Free personal-use worksheets · https://nerdrathewhite.com/pocket-detours.html
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Your puzzle desk · Three free companion sheets
Leave yourself a good next step.
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Pause & return
The solver’s journal
Capture one puzzle, including unfinished work. “Paused” is a useful result: a written next step makes it easier to come back.
Completed example: puzzle 032 — contains the answer
- Puzzle / page
- 032, The late-night arrival / 36.
- What is asked?
- A finishing time, and whether it is the same or next day.
- Known facts / working
- Start 9:35 p.m. → first part ends 11:20 p.m. → stop ends 11:40 p.m.
- Next useful step
- Split the final 50 minutes at midnight.
- Result / check
- 12:30 a.m. the next day. Check: 105 + 20 + 50 = 175 minutes, or 2 hours 55 minutes.
- What helped?
- Writing each clock time kept the stop from disappearing.
Keep the discovery
Choose a hint, one step at a time
Start at the level you want. With a partner, agree on the level before they help. A nudge should unlock one move without announcing the whole answer.
Completed example · no answer revealed. Puzzle 007, “The gallery shelf.” Stuck point: I have not organised the clues. Chosen help: a question. Partner prompt: “Which card has a fixed position?” My next move: number five spaces and mark the fixed card. Stop rule: try the rest myself before asking for another hint.
Two readers or a small club · Ages 10–99
A friendly puzzle session
Choose a reader, a note-taker and, if useful, an answer keeper. One person can fill several roles. Swap roles between puzzles and let anyone pass or work alone.
Completed example · flexible 20-minute session. Choose puzzles 032 and 057. Spend 2 minutes reading the first question, 6 minutes exploring, 2 minutes comparing methods, 6 minutes on the second puzzle, and 4 minutes sharing a useful step. Mira reads, Lee records; swap for the code. Hints only when requested. Use a larger sheet for working and stop on time even if unfinished.