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

Garden Beacon Repair

A repaired beacon begins at recorded dial states; every recovered pulse must be applied, including zero turns. Work together to configure the garden beacon.

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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Your mission

Work together to configure the garden beacon.

Welcome to the garden beacon hut. A repaired beacon begins at recorded dial states; every recovered pulse must be applied, including zero turns. Your team has the original records on the table. First recover five pieces of information, then use the final plan to configure the garden beacon. 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, Beacon tests, 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.

Free printable pack

Prepare your table

Your print plan

14 Letter pages · 4 players · 1 team

Host guide and answers 1 copy · keep with host3 pages
Player clues 1 copy · give to players6 pages
Three levels of hints 1 copy · keep with host3 pages
Team record and final result 1 copy · give to players2 pages

Invitations and certificates are optional. The combined pack includes host answers and hints.

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PDFs are made on your device using the choices above. Keep answers and hints with the adult.

Default files for quick download

Ready-made files use the default quantities. Check the file title before handing pages to players.

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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. The desk uses this message when handling the paper garden beacon.

Read this clue in text

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

Clue 2 of 6

Record

Use the beacon tests and lamp book 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

Order

Arrange the four event cards using every witness note. "Immediately before" means there is no event between them. Report the requested position after the whole order has been checked.

Read this clue in text

Event cards A: Read tag B: Test pulse C: Check lamp D: Clean lens Witness notes D is immediately before B. A is before D. C is immediately before A. Report the event ID in position 1.

Clue 4 of 6

Path

Trace a legal supply journey from S to F. The map's arrows are one-way roads. Visit every required stop, stay inside the travel budget and use the cheapest complete journey. Report all stop letters.

Read this clue in text

Travel map (one way) S=Start; A=Leaf; B=Lamp; C=Post; F=Delivery S > A: 2 units S > B: 1 units A > C: 2 units B > C: 2 units CLOSED C > F: 2 units B > F: 2 units A > F: 7 units C > D: 1 units D > F: 2 units Journey rules Start S; finish F; limit 8 units. Visit A, D. Use the least total cost. Write every stop in order, with hyphens.

Clue 5 of 6

Habitat

Compare the post survey with the beacon requirements. Choose the site with suitable shade and ground conditions; use the printed survey rather than assuming a place name tells you the answer.

Read this clue in text

Garden-beacon post cards OAK: shade=deep; ground=dry; entry=wide POND: shade=light; ground=damp; entry=wide HEDGE: shade=deep; ground=dry; entry=narrow GATE: shade=light; ground=dry; entry=wide Required features shade must not be deep. ground must be dry. Report the one matching card ID.

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.

Read this clue in text

Control panel Dial order: A, B, C, D, E. States: 0 > 1 > 2 (loop). Start: A2 / B0 / C1 / D2 / E0. Pulse cards (turns in dial order) Signal: CHECK-OPEN=(1,2,0,0,0); REST-OPEN=(2,1,0,0,0) Record: EAST=(0,2,0,1,0); NORTH=(0,1,0,2,0) Order: A=(0,0,2,1,0); C=(0,0,1,2,0) Path: S-A-C-D-F=(1,0,0,2,0); S-A-C-F=(2,0,0,1,0) Habitat: OAK=(1,0,0,0,2); GATE=(2,0,0,0,1) Setting rule Add every chosen pulse. Move around each dial loop. Report dial ID + state, in order, with hyphens.

Start after: Signal, Record, Order, Path, Habitat