Warning:

Print out and cut up the cards (the challenge is a little easier to get into if you print sheets 2 to 4 on a different colour from the others, but it’s not essential).

IMPORTANT: give pupils the cards from sheets 2 to 8 only.

I repeat: do NOT give out the cards from page 9 – these are just for confirmation at the end.

Alan Parr

THREE INGREDIENT VERSION / You have all the information you need to find the best spell.
Your task is to grow the biggest dragon that is possible. / You need to work out how long your dragon will be.
A successful spell needs three ingredients. / One ingredient is a toenail. You need either a giant's toenail, or a troll's toenail. No other toenail will work.
One ingredient is a strand of hair. You need a strand from either a mermaid or a unicorn. No other hair will work. / One ingredient is breath. You need either spider's breath, or centipede's breath. No other breath will work.
Different ingredients may have different strengths. Giant's toenails are not the same strength as troll's toenails, etc. / A troll's toenail is twice as powerful as a giant's toenail.
The shortest dragon you can grow is 1 metre long. / It will help you to find out the stronger item in the other pairs.
Red spell
This spell uses giant's toenail and spider's breath and mermaid's hair. / The red spell makes a dragon 3 metres long.
Green spell
This spell uses giant's toenail and centipede's breath and unicorn's hair. / The green spell makes a dragon 5 metres long.
Orange spell
This spell uses mermaid's hair and troll's toenail and spider's breath. / The orange spell makes a dragon 6 metres long.
Yellow spell
This spell uses mermaid's hair and centipede's breath and troll's toenail. / The yellow spell makes a dragon 2 metres long.
Blue spell
This spell uses unicorn's hair and centipede's breath and troll's toenail. / The blue spell makes a dragon 10 metres long.
Purple spell
This spell uses giant's toenail and mermaid's hair and centipede's breath. / The purple spell makes a dragon 1 metre long.
Violet spell
This spell uses spider's breath and unicorn's hair and giant's toenail. / The violet spell makes a dragon 15 metres long.
White spell
This spell uses unicorn's hair and spider's breath and troll's toenail. / The white spell makes a dragon 30 metres long!