Santa is getting ready – sorting presents, filling sacks and working out his route to make sure he can deliver all his wonderful presents. The trouble is, every year just before Christmas, the reindeer have nothing to do and mostly stand around getting rather bored. They are always asking if they can help but there’s nothing they can do until Santa’s ready to go.

This year, Santa is prepared for them and he’s set them a little challenge to help keep them busy. He’s given them the following problem:

Five children from five different families living in five different counties of England have asked for a different gift each. From the clues, the reindeer have to work out who’s who, where each child lives and what present each has asked for. The first reindeer to solve the problem gets an extra portion of Christmas pudding on Christmas Day!

1. Neither Cliff, nor Jennifer Feather (who does not live in Yorkshire), lives in Kent.

2. Young Crawford, who is neither Sarah nor Cliff, asked for the pony (a gift that Santa would have particular difficulty getting down the Crawford family’s chimney!).

3. Young Rowlands is neither the child who lives in Yorkshire nor the child who has asked for a bicycle.

4. The gift due for delivery to Cornwall, which is not for the child surnamed Rowlands, is a computer.

5. Liz, who has asked for the painting set, is not from Kent. Her surname is not Jamison.

6. The child who lives in Essex has asked for a guitar. Alan lives in Cumbria.

Children’s first names : Alan, Cliff, Jennifer, Liz, Sarah
Children’s last names : Crawford, Feather, Jamison, Northey, Rowlands
Counties : Cornwall, Cumbria, Essex, Kent, Yorkshire
Presents : Bicycle, Computer, Guitar, Painting Set, Pony