Computational Thinking: Puzzling Tours is a booklet that uses some simple puzzles to explain what computational thinking is all about. Solve the puzzles and then see a surprising twist in the tale about how computational thinking can make problem solving easier. Along the way it teaches graphs and graph algorithms. It is written by Paul Curzon of Queen Mary University of London based on the cs4fn approach.

• Find a way for a Knight to visit every square on a board exactly once. In doing so find out what computational thinking is all about. See how algorithms are at its heart, allowing computer scientists to solve a problem once and then, as long as they have checked it carefully, avoid having to think about it ever again. See why computer scientists think hiding things makes their life easier, especially when they find a good way to represent information, and how an ability to match patterns lets the lazy computer scientist’s do no more work than absolutely necessary. Oh, and help a tourist guide at the same time.
• Learn about computational thinking, algorithmic thinking, evaluation, abstraction, data representation, generalisation and pattern matching, sequences of instructions, testing and requirements, graphs, graph algorithms and hamiltonian cycles.
• Download the full colour version: Computational Thinking: Puzzling Tours.
• Download the classroom activity sheets: Activity: Knight’s Tour and Activity: The Tour Guide
• Download an earlier black and white version called The Knights Tour and other puzzles
• Watch the CAS TV video:

More of our resources, including linked classroom activities can be found in our resources section.