Ages 8–10 · Est. 35–50 minutes · 2–6 players

Toy Workshop Delivery

The sorter remembers its dial positions but has lost the labels on its pulse cards. Work together to configure the toy parcel sorter.

6 clues, gradual hints and a complete paper finish. Choose a reader, a recorder and a checker, then work through the mission together.

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Toy Workshop Delivery: Each signal means one different word. Use the training examples to recover the legend. Words marked "any order" may be swapped; compare shared signals across cards. Decode the received message from left to right.

Your mission

Work together to configure the toy parcel sorter.

Welcome to the toy workshop. The sorter remembers its dial positions but has lost the labels on its pulse cards. Your team has the original records on the table. First recover five pieces of information, then use the final plan to configure the toy parcel sorter. Keep every result beside its badge so another teammate can check your reasoning.

How your team will think

Infer a one-to-one legend and apply recovered instructions to a control panel.

Write each recovered instruction beside its signal. Keep the legend and the panel’s starting settings visible as you apply the instructions and check the final configuration.

Set up in one room

Print the six player sheets and two record sheets for each team. Keep answers and hints with the host.
Lay out Unlabelled legend, Parcel cards, the remaining clue sheets and the final plan. All task records are printed inside the sheets; no extra prop is needed.
After each clue, pass roles one seat clockwise. With two players, combine Reader with Recorder and Checker with Builder. With five or six, add a second checker and a source finder; everyone explains one decision.

Bring to the table

One complete player set and record set per team
One pencil per child
One adult host with the answer and hint pages

Print and sorting checklist · Plan the player roles

Ages and durations are design estimates. Choose the pace and reading support that suit your group.

Look before you print

See all 6 player clues

These are the actual figures and instructions from the player pack. Read the final page’s rule along with the earlier clues.

Clue 1 of 6

Signal

Each signal means one different word. Use the training examples to recover the legend. Words marked "any order" may be swapped; compare shared signals across cards. Decode the received message from left to right.

Read this clue in text

Unlabelled legend Signals: DOT, BAR, ARC. Words: WAIT, SEND, TURN. Each signal has one word; each word is used once. Training messages DOT+BAR means TURN+SEND (any order) BAR+ARC means TURN+WAIT (any order) DOT+ARC means SEND+WAIT (any order) Received message ARC > DOT Report decoded words in order, with hyphens.

Clue 2 of 6

Record

Use the parcel cards and bench register to follow the completed record. Match printed keys, then report the requested field. A planned or cancelled entry cannot prove a move.

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Clue 3 of 6

Labels

Labels desk: Compare the two records at matching numbered positions. Count different pairs once each; ignore box outlines.

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Strip A: hexagon, triangle, square, circle, star, diamond, heart, cross. Strip B: square, triangle, star, diamond, star, cross, heart, triangle. Compare the same numbered position.

Clue 4 of 6

Weight

Weight desk: Every parcel has the same whole-number weight. Remove loose units, find ONE parcel and check the second rule.

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3 parcels + 4 loose units = 28 units 2 parcels + 3 loose units = 19 units One parcel = ? units. Whole numbers 1–9. All parcels have equal weight.

Clue 5 of 6

Dispatch

Dispatch desk: Combine every BEFORE rule to order the four actions. Write positions on the whole-sheet cards. Read position 3.

Read this clue in text

Cards: Fit gears [4]; Send parcel [8]; Seal parcel [6]; Test parts [2]. Rules: Test parts BEFORE Seal parcel; Fit gears BEFORE Send parcel; Seal parcel BEFORE Send parcel; Test parts BEFORE Fit gears; Fit gears BEFORE Seal parcel. Read card position 3.

Clue 6 of 6

Final

Use the five results to select five pulse cards. Start at the recorded dial states. Add all selected turns for each dial and follow its loop: 0, 1, 2, then 0 again. Report the final state of dials A through E.

Toy Workshop Delivery: Use the five results to select five pulse cards. Start at the recorded dial states. Add all selected turns for each dial and follow its loop: 0, 1, 2, then 0 again. Report the final state of dials A through E.

Read this clue in text

Control panel Dial order: A, B, C, D, E. States: 0 > 1 > 2 (loop). Start: A0 / B1 / C2 / D0 / E1. Pulse cards (turns in dial order) Signal: WAIT-TURN=(2,1,0,0,0); WAIT-SEND=(1,2,0,0,0) Record: WEST=(0,2,0,1,0); NORTH=(0,1,0,2,0) Labels: 0=(0,0,2,1,0); 5=(0,0,1,2,0) Weight: 8=(1,0,0,2,0); 1=(2,0,0,1,0) Dispatch: 4=(2,0,0,0,1); 6=(1,0,0,0,2) Setting rule Add every chosen pulse. Move around each dial loop. Report dial ID + state, in order, with hyphens.

Start after: Signal, Record, Labels, Weight, Dispatch