I’ve had the fun of working with kids a little younger over the period of a semester in a once-per-week after-school program. Based partly on this experience, I think it might make sense to let the kids choose between several options, as you’ll have some kids who are quite comfortable with TT by that time, and who will want to strike out on their own, and you’ll have some kids who are perhaps struggling somewhat, and who may benefit from the structure and comfort provided by guided exercises in the puzzle book.
Beyond the puzzle book, I’ve enjoyed TT in a couple of ways, both facilitated by this community: (1) thinking up new puzzles, and (2) solving new puzzles (some of my own, some of others).
I think there is a lot of fun and benefit to be had in both of these activities - so would want kids to enjoy them…
So, perhaps you can allow kids to choose one of the following paths:
- continue going in the book to see how far they can make it (and allow them to skip ahead if they so choose), or
- solve one or more new puzzles that you pose, or
- propose their own puzzle or challenge, and then solve it… repeating as time allows. They can share their proposed challenges and others can try them as well.
You might want to advise kids who propose new puzzles as to whether it might be too difficult, or impossible given the space constraints, or whether it might be about the right level (to the extent that you can figure this out yourself…they may well ask about doing something that gets you thinking for a long time!)
On the other hand, you might let them think about this on their own, and if they don’t make progress, encourage them to modify the problem to make it easier, solve a special case, etc. In other words, advise them on how to do research.
Good luck! Be sure to report back with how things went, and any lessons learned for the rest of us who do outreach activities.
