How to Create a Secret Code for Kids

Choose the message that will be revealed when the code is cracked. Write the message out clearly on a piece of paper.

Decide what kind of code you will use to encrypt the message.

Create your own symbols or use common ones to stand in for the letters. Be consistent and always use the same symbols for the same letters if they appear multiple times. Provide the detectives with a symbol decoding sheet that will help them crack the code.

Write the message on a clean piece of paper with lemon juice so that the message can be read only when it is held up to the light. Fill an eyedropper with lemon juice to write your message.

Create a code where each letter stands for a different letter, making the code unreadable until each letter is translated correctly. Alternatively, use a number to stand in for each letter of the message.

Compose the message in pig Latin. Place each word's initial consonant sound at the end of the word, with "-ay" affixed to it.

Create a secret computer code message by typing it out in a normal font and then selecting a code font such as "Windings" or "Webdings" that will replace the letters with odd symbols. Have the kids crack the code by switching the font back to "Times New Roman" or another readable font.

Scramble the letters of each word or write each word backwards to create your secret code.