The Snack Sneak: Logic Games, Mysteries and Quests

Christine Linge MacDonald is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

This compendium of adventures, mysteries, and quests involving action,
fantasy, and logic is intended for children ages 4 to 9. The author
promises a “resource book for people who work with groups of
school-age children, or those who like to plan games for kids.” The
activities range in difficulty from using picture clues to track down a
missing snack to complicated RCMP investigations. The final chapter
thoroughly briefs the reader on designing games and quests.

Ledden’s familiarity with her subject, stemming from a lifelong love
of puzzles, sometimes results in overly brief, confusing directions.
McLeod’s drawings are amusing, but often do not clarify the
instructions. There are also some dubious inclusions: game titles that
would give away the trick to participants, riddles whose solutions are
debatable, and risky activities that presuppose a thoughtful reader who
will implement a stringent safety policy for his or her charges. Little
advice is offered on the subject of safety. Considering the wide range
of activities offered, and the author’s contagious enthusiasm, this
book has a place with day-care workers or others who have a mandate to
entertain/educate children, and ample time in which to prepare.
Dedicated parents may wish to try some of the home activities, but most
of the items in the book require careful or extensive preparation.
Readers must also have some knowledge of child development if they wish
to choose age-appropriate activities, since this aspect is not mentioned
beyond the outline that appears in the introduction. Recommended with
reservations.