Neighborhood Code Hunt
About 90 minutes, outside, for ages 8 to 10.
Where it works
Works in any outdoor space
Who it's for
ages 8 to 10
Try Making:
- map
- secret message
- a code only your family knows
- a clue hidden in plain sight
- a fake clue that leads nowhere
- a prize worth finding
Today's Challenge
- 1.Which riddle stumped everyone?
- 2.How quickly did we split up tasks?
- 3.What did the message reveal?
Quick Start: What you need
- 1notebook
- 2pen
- 3clue prints
The Goal
Work together as a team to solve riddles and decipher a hidden message.
How to start
- 1
Gather what you need: notebook, pen and clue prints. Nothing else required.
- 2
Head outside and make: map, secret message, a code only your family knows, a clue hidden in plain sight.
- 3
Talk about what you made. Start with "Which riddle stumped everyone?"
- 4
Print the worksheet to plan it out and keep what you make.
Write A Mirror Message
Write a short message backwards, letter by letter, below. Then have someone else hold it up to a mirror to read it.
Leonardo da Vinci wrote most of his notebooks in mirror writing. Some historians think it kept his notes private.
If you want to push it further
- Do a high-five every time you solve a clue
- Assign secret agent codenames
Print it and go
The worksheet has the checklist, the prompts, and a space to draw in. One page, ready for a bag or a glovebox.