The story makes extensive use of the literary rule of three, featuring three chairs, three bowls of porridge, three beds, and the three title characters who live in the house. There are also three sequences of the bears discovering in turn that someone has been eating from their porridge, sitting in their chairs, and finally, lying in their beds, at which point is the climax of Goldilocks being discovered. This follows three earlier sequences of Goldilocks trying the bowls of porridge, chairs, and beds successively, each time finding the third "just right".

Author Christopher Booker characterizes this as the "dialectical three", where "the first is wrong in one way, the second in another or opposite way, and only the third, in the middle, is just right". Booker continues: "This idea that the way forward lies in finding an exact middle path between opposites is of extraordinary importance in storytelling". This concept has spread across many other disciplines, particularly developmental psychology, biology, economics, and engineering where it is called the "Goldilocks principle". In planetary astronomy, a planet orbiting its sun at just the right distance for liquid water to exist on its surface, neither too hot nor too cold, is referred to as being in the 'Goldilocks Zone'.

As Stephen Hawking put it, "like Goldilocks, the development of intelligent life requires that planetary temperatures be 'just right'".

Woods are an exciting place to place to take a walk. They are great places to explore, so much to see, touch & smell! Wildlife and nature in abundance. A place to run round, get messy, and have wild fun! Here are some ideas to keep busy on a walk in the woods. They mostly use a bit of imagination, natural resources and in some cases a little forward planning.

1. The woods are the best place to collect & pick things up. There are so many things along your walk pine cones, leaves, feathers, acorns, twigs etc. Take a bag with you to take home all your treasures.

2. Take a piece of paper & crayon with you to do bark rubbings or leaf rubbings.

3. Climb trees. Do make sure the tree is safe to climb and supervise all the time.

4. Play hide and seek. This game has stood the test of time , you can’t go wrong with a game of hide-and-seek. Tree’s make great places to hid behind.

5. Take a camera. Get the kids to take photos of any interesting things they find, could be an animal they spot or an interesting tree.

6. Track animal footprints. Can you follow the prints where do they take you? Which animal made the print? If you’re not sure you could always take a photo and look it up when you get home. If you find any animal poo, guess which animal left the mess!

7. Splash in puddles, jump over them. Who can make the biggest splash? Warning this could get very messy!

8. Spot wildlife. How many different animals can you see? You could take a spotting sheet with you to tick off as you find them.

Anyone can get lost in the woods. It's easy to get disoriented in the towering forests of the Forest. All it takes is one wrong turn or poor visibility and you're no longer where you thought you were. If this happens to you, don't panic.

Stay focused and you may be able to rescue yourself. If not, it's time to make a plan.

• Prioritize - Whatever you do, don't make your situation worse. Find shelter that can protect you from the elements. Build a fire that will keep you warm and will protect you from wild animals. Locate a water source as this is critical to your survival.

• Be Patient - Backcountry rescue takes time. Conserve your energy. You'll need it to stay warm and to survive.

• Create Signals - Noise will help deter wild animals, but it will also help rescuers pinpoint your location. Listen carefully for sounds of vehicles or people. Send out the universal S-O-S signal - three whistle blasts, three fires, or three of just about anything. This will increase your chances of being found.