Quest Master Guide
Facilitator Master Guide
2-HOUR GROUP BUNDLE
PUZZLE QUEST SQUAD
Social Skills, Cognitive Flexibility, & Collaborative Teamwork for Neurodiverse 1st Graders
Group Profile & Clinical Targets
Target Group: 3 Boys (Grade 1 / Ages 6-7)
Clinical Neurotype: ADHD, Autistic, High-Intelligence
Strength Profile: Rapid logical problem-solvers, high verbal skills
Focus Skillset: Flexibility, Shared Focus, Turn-Taking
Interest Triggers: Trains, Dinosaurs, Wild Animals, Escape Puzzles
Pacing: High-activity blocks with immediate sensory cooldowns
Master Pacing Chart (120 Minutes Total)
Time & Stop
Activity Theme
Active Social Skill Target
Sensory Zone
00:00 - 00:15 (15m)
Stop 1: Welcome & Setup
Visual schedule anchoring, personal goal cards
Grounding
00:15 - 00:45 (30m)
Stop 2: Train Detours
Cognitive shift, coping with sudden change & blocks
Active Focus
00:45 - 01:00 (15m)
Stop 3: Dino-Sharing Dig
Scripted tool trades, waiting with visual sand timers
High Control
01:00 - 01:25 (25m)
Stop 4: Animal Speeds
Self-regulation, listening for animal commands
Sensory Play
01:25 - 01:50 (25m)
Stop 5: Puzzle Escape
Cooperative map assembly, non-grabbing rules
Team Strategy
01:50 - 02:00 (10m)
Stop 6: Mystery Reflection
Sticker token board payout, verbal social success tags
Calm Down
Detailed Master Supply & Equipment Checklist
3 Printed Student Adventure Packs
18 Gold velcro star tokens (or stamps/stickers)
15 Plastic toy train tracks & 1 central toy engine
1 Red block ("The Plan Block boulder")
Sensory tub filled with safe play sand or brown rice
3 plastic dino skeletons hidden in sand
1 excavation brush, 1 magnifying glass
1 Physical 2-minute visual sand glass timer
1 Handheld rhythm drum (for Animal movement signals)
1 Wooden 12-piece jigsaw puzzle with board frame
3 Color-coded folders to split puzzle pieces (4 each)
1 Golden envelope with "Squad Badges" inside
Setup Tip: Before the boys arrive, pre-hide the puzzle pieces into the 3 color folders (red, yellow, blue). Page 1 of 4
Stop 1 & Stop 2 Detailed Facilitator Guides
Minutes 00 - 45
STOP 1 Welcome Ceremony & Routine Mapping
15 Minutes
Transition into the room using physical schedule anchors. Establish predictability instantly by reviewing the 6 visual train stops on their personal quest cards.
Facilitator Script: "Welcome, Explorers, to the Puzzle Quest Squad! Look at your Quest Board. Just like a train track, our day has 6 stops. Every time we complete a stop as a team, we earn a shiny star token! When we collect all 6 star tokens, we unlock the gold mystery envelope! Let's review the station rules together."
Anchor rules: 1. Keep body on the train track, 2. Listen for safety bells, 3. Share excavation gear.
Guide the boys to write their names on Page 1 of the Adventure Pack using a markers station.
STOP 2 Train Detours (Cognitive Switching)
30 Minutes
Introduce plan changes explicitly. Boys build a collective wooden train layout, then adapt immediately when a red block obstacle ("boulder") blocks their planned line.
Facilitator Script: "Okay, rail builders! Each of us gets exactly 5 track pieces. We must connect them together to make one giant line. BUT look—our train engine encounters a giant boulder block on the path! Oh no! The original plan is blocked! That's a detour. When a plan blocks, we bend our brains! Let's take a deep steam breath: puff out of your mouth! Let's say: 'It's a detour! I can take a different track!' Now, let's redesign the curve!"
1. Joint Build (10m)
Set a timer: boys must alternate placing tracks. Model cooperative placement language.
2. The Block (10m)
Drop the red block on their plan. Prompt boys to point to their Detour phrase sheet and state it aloud.
