Discussion and activity ideas– for families
THE BOOK
Pippi is nine years old and lives on her own in Villekula Cottage. She has a monkey called Mr Nelson,
a horse, and a suitcase full of gold pieces. Pippi is wild, funny and assertive; she is playful and takes
life in an appealingly literal way. Her ideas and activities don’t always fi t with conventional behaviour.
She is generous and means well, she tells stories which may or may not be true – and she has
superhuman strength, able to lift up her horse one-handed. Her two best friends are her neighbours
Tommy and Annika. Pippi, with her independent, imaginative and endearing behaviour, has enchanted
children for 70 years.
THE AUTHOR
Astrid Lindgren said she wrote for children “to teach them how to be more human
and understanding of people.” She was born in 1907, and grew up at a farm
called Näs in the south of Sweden. She began her writing career in
1944 after she won a children’s book competition, with Pippi Longstocking
published a year later. She published more than one hundred books in her lifetime
and is still the most popular children’s author in Sweden. Her books have been
translated into more than ninety languages, and she received numerous honours
and awards. She died in 2002.
quiz1. Orange - the colour of a carrot! 2. Pippilotta
3. Captain Ephraim Longstocking 4. Nine
5. Tommy and Annika 6. Villa Villekulla
7. Gold coins 8. A Monkey – from Africa
What colour is Pippi’s hair?
What is ‘Pippi’ short for?
What is the name of Pippi Longstocking’s father?
How old is Pippi Longstocking?
What are the names of Pippi Longstocking’s neighbours?
What is the name of the Villa that Pippi lives in?
What does Pippi keep in her big suitcase?
What kind of animal is Mr Nelson?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
For more Pippi Longstocking activities, visit:
www.oxfordowl.co.uk/pippi-70-years
For more Pippi Longstocking activities, visit:
www.oxfordowl.co.uk/pippi-70-years
lives on her own with a monkey, a horse–and no rules whatsoever! Every day is a crazy adventure, but what would
you expect of the daughter of a swashbuckling pirate captain?
70 YEARS OFCelebrate
70YEARS OFCelebrate
Colourme
in!
For more Pippi Longstocking activities, visit:
www.oxfordowl.co.uk/pippi-70-years
lives on her own with a monkey, a horse–and no rules whatsoever! Every day is a crazy adventure, but what would
you expect of the daughter of a swashbuckling pirate captain?
70 YEARS OFCelebrate
Colourme
in!
This is a perfect book for bedtime reading – enjoying and talking about a chapter each night. Astrid Lindgren first made up Pippi’s adventures as a story for her daughter
when she was ill with pneumonia.
Watch the video of Astrid’s daughter Karin Nyman explaining how Pippi Longstocking came into being: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVbnGk-iYTU&feature=youtu.be
WHO’S WHO IN THE STORY: THE MAIN CHARACTERS Pippi: a nine year old girl who lives without grown-ups in her own house, Villekula Cottage, with her horse and her monkey. She has red hair and freckles, and is the strongest girl in the world.
Captain Ephraim Longstocking: Pippi’s father, a ship’s captain with whom she has sailed to many countries – but he is now lost at sea.
Mr Nelson: Pippi’s monkey.
Pippi’s horse: Pippi can lift him with one hand. He lives on the front porch.
Tommy: Annika’s brother, Pippi’s neighbour, and best friend.
Annika: Tommy’s sister, Pippi’s neighbour, and best friend.
Mr and Mrs Settergreen: Parents of Annika and Tommy.
THINGS TO TALK ABOUT Living on your own: Would you really like to live on your own without adults? What would you do each day? Could you cook? What would you eat? What would your house be like, what things would you have in it? Are there things you would miss from your real world?
Pippi as a friend: What do you think Pippi is like? What would you like best about being friends with her? Is there anything you would find difficult about being with her?
Telling the truth: ‘So if I should happen to tell a fib sometimes you must try to forgive me…’ (P.7) How often do you think Pippi tells stories which aren’t true – or maybe embroiders the truth?
We can’t always get things right! Talk about when Pippi realises she is wrong, and admits this – and how she tries to learn and move on.
Standing up for yourself: Pippi stood in the middle of the ring and smiled in a friendly manner. Bengt had hoped she would become angry or begin to cry. At the very least she ought to look scared. (P.20) What do you think about how Pippi deals with the bullies, and with adults who try to make her do things?
Sharing and talking about the book
70 YEARS OFCelebrate
Look for these words in the squares below– across, down, diagonally, and from right to left.
