments you fades away.”
“The art of illustrating is, like any other art, the art of growing up into oneself.”