Dr Seuss - The King's Stilts

It’s the story of a devoted king who works hard and plays hard–and whose entire kingdom is threatened when his beloved stilts are stolen and he is too distraught to do his job. Written in prose instead of rhyme (unlike Seuss’s later works), The King’s Stilts nevertheless addresses subjects that we know Dr. Seuss was passionate about throughout his life: duty.

Step into this whimsical world: an enchanting tale perfect for young minds exploring EYFS books, where fun and imagination reign supreme.

Genre: Moral, Fantasy, Danger

Themes: Teamwork, royalty, adventure, emotions, hobbies

Age: 3-6 years old

Dr Seuss - The King's Stilts book cover

Activities

  1. Walking on stilts is a real balancing act! Using pieces of sports equipment how long can pupils balance on them? Use balance beams, stilts, balance balls, bikes, benches, skateboards, climbing frames or anything else around the school. How can they improve their balance? Can they test ways to improve it? Is it better with eyes open or closed? Holding a friend’s hand or on their own? (CC:Sport)
  2. When the King loses his stilts, he loses the ability to do something he loves. Can pupils create an advice poster, or class set of guidance on how to keep a good balance between work and fun! Why must they have both? Can they suggest ideas for people who are stuck? What is the perfect amount of each? Why must they rest? (CC: PSHE)
  3. How can we help the King find his stilts? Can pupils create a missing poster to put around the Kingdom to find the stilts? What do they look like? Is there a reward? Who do they contact? What other important information should they add? How will they make it eye catching? (CC: Art)
  4. Team work makes the dream work! The King can’t chase the Nizzards away, so in groups or as a class pupils must come up with a plan on how to scare the birds away and protect Dinn. What will they use? What job does each person have? How will they cover everywhere? Do they need any specialist equipment or help? (CC: English, STEM)
  5. Dinn is sinking! In groups using set materials pupils must make a boat to float on the water and save them. Materials can be anything such as card, sponge, cups, lollipop sticks, bottle caps etc. How will they test the boat? Can they have a competition to see which one holds the most weight? (CC: STEM)
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