Secret newspaper cypher
Decoding, letter search, mystery message writing
Duration
30 min
Steps
4 simple steps
Materials
2 household items
Why this matters
Hunting for precise letter sequences transforms reading practice into an intriguing intellectual puzzle.
What you need
- A page of old newspaper or magazine
- A yellow highlighter or pencil
How to do it
Decide on a short secret message (e.g. 'LOOK UNDER THE GREEN PILLOW').
Scan down a newspaper column with a yellow highlighter.
Circle or highlight each letter of your message in order as it appears in the printed text.
Hand the coded newspaper page to a parent or sibling to decode the secret mission!
Finished doing this activity?
Mark it done when you and your child have tried it.
Parent tip · What to say
“Reverse roles and create a morning riddle for your child to decode before breakfast.”
What your child practices
Orthographic scanning, spelling accuracy, and cryptography logic.
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