Prepare the pack once
Open the dated Fun IQ pack, decide whether to include the answer sheets, and print one copy per player or team. Write the week beginning date on the cover and choose a regular five-to-ten-minute window that is realistic for the group.
Keep pencils and the pack together. If several people are playing, agree at the start whether everyone works independently, collaborates on one sheet or compares approaches only after finishing. There is no universal best format; the useful choice is the one people understand before the first puzzle begins.
Days 1 and 2: recognise and transform
Begin with the five quick unscrambles. Give each word an honest attempt before rearranging the letters physically or writing common pairs together. After checking the answers, circle one letter pattern that would be useful to recognise again.
On day two, tackle the word ladder. Check every rung against the previous word: exactly one letter should change and every intermediate step should remain a word. If the direct route stalls, work backwards from the target and look for a bridge between the two partial chains.
Days 3 and 4: explain and scan
For Odd One Out, selecting an answer is only half the activity. Write one sentence that states the shared rule and why the outsider breaks it. If another person proposes a different defensible rule, compare which explanation accounts for all four choices most precisely.
The medium Sudoku shifts the week from words to number placement. Start by scanning rows, columns and boxes for forced digits. Use small candidate notes only when scanning stops producing progress, and update them after every confirmed placement.
Days 5 to 7: connect, stretch and finish
Four Links asks you to form four exact groups. Record a proposed group only when you can name the connection, because a neat explanation is the best check against a coincidental set. The pattern stretch on day six is deliberately open: compare the variety of valid words rather than treating one list as the only answer.
Finish with the easier Sudoku. Notice whether the familiar grid structure feels quicker to scan after day four, but do not turn speed into the sole score. Completing the reasoning accurately is enough. Use the optional answer pages only after a genuine attempt, then mark corrections in a different colour so the original thought process remains visible.
Make it social without making it complicated
For a household challenge, award one point for completing the day and an optional second point for explaining a useful strategy. That keeps participation more important than being first. A cooperative group can instead aim for seven completed days with no individual ranking.
When sharing the pack, use its permanent dated link rather than sending a temporary file. Everyone reaches the same edition, and the original page keeps the answer-sheet control, related games and future archive in one place.
Close the week with a two-minute review
At the end of day seven, write three short notes: the activity you enjoyed most, the step that caused the most friction and one method worth reusing next week. For example: “Four Links was the favourite; the ladder stalled; work backwards sooner.”
Keep the reflection brief. Its purpose is to make the next pack easier to start and more enjoyable to use—not to turn recreation into homework. Then choose whether the next week should follow the same daily rhythm or move the favourite activity to the day when you have the most time.