Not yet available
The Confidence Quest
With Nova in Star IslandPractise sharing ideas, making choices and believing in their own abilities.
$29.99Ages 9-10: coming soon
River Talk Town · 30 missionsThe Communication River
Future Leaders · ages 9-10Communication · with Ollie
The Communication River
30 playful missions to help your child practise saying what they need, listening well and joining in. Untangle the muddled messages of River Talk Town so its boats and bridges work again, with Ollie as their guide.
Choose their level
$29.99 PDF + online adventureNot yet available
Your choice: The Communication River · Future Leaders (ages 9-10) · printable PDF + online adventure
This edition is still being written, illustrated and tested. We only sell an edition once all 30 missions are finished in both formats.
Also part of Choose Any 3 ($74.99) and the Complete Collection ($184.99), each for one age level.
The story
The goal: Untangle the muddled messages of River Talk Town so its boats and bridges work again.
Your child’s part: Your child listens for clues, says what they need and asks the questions that untangle each message. Every message they put right lights a buoy, until the bells on Big Voice Bridge can ring again.
Communication is both sides of talking: saying what you need clearly and listening so others feel heard.
Why parents might choose it
- They struggle to explain what they need
- Listening and waiting for a turn are hard
- You’d like richer conversations at home
Just gentle ideas to help you choose.
The Communication River
Here’s what a mission looks like
The story goal: Untangle the muddled messages of River Talk Town so its boats and bridges work again.
Mission 1 · Hello Harbour
Ages 9-10 · Future Leaders
Hello, Three Ways
Ollie says: “Yesterday I said 'Morning, chief' to Ida and 'Good day to you, sir' to Reed. Reed laughed for a full minute. Ida just looked at me.”Ollie
- About 15 to 25 min
- Reads the story themselves
- Self-directed, parent checks in
- Role-play
It's your first morning as editor of the young reporters' desk at Hello Harbour. The desk is an upturned crate, a noticeboard and Ollie, who has run it for six days and already has opinions about everything.
Three boats are tying up at once. On the first is Ida, the harbourmaster, who signs off every story the desk prints. On the second is Reed, a frog from the lagoon and Ollie's oldest friend. On the third is a trader from upstream that nobody has met: a newt with a sack of post and a careful expression.
First, a choice: 4 options
- The stranger first: hardest one while we're fresh
- Reed first: warm up on the easy one
- Ida first: she's the boss
- Work out one rule that covers all three
On the printed page: Fill in the three-column greeting planner.
By the end they have: Three-greetings planner.
You will need: Paper and a pencil · A toy or object to stand in for a person (optional)
- Pick three real people you greet differently: a friend, a teacher or coach, and someone who works in a shop, library or reception.
- For each one, decide four things: the words, the tone, what your face and hands do, and how close you stand. A nod, a wave or a sign is a complete greeting.
- Role-play each greeting with a partner playing the other person, or with a toy standing in for them.
- Swap, so you are the one being greeted. Notice which version felt natural and which felt like someone trying too hard.
- Explain to your partner the biggest difference between your three hellos, and why it's there.
- Choose which of the three you'll use for real this week.
Smaller step if needed: Plan the three greetings on paper and rehearse them with a toy only.
The grown-up’s part: Play the other person straight, not as a comedy teacher. Reply the way a real one would, so your child sees what their greeting actually does.
Greet someone you don't know well yet, such as a new classmate, a club coach or a neighbour, by name this week.
What it practises: Practise adjusting a greeting for a friend, a teacher and someone who works in a shop or library, and explaining the differences.
Word for word from Mission 1 of the draft The Communication River for ages 9-10. The edition is not yet approved, so wording may change, and the mission’s own illustrations are still to come.
The five-chapter journey
Five places in River Talk Town. Thirty missions. Five stars to collect.
Six missions in each chapter. Finishing a chapter lights up a new star on the map, on paper and on screen.
- Hello Harbour · missions 1 to 6
- Listening Lagoon · missions 7 to 12
- Story Stream · missions 13 to 18
- Question Falls · missions 19 to 24
- Big Voice Bridge · missions 25 to 30
Activities in this adventure
Role-play, Story choices, Memory game, Real-world challenge, Drawing.
At ages 9-10 (Future Leaders)
Planning, reflection, social scenarios, goal setting, independent online play. About 15-25 min (a few up to 30) per mission. Independent reading. Grown-up role: self-directed, parent checks in.
What’s included
One adventure, two ways to play.
The printable PDF
- Adventure introduction and character pages
- All five chapters and 30 missions, fully illustrated
- Puzzles to circle, match, draw and colour
- Grown-up guidance and answer notes
- Progress map with stars to colour
- Reward stickers to cut out
- Completion certificate
The online adventure
- The same 30 missions as interactive games
- Tap, drag, reveal and choose instead of writing
- Character reactions and completion animations
- Digital stars, badges and a final certificate
- Carry on where you stopped, on any device
- Works on phones, tablets and computers
- Tap alternatives to every drag-and-drop
Paper and screen
Every activity works both ways.
The same mission plays on paper or on screen with the same answer. This is how each activity type changes between the two formats.
| Activity | In the PDF | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Story choice | Circle an answer | Tap an answer |
| Secret code | Draw the symbols | Tap symbols into a lock |
| Matching | Draw lines | Drag or tap pairs |
| Ordering | Number the pictures | Drag or tap into order |
| Hidden things | Colour what you find | Tap the scene |
| Feelings | Colour a face | Tap a face |
| Drawing | Draw in the frame | Draw on screen |
| Real world | Tick the box | Tap “We tried it!” |
Keep exploring
Related adventures
Not yet available
The Courage Trail
With Finn in Whispering WoodsMake unfamiliar things feel more approachable, one healthy risk at a time.
$29.99Ages 9-10: coming soon
Not yet available
The Kindness Journey
With Poppy in Heartwood MeadowExplore feelings, listening and caring for the people around them.
$29.99Ages 9-10: coming soon