Try these very simple secret codes for kids and add a little mystery to a regular day! How to make a few different secret codes and add them to basic, everyday moment. These codes are easy for kids to solve and perfect when you just need a little extra fun in your day!
Along with these fun secret codes for kids, discover a fantastic book series for your little code crackers. They’ll love all the mystery, technology, exploration!
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Is there anything better than when your kids become really into something educational? I don’t know if I can adequately explain the excitement it gives me to watch my kiddos become interested in something and pursue and learn about it on their own. I’m sure other parents understand.
Seeing the wonder as they learn something new… Watching them cling to that interest and want to learn more… Experiencing them getting really excited about their world and the things in it… Seeing those little gears working…
It’s one of the best parts of being a parent!
National Geographic
One of my favorite things to discover is how much my kiddos love anything National Geographic. They love the Weird But True series on Disney+, the can’t get enough of the Natitonal Geographic Kids books, and my son breaks out his National Geographic MadLibs book all the time. They have enjoyed everything National Geographic kids since they were little.
It’s a complete joy as a parent when they find interest in something that promotes learning in such a fun way. I love how they grab on to these books and don’t stop until they’ve told me every Weird But True fact they learned.
It’s also fantastic to find a show that they love to watch while also learning a ton. We constantly have Charlie and Kirby in our living room teaching us about rockets, trees, birds, sea life, etc. It warms a momma’s heart!
Explorer Academy
We’ve had National Geographic Kids books since the kiddos were little. Now that they’re 8 and 9, they are reading much more and enjoying stories just as much as fun facts about animals.
I am thrilled to see a series they can get into now that they’re older! The National Geographic Explorer Academy series is a fact-based fiction series inspired by the real-life adventures of real National Geographic explorers. It encourages problem-solving and deductive reasoning, along with promoting interests in geography and STEM.
Explorer Academy starts with the book The Nebula Secret. We’re reading it together as a family before bed. So far, we’re enjoying reading as all the kids come together to explore new places, use and create amazing technology, and a mystery starts to emerge. It’s fun to see how excited the kids get about the things mentioned in the book, and watch as it opens their minds to new possibilities!
In addition to The Nebula Secret, there are 4 more books in the series. The books are gorgeous with vivid storytelling and beautiful illustrations sprinkled throughout. With the detailed descriptions and complex story, this is a wonderful series to read as a family!
Win your own set of Explorer Academy books below!
Secret Codes for Kids
A large theme in the books is code cracking. The main character, Cruz, and his aunt use ciphers in their messages to communicate. In addition, the Explorer Academy teaches the explorers-in-training to think outside the box and each book even includes code-breaking challenges!
Inspired by the book, and how much the kids were interested in codes (now, and back during little guy’s fantastic Spy Party Birthday), I’ve decided to add them to our normal day for a little break in the monotony.
Here are a few easy secret codes that anyone can create for a little more fun in your day!
Also Read: 9 Printable Spy Missions
Secret Code #1: Numbered Alphabet
This easy code places a number for each letter in the alphabet, making it simple for parents to create and not too difficult for kids to solve. My kids got this one a lot quicker than I expected.
For lunch during a beautiful, sunny school day, I passed them this code about what they would be eating while they were outside. Once they cracked the code, lunch was delivered to the table.
Secret Code #2: Alphabet Swap
With this simple code, all you have to do is swap the letters in the alphabet. For instance, the letter A represents the letter Z and vise versa. I was so proud when the kids worked together. My son placed one finger on Z and one on A and did the same with the entire alphabet toward the middle while my daughter filled in the letters.
Watching their little brains at work and seeing two kiddos who have been stuck home with each other all year, is a great thing to see!
To be honest here, I used this code to get them to do a chore that needs to be done. They may have been a little disappointed when the code was deciphered and said, “put away laundry” but this mission also had a reward and the kids deciphered that they would receive a new toy. With the gorgeous weather, the kids earned a new flag football to play with outdoors.
Secret Code #3: Backwards Words
I was thrilled with how quickly my 8-year-old broke this code! She recognized right away that all the letters in the words were spelled backwards.
Pro Tip: With this code it can be easy to lose track of your letters. It helps to write out your message first so you can quickly write each letter. It’s a real teaser for the brain!
Once more, the kids were delivered this code before lunch. In the middle of a busy day, it was fun to give them the code and allow them to choose and put together their own lunch. It’s a great way for Mom to get a little break and the kids to have a little fun.
Secret Code #4: Invisible Ink
This is really fun! It definitely may take the kiddos the longest to figure out, because the ink is invisible.
We found some fun invisible ink pens when we had my son’s Spy Party Birthday. At the time we used a pen that needed another to reveal the ink. After the party we found some invisible ink pens that will write invisibly and be revealed with the black light on the cap.
This set of invisible ink pens and notepads would be so fantastic for a class gift or party favor!
This might have been the most fun, especially for us parents, because the kids couldn’t figure out what we meant when we kept repeating that the answer was on that paper. We all had a lot of fun with it!
Eventually, it was Little Lady to the rescue again when we remembered the invisible ink pens and they were rewarded with their popsicles.
We had so much fun with these secret codes. I probably had the most fun creating them!
Also Read: How to throw a spy birthday party
For the future, I have a few more secret codes for kids up my sleeve
– Book Code: I love the idea of delivering a code with a book, page number, link number, and word count to deliver a secret code. I may still do that with The Nebula Secret!
– Every Other Letter: For this secret code, write out your message with a random letter in between each in your message.
– Mirror Image: This code is similar to when you reverse the order of the letters, but it involves reversing the entire message so that, when held up to a mirror, the message is revealed.
– Cipher Wheel: This takes some planning, but you can print a cipher wheel here. Then, you can determine a certain point to start and create your code with how the letters line up on the wheel.
– Morse Code: An obvious one is to use Morse Code to send a message. This is a fun one for kids to research and can lead to some great teachable moments!
If you love the idea of codebreaking, also check out the National Geographic Explorer Academy Codebreaking Activity Adventure book.
Win your own set of Explorer Academy books!
I know you want this amazing series! So, I’m giving you a bunch of ways to enter! The giveaway will run from 3/14 – 3/28 and is open to US only.
BLOG There are 3 ways to enter right here!
1) Leave a comment below about what you think about these books or creating secret spy codes for kids.
2) Pin a photo from this post and comment below letting me know you did.
3) Share this post and comment letting me know where.
INSTAGRAM Follow the directions on this post on Instagram for more entries.
FACEBOOK Follow the directions on Facebook for even more entries.
Learn more about the Explorer Academy books: exploreracademy.com |facebook.com/natgeobooks | twitter.com/natgeobooks
Bonus: Get 50% off the first book, The Nebula Secret. Click here to use your special code 50OFFEA1 on Amazon. Offer valid through 3/19/21 or while supplies last.
Best of luck!
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