The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything: questions to ask and activities to try
A little old lady walking home through the woods is followed by two shoes that go CLOMP, CLOMP, a pair of trousers that go WIGGLE, WIGGLE, and more. But she is not afraid of anything. A classic Halloween read-aloud.
What age is The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything for?
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything is best for ages 3–6.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd)
- Age
- 3-6
- Best for
- Joining in, and feeling brave
Only 50pThe Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything 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 ↓
Add an action for every sound (stamp for the shoes, wiggle for the trousers) and let your child join in. Talk about how the little old lady stayed calm.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 3–6 (nursery to Year 1)
- What they'll enjoy
- A little old lady walking home through the woods is followed by two shoes that go CLOMP, CLOMP, a pair of trousers that go WIGGLE, WIGGLE, and more. But she is not afraid of anything. A classic Halloween read-aloud.
- Helps with
- Joining in, and feeling brave
- 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.
What it helps with
- Feeling brave
- Joining in with a story
- Sequencing and memory
- Halloween
Comprehension and discussion questions for The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
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.
- “What followed the little old lady through the woods?”
- “What noise did each thing make?”
- “Was the little old lady afraid? How do you know?”
- “What did she do at the end?”
- “What helps you feel brave?”
- “Which part would you act out?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
All 6 questions for The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
Free. We’ll only email you if you tick the box.
5-minute activities to try together
Sound and action
Give every follower an action and a sound, then retell the story with your child doing all the actions.
Make a scarecrow
Draw a scarecrow using all the things that followed the old lady: shoes, trousers, shirt, gloves, hat and pumpkin head.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything 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 bundle15 activity sheets for books on the same themeThe 15 books:The Huge Bag of WorriesRuby’s WorryThe Invisible StringStick ManMonkey PuzzleThe GruffaloWe're Going on a Bear HuntGoodnight MoonAfter the FallSilly BillyOwl BabiesThe Kissing HandTadA Bit LostLullabyhullaballoo!£4.99 3 sheets for £1.25The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything + The Huge Bag of Worries + Ruby’s WorryThe 3 books:The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of AnythingThe Huge Bag of WorriesRuby’s Worry£1.25 Pick your own books: build a bundle with this one, up to 15% off →
Priced low on purpose. Every purchase helps keep the book guides, questions and the game free for everyone.
No PayPal account needed. Your download starts straight away. By buying, you agree to this and give up the 14-day right to cancel. Faulty or missing files are always replaced or refunded. Refunds
Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about feeling brave.
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: Add an action for every sound (stamp for the shoes, wiggle for the trousers) and let your child join in. Talk about how the little old lady stayed calm.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “What followed the little old lady through the woods?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do Sound and action. Give every follower an action and a sound, then retell the story with your child doing all the actions. Children who finish early can try Make a scarecrow.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
If your child liked this, try
We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury)
- Best for
- Keeping going when something is hard, and facing fears together
- Age
- 2-6
Funnybones (Janet and Allan Ahlberg)
- Best for
- A funny-not-scary classic about skeletons
- Age
- 3-7
A Dark, Dark Tale (Ruth Brown)
- Best for
- A spooky story with a gentle surprise
- Age
- 3-6
Search all our books by what's happening →
By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 29 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.