The Gruffalo: questions to ask and activities to try
A small mouse, some hungry animals and a monster he thinks he made up. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo is a gentle way to talk about feeling scared, and about staying calm enough to think.
What age is The Gruffalo for?
The Gruffalo is best for ages 3–6.
The Gruffalo (Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler)
- Age
- 3-6
- Best for
- Feeling scared, and using your wits
Only 50pThe Gruffalo activity sheet3 printable pages: questions to talk about, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the grown-up. Instant PDF.
Just want the questions? Get the free question card ↓
Read it once just for fun. Next time, pause when the mouse meets each animal and ask how he might be feeling, then what he decides to do. The point isn't that the mouse wasn't scared: it's that he thought of a plan while he was.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 3–6 (nursery to Year 1)
- What they'll enjoy
- A small mouse, some hungry animals and a monster he thinks he made up. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo is a gentle way to talk about feeling scared, and about staying calm enough to think.
- Helps with
- Feeling scared, and using your wits
- Buy or borrow?
- Borrow it from the library first if you can. If your child asks for it again and again, it’s one worth owning, and the questions and activities on this page work best with the book open next to you.
Why I like this one
I like The Gruffalo for the moment when the mouse realises he has to think rather than run. Most children know the story by heart, which is exactly why it works: they can relax and notice what the mouse is doing, not just what happens next.
I'd pause at the point where the real Gruffalo appears and ask, “What could the mouse do now?” before turning the page. There's no single right answer, and a child who suggests running away isn't wrong. The point is that there's more than one option.
Growing Wise
What it helps with
- Talking about feeling scared, without making fear something to be ashamed of
- Practising “stop and think” when something feels big
- Noticing the difference between pretend and real
- Problem solving: there is more than one way out of a tricky spot
Comprehension and discussion questions for The Gruffalo
Pick two or three, not all of them. “I don’t know” is a fine answer, and you can always come back to it another day.
- “How do you think the mouse felt when the fox invited him home?”
- “Why did the mouse make up the Gruffalo?”
- “What did the mouse do when he met a real Gruffalo?”
- “Was the mouse brave, clever, or both?”
- “What is something that feels a bit scary to you? What could help?”
- “The other animals thought the mouse was scary. Are things always what they look like?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for The Gruffalo
All 6 questions for The Gruffalo on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
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Retelling questions
Good for younger children, or for checking they followed the story.
- “Who did the mouse meet first, second and third?”
- “Why did each animal invite the mouse to their house?”
- “What happened when the mouse walked through the wood with the Gruffalo?”
- “Why did the Gruffalo run away at the end?”
5-minute activities to try together
Make a plan like the mouse
Pick one small worry together, like the dark or a new class. Think of three things your child could try, then choose one to try first. There's no wrong answer.
Act it out
Take turns being the mouse. The other person plays the fox, owl or snake, and the mouse decides what to say. Swap so your child gets to be the animal too.
The Gruffalo activity sheet: printable worksheet and questions
All the questions and activities above on a ready-to-print activity sheet: questions tagged by reading skill with space to answer, a drawing and writing page with a self-check, and notes for the adult with curriculum links and a 20-minute session plan. Pay by card, PayPal or Payhip and download straight away.
- Page 1, talk about it: questions about the story, each tagged with the reading skill it practises, with space to answer or tick
- Page 2, my favourite part: a drawing box, a sentence starter and a “how did I do?” self-check
- Page 3, notes for the adult: curriculum links, a 20-minute session plan, extension activities, and support and challenge ideas
- Read it togetherEnjoy the story first.
- Ask 2 or 3 questionsFrom the list above, while everyone is calm.
- Print the activity sheetAn activity sheet with questions, a drawing page and notes for you.
Worries bundleAll 15 activity sheets, this one includedThe 15 books:The GruffaloThe Huge Bag of WorriesRuby’s WorryThe Invisible StringStick ManMonkey PuzzleWe're Going on a Bear HuntGoodnight MoonAfter the FallSilly BillyOwl BabiesThe Kissing HandTadA Bit LostLullabyhullaballoo!£4.99 
3 sheets for £1.25The Gruffalo + We’re Going on a Bear Hunt + Goodnight MoonThe 3 books:The GruffaloWe’re Going on a Bear HuntGoodnight Moon£1.25 Pick your own books: build a bundle with this one, up to 15% off →
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Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to The Gruffalo, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about talking about feeling scared, without making fear something to be ashamed of.
A 20-minute session for ages 3–6 (nursery to Year 1), for a class, a small group or one child at home.
- Warm up (2 minutes). Show the cover and read the title. Ask: “What do you think this story will be about?”
- Read aloud (6 minutes). Read it all the way through. Tip: Read it once just for fun. Next time, pause when the mouse meets each animal and ask how he might be feeling, then what he decides to do. The point isn't that the mouse wasn't scared: it's that he thought of a plan while he was.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “How do you think the mouse felt when the fox invited him home?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do Make a plan like the mouse. Pick one small worry together, like the dark or a new class. Think of three things your child could try, then choose one to try first. There's no wrong answer. Children who finish early can try Act it out.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The The Gruffalo activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
More by Julia Donaldson: Room on the Broom, Stick Man, Zog, Tiddler, The Smartest Giant in Town
If your child liked this, try
The Huge Bag of Worries (Virginia Ironside)
- Best for
- Talking about worries
- Age
- 5-8
Ruby’s Worry (Tom Percival)
- Best for
- A child whose worry grows while they keep it to themselves
- Age
- 4-7
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By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 19 October 2026
Growing Wise offers educational ideas for parents and carers. It is not a substitute for professional medical, developmental or mental-health advice. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.