https://m5655.myubam.com/p/1583/jonathan-james-and-the-whatif-monster
https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksforgrowingreaders/ (passcode CMLC)
I love the story of Jonathan James and his experiences with the Whatif Monster. The monster follows him around and peppers him with all of the “What if’s” he can think of. At first this really gets Jonathan down and he doesn’t try things because he is worried. However, he eventually stands up to the Whatif Monster and doesn’t let his fears get the best of him.
This story is a great example for our children, particularly right now when they are hearing about people getting sick, their schedules are changing, and they aren’t able to visit people they would normally visit. Children can start to have fears about the things that are happening and the things they are hearing. What a great time to open up a dialogue about their fears and give them a chance to feed their fears to the Whatif Monster!
Today we are making a Whatif Monster that can eat all their fears. You can use any materials you have around the house, but we started with a paper lunch sack, construction paper, white paper, markers, googly eyes, glue, and tape.
The first step was to fold the top of the bag down, creating a mouth. This is where we planned to feed our “whatifs” to the Monster.
We then started to decorate our monster, adding eyes, teeth, spots, arms, legs, etc. Whatever we felt like! If you don’t have a paper sack at home, you can use a piece of paper and just fold it into a similar shape. You can also draw eyes on instead of adding the googly eyes. You and your child can truly design the monster any way you want!
The final step is to feed your “whatifs” to the Monster! I just cut up small pieces of paper, but note cards or any small scrap of paper can work. Have your child talk about their fears or the things they are worrying about. This gives them an opportunity to open up and share these concerns with you, and you can have a chance to help them work through those fears. Have your child write or draw their fears on the scraps of paper (or you can write it for them), and then have them feed the “whatifs” to their monster. Keep the monster around for them to feed anytime they are feeling new fears!
Have fun making your Whatif Monsters! If you want to purchase the book Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster, use the link above! You can also follow this link to my Facebook Book Club to watch me read the story! https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksforgrowingreaders/ (use the passcode: CMLC)
