‘Where the Wild Things are’…. Clay Creatures
Term: 1 Year: 2010
With a soon to be released movie, 2009 was a good time to introduce the 5/6 children to ‘Where the
wild things are’ by Maurice Sendak.
This story has become a classic, first printed in 1963. The amazing illustrations and use of line was the
obvious starting point for this unit.
Having developed clay skills over many years the children quickly identified the basic shape needed to
create a ‘Wild Thing’ as three pinch pots. In groups the children had identified the common
characteristics of the wild things (yellow eyes, textured body, chunky body, claws and teeth) and were
instructed to incorporate these in their own design.
Construction was completed over a two hour session. Glazing was also a two hour session at a later date.
Altona Primary School