3. Draw Map (10m)
Draw their detour track layout on Page 2 of their Adventure Pack before completing Stop 2.
Facilitator Focus: Reinforce flexibility immediately with verbal tokens: "Wow, you bent your plan like a master track manager!" Page 2 of 4
Stop 3 & Stop 4 Detailed Gameplay Mechanics
Minutes 45 - 90
STOP 3 Dino-Sharing Dig (Structured Turn-Taking)
15 Minutes
Differentiate turn-taking by implementing a visual delay system (sand timer). Boys dig in a sandy tub for buried bones but must request tools from one another using prompt cards.
Facilitator Script: "Look at our dinosaur dig site! Hidden in this tub are three buried T-Rex bones. But we only have 1 brush and 1 magnifier glass. To dig safely, we must trade! Let's practice pointing to our trading script cards: 'Can I borrow the brush when you are done?' The partner holding the brush flips the sand timer and responds: 'Sure! Give me 2 minutes, then it is yours!'"
STOP 4 Animal Speed Commands (Self-Regulation)
25 Minutes
Gameplay Mechanics: A high-contrast movement control game to regulate physiological arousal. Children must stay inside their designated physical hoop or "bubble zone" and change their body velocity based on distinct auditory and verbal signals.
Gameplay Script & Active Commands:
"Explorers, we are stepping into wild animal territory! To stay safe, each of you has a personal grass hoop. You must keep your body inside your own hoop so we don't collide!"
Command 1: "Cheetah Speed! (Run fast on your spot!)"
Command 2: "Turtle Slow! (Move in extreme slow-mo)"
Command 3: "Lion Freeze! (Freeze rigid as a stone)"
Safety Signal & Transition Protocol
If a student steps outside their physical hoop or collides with a peer, hit the rhythm drum hard and call out "Panda Cooldown!" All boys must immediately sit cross-legged in their hoops and complete three slow breathing expansions (expanding hands like balloon lungs).
Co-regulation Tip: Standardize the auditory cue. A clear drum beat or whistle is more effective than shouting commands. Page 3 of 4
Stop 5 & Stop 6 Detailed Gameplay Mechanics
Minutes 90 - 120
STOP 5 Puzzle Quest Challenge (Cooperative Map Assembly)
25 Minutes
Cooperative Rules: Build joint attention. A 12-piece wooden animal map puzzle frame is placed in the center. The 12 puzzle pieces are split evenly into three color-coded folders (Red, Yellow, Blue). Each explorer starts with exactly 4 pieces inside their corresponding folder.
Facilitator Script & Step-by-Step Instructions:
"Explorers, the mystery key is locked inside the castle lockbox! To open it, we must complete the Puzzle Map. Here are the three rules of cooperation:"
- The Hand-Lock Rule: "You can only touch and hold pieces from your own color folder. Do not grab or touch anyone else's folder!"
- Describe Your Piece: "Look at your pieces. When it is your turn, you must describe the animal or color on your piece to the squad (e.g. 'I have the blue dinosaur leg')."
- Negotiate Connection: "Work together to decide where it belongs: 'Can I place my piece next to your green tree?' Let's take turns passing the active solver token!"
STOP 6 Mystery Reflection & Success Celebration
10 Minutes
Open the golden mystery envelope containing squad star badges! Direct each boy to complete their feelings meter and favorite station checkmarks on Page 4 of their Adventure Pack.
Clinical Troubleshooting Guide (Neurodiverse Specific)
If a child runs off or climbs:
Avoid yelling stop. Use interest-alignment: "Your train engine has gone off track! Bring it back to the train platform for refueling."
If a child gets hyper-focused on one item:
Validate: "You have found a beautiful dinosaur detail! Let's schedule 1 minute of show-and-tell on your track, then transition."
Final Checklist: Make sure boys trade star stickers or use self-inking stamps to mark their completed trackers. Page 4 of 4
Adventure Activity Pack
MY QUEST BOARD
Puzzle Quest Squad Explorer Gear
Explorer Name
Date
My Visual Station Map
STOP 1 Station Board Setup
STOP 2 Train Track Detours
STOP 3 Dino Excavation
STOP 4 Animal Movement
STOP 5 Puzzle Escape
STOP 6 Reward Reflection
My Squad Token Board
Earn a gold token star at every station!
