1 · Sudoku
Fill every empty square so that each row, each column and each 3×3 box holds the digits 1 to 9 once. Level: Medium.
2 · Word search: Weather
- breeze
- cloud
- drizzle
- fog
- hail
- lightning
- rain
- sunshine
- wind
Find the nine words. They run across, down and diagonally, always forwards.
3 · Mini mystery
The Lost Mitten
Nico, Tomas and Yara met at the winter market. Each spent the evening in a different spot and carried one thing to keep warm.
- Nico was not at the candle stall.
- Nico did not have the woolly hat.
- Tomas was not at the candle stall.
- Whoever was at the cocoa stand had the flask.
- Nico did not have the flask.
A single striped mitten was found by the skating rink, next to the shopping bag. Who was by the skating rink with the shopping bag?
Each person was in one place with one thing, all different. Mark a dot for yes and a cross for no in the grid until only one answer fits.
Answer:
4 · Quiz: five questions
Which of these is the widest across?
- AGanymede
- BVenus
- CMars
Which of these came first?
- AThe Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)
- BJamestown, Virginia
- CPiano
- DSpanish Steps
In what year did Charles Hatchett discover the element now called niobium?
- A1721
- B1761
- C1801
- D1841
What is the capital of Nepal?
- AKathmandu
- BThimphu
- CKabul
- DTehran
Which of these countries has the most people?
- ASudan
- BNetherlands
- CRussia
- DPapua New Guinea
Circle one letter for each. Answers and sources on page 6.
Answers: Sudoku and word search
Bold digits were printed on the puzzle.
Each word is ringed and set in bold.
Answers: mystery and quiz
The Lost Mitten
Nico was by the skating rink with the shopping bag.
- Nico: skating rink, shopping bag
- Tomas: cocoa stand, flask
- Yara: candle stall, woolly hat
B · Venus: 12,100 km; Mars: 6,779 km; Ganymede: 5,262 km
Size Duel. Sources: snl.no, lex.dk, wikidata.org, nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
B · Jamestown, Virginia: 1607, founded; Piano: c. 1700, invented; Spanish Steps: 1725, completed; The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart): 1786, first performed
Older Than. Sources: archiviostorico.operaroma.it, rbo.org.uk, snl.no, wikidata.org, lex.dk
C · 1801
Ballpark. Sources: periodic-table.rsc.org, nndc.bnl.gov
A · Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal.
Atlas Play Capitals. Sources: wikidata.org, naturalearthdata.com
C · Russia: 144 million people (2025); Sudan: 51.7 million people (2025); Netherlands: 18.1 million people (2025); Papua New Guinea: 10.8 million people (2025)
Population Duel. Sources: wikidata.org, data.worldbank.org