The answers are at the end of this pack
PIPPI
MR NELSON
VILLEKULLA COTTAGE
TOMMY
ANNIKA
TURNUPSTUFFER
GINGER SNAP
CIRCUS
MIGHTY ADOLF
SKYSCRAPER
THUNDER KARLSON
POLKA
MRS SETTERGREEN
GHOSTS
WORDSEARCH
70 YEARS OFCelebrate
T Q F W T U Q E M U A K I N N A
H A L X V Q M B R Z A S F Q G E
U S O L O T T E S W R Y I V P G
N D D B M O V C S A D P 0 L K A
D F A D G M R N E L S O N Z H T
E G Y E Q M W V T I P Q L C K T
R H T A H Y F G T C V S M V B O
K K H S H Q G I E Z O X C S V C
A L G D Y G T N R X V B M K V A
R B I G M H N G G C Z A D Y G L
L V M J D O Q E R E X U P S K U
S C Q L Z S A R E C C Q H C J K
O X E M I T N S E G I A Q R G E
N E Y P U S L N N D R Z C A V L
Z C P U B Q X A X V C N J P F L
W I T U R N U P S T U F F E R I
P C B M N C S V Q E S T U R M V
Look for these words in the squares below– across, down, diagonally, and from right to left.
WORDSEARCHANSWERS
70 YEARS OFCelebrate
T Q F W T U Q E M U A K I N N A
H A L X V Q M B R Z A S F Q G E
U S O L O T T E S W R Y I V P G
N D D B M O V C S A D P 0 L K A
D F A D G M R N E L S O N Z H T
E G Y E Q M W V T I P Q L C K T
R H T A H Y F G T C V S M V B O
K K H S H Q G I E Z O X C S V C
A L G D Y G T N R X V B M K V A
R B I G M H N G G C Z A D Y G L
L V M J D O Q E R E X U P S K U
S C Q L Z S A R E C C Q H C J K
O X E M I T N S E G I A Q R G E
N E Y P U S L N N D R Z C A V L
Z C P U B Q X A X V C N J P F L
W I T U R N U P S T U F F E R I
P C B M N C S V Q E S T U R M V
Cut out this game and stick it onto cardboard. You’ll need a dice, counters, and enough ‘coins’ for 20 coins per player. Make the coins from cardboard, or use pennies. The winner
is the person at the end with most coins.
BOARD GAME
70 YEARS OFCelebrate
STARTPippi’s father buys Villekula Cottage for her
Pay 5 gold coins
Policemen come to take Pippi to a Children’s Home
Go back to START
Coffee and a cheese sandwich in peace and quiet
What’s your favourite meal?
Pippi cleans the
kitchen floor Have another go
Pippi steps off the cliff Recite 6 times: ‘Fly you flat fly, fly! And
the flat fly flew.’
The children go to the circusPay 2 gold coins
Pippi is out of order at
Mrs Settergreen’s tea partyMiss a go
They play ‘Don’t Fall to
the Floor’ Have 2 more goes
Pippi thinks about her mother
Miss a go
Pippi lifts her horse from the
front porchGet 2 gold coins
Pippi breaks
two teacupsPay 2 gold coins
Tommy, Annika and Pippi have a picnic on a cliff
Miss a go
The bull tosses Tommy
and hurts his armMiss a go
Pippi and the robbers
dance the polkaDance round the room!
All the children have
presents at Pippi’s partyGet 3 gold coins
Pippi, Tommy and Annika are Turnupstuffers
Pay 3 gold coins
Pippi goes to bed
Wiggle your toes
Pippi answers the teacher back
Miss a go
Pippi lifts up the cow
Have 2 extra goes
Mr Nelson runs away
Go back to square 11
Pippi lifts Mighty Adolf
Get 1 gold coin
Pippi saves children from
the burning SkyscraperGet 4 gold coins
Tommy and Annika think
they see a ghost Miss a go
Pippi stands up to the bullies
Have another go
7. Pippi plays tag on the roof top
Go to square 9
They all sit in a tree eating pears What’s your favourite
picnic place?
Pippi eats a red
toadstoolMiss 2 goes
The children find Mr Nelson‘When summer days are warm and still’ –
make up a rhyming line
Robbers try to steal Pippi’s
gold coinsPay 3 gold coins
Pippi is in the woodbox, being a sardine in a tin
What’s your peaceful place?
It’s the end of the party! Wave goodbye. FINISH
Get the coins in the suitcase
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
29
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
2
6
10
14
18
22
26
30
3
7
11
15
19
23
27
‘Somebody who fi nds the stuff that turns up if only you look, of course.’ (P15)
What would you do with the turned up stuff below?!
BEING A TURNUPSTUFFER
70 YEARS OFCelebrate