To celebrate World Book Day, our pupils enjoyed a wonderful day of learning inspired by the much loved story The Gruffalo’s Child. The story provided an exciting starting point for a range of hands on, practical activities that encouraged creativity, problem solving and curiosity.
Our first activity challenged the children to build a log pile house, just like the Gruffalo’s Child might use to stay safe and warm. Pupils worked together to design and build their structures before testing them to see if they were waterproof. This activity encouraged teamwork, discussion and early scientific thinking as pupils explored what materials worked best.
Next, the children became scientists as they investigated the fastest way to melt ice. Pupils tested four different options — sugar, salt, hot water and nothing at all — making predictions before observing the results. They were excited to discover which method worked best and confidently talked about what they noticed during the experiment.
The pupils also explored light and shadows through a fun, interactive investigation. Using a light source and their hands and objects, the children discovered how shadows are made and how they change when the light or object moves. This activity encouraged curiosity and discussion as pupils observed how size and position affected the shadow they created.
Our final activity was a firm favourite — creating fake snow! Pupils followed instructions carefully to make their own snow and explored how it looked and felt. This activity sparked lots of excitement and rich vocabulary as children described the texture and changes they observed.
World Book Day was a fantastic opportunity to bring stories to life through practical learning. The pupils were fully engaged over a few days and showed great enthusiasm, creativity and cooperation while enjoying activities inspired by The Gruffalo’s Child.
