A coded note turns any Halloween night into a mystery. Leave one on the table from "the ghost", and the kids have to crack it to find out where the candy is hidden.
Here are five codes, easiest first, what each one is good for, and messages ready to use.
The five codes
Numbers for letters (ages 6 and up)
A is 1, B is 2, all the way to Z is 26. The easiest code there is, and the key fits on one line. Perfect for a first coded note.
Mirror writing (ages 7 and up)
The message is written backwards, and it only reads properly in a mirror. Tape it to the bathroom mirror and let them work out why it looks wrong.
Pigpen (ages 7 and up)
Every letter becomes a shape from a grid of lines and dots. It looks like a spell from an old book, which is exactly right for Halloween, and the key makes it easy to crack.
Morse code (ages 8 and up)
Dots and dashes. Call it the ghost tapping on the wall, and have the kids tap the message back once they've cracked it.
A shifted alphabet (ages 9 and up)
Every letter moves along the alphabet by the same amount. Tell them how far, and the rest is counting. Harder, and it feels like real spy work.
Ready-made Halloween messages
Use one as it is, or change it to where you actually hid the candy:
- THE CANDY IS IN THE DRYER
- LOOK UNDER THE WELCOME MAT
- THE GHOST SAYS CHECK THE FREEZER
- YOUR NEXT CLUE IS BEHIND THE PUMPKIN
- TRICK OR TREAT, THE TREAT IS UPSTAIRS
For how codes work in general, and which to use at each age, see Codes and Ciphers for Kids.
