This year, we are celebrating the 75 years of the first ever Pippi Longstocking book written by Astrid Lindgren. The activities below are all inspired by the story of Pippi Longstocking and the things she likes to do in her home, Villa Villekulla, with her friends Tommy and Annika and her monkey Mr Nilsson.
Listen to the audiobook on Spotify
Make Pippi’s Pancakes
Pippi enjoys making and eating pancakes for breakfast. Pancakes or ‘pannkakor’ are a popular food in Sweden, where they are usually eaten with jam and whipped cream – but you could use fresh fruit, or lemon and sugar instead.
You will need
- Three eggs
- 600ml milk
- 125g plain flour
- Three tbsp butter
- ½ tsp salt
- Pancake toppings: jam or fresh fruit, whipped cream (optional)
What to do
- Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl
- Pour in half the milk and whisk until blended together
- Whisk in the rest of the milk and the eggs
- Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat for five minutes, then add a teaspoon of butter to the pan
- Once the butter has melted, pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan and cook for two minutes
- Flip the pancake and cook the other side for another minute
- Once cooked, put the pancake on a plate and keep warm
- Repeat steps 5-9 to make more pancakes, until all the batter has gone (TIP: Whisk the batter each time before adding it to the pan)
- Serve your pancakes with jam or fresh fruit and whipped cream
Pippi the Pirate – discover a new island!
Pippi wants to be a pirate. She loves going on adventures and enjoys telling her friends Tommy and Annika all about her discoveries.
With your child, imagine you have been on an adventure together just like Pippi, and discovered a new island. Use these questions to help your child imagine and describe what the island is like:
- What can you see/hear/smell on the island?
- What colours can you see?
- Does anybody live on the island? Who?
- What can you eat on the island?
- What treasures can you find on the island?
- What is your island called? Why?
Write a postcard
Ask your child to write a postcard from their island to a friend, describing all the things they have been doing and the things they have seen. They can draw a picture of their island too. Take a look at our tips on writing postcards.
Make a treasure map
Ask your child to draw a map of their island. They could even include a treasure trail with an ‘X marks the spot’ to show where the island’s hidden treasure is.
Become a ‘Thingfinder’
Pippi calls herself a ‘Thingfinder’- she enjoys going on hunts to find new things in and around her home, Villa Villekulla. Help your child to become a Thingfinder too, by setting up a simple treasure hunt in your home.
Hide a few objects in a room for your child to find. Give them a sensory clue by choosing a selection of things that all have something in common. Here are some ideas:
- Things that all feel… (e.g.soft/hard/smooth/rough)
- Things that are all made from… (e.g. wood/plastic/metal)
- Things that all begin with the same sound or letter
- Things that all make a noise
Switch it up
Ask your child to set up a thingfinding hunt for you. For an extra challenge, ask them to write some sensory clues for each of the objects they hide, for example:
- The thing feels…
- The thing is made from…
- The thing makes a … sound
- The thing smells…
- The thing begins with the letter/sound…
Play ‘two lies and a truth’
Pippi loves making up stories and telling lies (although she always tells the truth afterwards!) Have a go at playing this game with your child – it’s fun and creative!
- Each player secretly writes down two lies and one fact. (TIP: It could be about something you’ve done or seen, or somewhere you’ve been)
- Take it in turns to read out your two lies and a truth. Can you correctly guess each other’s truth?
Switch it up
Try writing two truths and one lie instead. Can you correctly guess each other’s lie?
©Ingrid Vang Nyman/The Astrid Lindgren Company