Critical Thinking
Ages 2 to 10
The Gruffalo
by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
A tiny mouse invents an imaginary animal, The Gruffalo, to scare other animals away from eating him. The mouse gets a big fright when he comes face-to-face with a real-life Gruffalo but he thinks quickly and develops a clever plan to keep himself safe! Find out how he does it…
Critical Thinking
Age 2 - 10 Years
Book Reading Video
Discuss the story together:
- Why does the mouse tell everyone about the Gruffalo? And why does everyone run away when he tells them what the Gruffalo likes to eat?
- Where does:
- The owl live?
- The fox live?
- The snake live?
- The mouse tells a lot of lies in this story. He gets away with it but almost gets caught. What is the danger of telling lies?
- Has anyone ever told you a lie?
- How did it make you feel?
- Have you ever told a lie? Why?
- The mouse is the weakest creature but in the end he wins. Does life work like this sometimes?
- Is it better to be strong or smart? Why? Give reasons for both.
- The mouse uses imagination to survive in his environment. How does imagination help you to survive in your environment?
- How are the mouse and the Gruffalo similar? How are they different?
Let's get Creative
Step 1
You will need a pencil, crayons, a piece of paper, a marker and an eraser.
Step 2
Draw your imaginary creature in a way that you would like it to look. Make sure that it does not look the same as any existing creature that you know.
Step 3
Where does your creature live? Add where the creature lives to your drawing, for example, trees, a hole, a house etc.
Step 4
What does your creature eat? Draw and show what your creature eats.
Step 5
Name your creature. Write down the name of your creature at the top of the page.
Step 6
Use different colours to show differences in the body of your creature compared to The Gruffalo. Present your creature.
Step 1
Distribute a paper plate, a marker, different coloured paints, a paint brush, a pair of scissors and a piece of string.
Step 2
On your paper plate, use a marker to draw a snake from tail to head.
Step 3
Use your favourite colour to paint your snake. Use different colours to decorate your snake. Leave it to dry.
Step 4
Use your drawn lines on the paper plate to cut out your snake from the tail to the head and make sure not to cut off the head.
Step 5
Use your drawn lines on the paper plate to cut out your snake from the tail to the head and make sure not to cut off the head.
Step 1
Distribute crayons or paint, a copy of the blank Gruffalo mask, glue, a pair of scissors and paper plates or cardboard.
Step 2
Decorate your Gruffalo mask the same as it appears in the book.
Step 3
Paste your Gruffalo mask onto your paper plate or cardboard.
Step 4
Use the dotted lines to cut out your mask.
Step 5
Make holes to attach string to your mask. Put the mask on your face and pretend you are the Gruffalo.
Step 1
Distribute two pieces of paper, a pencil or pen, crayons and a pair of scissors to each child.
Step 2
On a piece of paper, write the title of the book “The Gruffalo” in block letters with spaces in between. Decorate each letter with the crayons.
Step 3
Ask the children to cut out each letter into a separate square tile and place the letters randomly in front of them.
Step 4
Look carefully at the letters and combine them to make your own new words. Write down the words you have made on a separate piece of paper.
Step 5
Look carefully at the letters and combine them to make your own new words. Write down the words you have made on a separate piece of paper.
Step 1
This activity encourages you to create an example of what a Gruffalo trap could look like. You will need a pencil, a piece of paper, crayons, an eraser and a marker. Distribute these to the children.
Step 2
Ask the children to think about what the Gruffalo likes to eat and how you can use it as part of your Gruffalo trap. The children should then draw their own version of the trap to catch the Gruffalo.
Step 3
In a new picture, draw and show the Gruffalo approaching the trap that you drew in step 2.
Step 4
Draw a picture showing the Gruffalo trying to catch his food.
Step 5
Draw a picture of the Gruffalo stuck in the trap.