1
2
3
4
5
6
Puzzle Quest Squad Activity Pack Page 1 of 4
TRAIN TRACK DETOURS
Practice Bending Your Brain When Plans Change
STATION 2
The Great Boulder Detour! Oh no! A huge rock fell right on your train tracks. Your first plan is blocked! In the box below, draw a detour track to guide your train safely around the rock!
My Plan B Detour Map (Draw Your Creative Track Here)
DANGER ZONE (Boulder Blocked)
DETOUR ROUTE
My Brain-Flex Power Phrase
When things change, we don't crash our train. We take deep steam breaths and say:
"It's a detour! I can take a different track!"
Puzzle Quest Squad Activity Pack Page 2 of 4
DINO COMMUNICATORS
Dino-Sharing Dig Prompt & Request Cards
STATION 3
Excavation Deck! When digging for heavy fossils, squad members share brushes and magnifying glasses. Cut out these cards to trade tools and communicate peacefully with your teammates!
ASKING SCRIPT
"Can I borrow that tool when you are done?"
Point to this card to ask for a tool!
WAITING SCRIPT
"Sure! Give me 2 minutes, then it is yours!"
Point to this card to respond safely!
OFFERING SCRIPT
"Do you want to work together on this bone?"
Point to this card to invite a helper!
CHEER SCRIPT
"Great finding, teammate! You did it!"
Point to this card to praise a teammate!
Puzzle Quest Squad Activity Pack Page 3 of 4
MISSION SUCCESS
My Squad Reflection & Feelings Track
STATION 6
1. Which station was your absolute favorite? (Check exactly one)
Train Detours
Dino Excavation
Animal Actions
Puzzle Escape
2. How did your brain engine feel when we hit a detour? (Color one)
Quest Deck Slides
PUZZLE QUEST SQUAD
Welcome Explorers!
Welcome to the Ultimate Squad Quest!
We are on a journey across 6 action stops. We listen together, share our gear, and bend our brains when paths change!
Squad Expectations
- Keep Your Body on the Track
- Listen for Team Safety Signals
- Share and Trade Excavation Tools
Ready to roll? Let's begin Stop 1! Slide 1 of 5
STOP 2: TRAIN TRACK DETOURS
Brain Flexibility
The Plan is Blocked!
Sometimes, a giant boulder lands on our train track. We don't crash! We build a new track around it.
How to Bend Your Brain:
1. Take a Deep Steam Breath
Smell the flower, then blow the engine steam out!
2. Use the Power Phrase
"It's a detour! I can take a different track!"
Remember: Diverse layouts make the rail system stronger! Slide 2 of 5
STOP 3: DINO-SHARING DIG
Sharing & Trading
The Dino-Trading Rules:
Trading Phrase:
"Can I borrow that tool when you are done?"
Teammate Response:
"Sure! In 2 minutes, then it is yours!"
We Use the Sand Timer
Waiting is easy when we know when our turn starts. Let the sand flow! No grabbing required.
Working together means more dinosaurs get uncovered! Slide 3 of 5
STOP 4: ANIMAL MOVEMENT
Active Listening
Listen for the Animal Speed Command!
Each command means a completely different squad speed
CHEETAH FAST
Run fast in your own personal bubble spot!
TURTLE SLOW
Crawl slowly around the perimeter line.
LION FREEZE
Freeze completely solid like a strong statue!
Squad Safety First: Keep your personal bubble clear! Slide 4 of 5
STOP 5: PUZZLE ESCAPE
Teamwork Challenge
The Ultimate Puzzle Challenge!
The golden mystery envelope is locked inside! To unlock it, we must assemble the full map.
Each explorer has exactly 4 puzzle pieces.
Only touch and place your own pieces!
Talk to tell your partner where their piece fits.
Unlock the Mystery!
When the last puzzle piece clicks in place, we open the mystery treasure together!
Cooperation is our squad's greatest superpower! Slide 5 of 5