Let's send secret notes

Follow the directions for an easy code maker

click to make larger

print and glue to cardboard for this code maker/braker

When I was a kid I had a friend that lived next door in the apartment buildings. My mother was sure nothing good could result from someone living in an apartment. The fifties, go figure. So my friend Peggy and I had to pass secret notes. We dug a hole under the wall that was between our homes and we passed notes. We scrambled them and came up with all kinds of ways to communicate. My heart has a fond spot still today for my friend Peggy even though we never saw each other again after that time period.

Here are some fun ways to pass a secret note. Wars have been lost and won on the ability to keep a note secret and Cub Scouts thrived on secret notes. (my favorite job ever was as a den mother!)

So enjoy testing out some of these fun ways to hide what you want to say...

The Secret Code Wheel cut out the code wheels above from cardboard (what ever you can find) That's two wheels a little and a big. Paste the paper circles on the cardboard circles. lay a book over the top to make the glue hold the paper down. when it's all dry lay the little circle on top of the large circle. WRITE YOUR MESSAGE.

turn the key circle so that the letter A is over any number. Note this at the top of your page and begin writting your message matching the letters to the numbers. Don't turn the key away from the number that is your key. Do the whole letter with the key on say A-15. Then your note that said HOW ARE YOU would be 22-3-11 15-6-19 13-3-9. Be sure you put A-15 at the top of the page or your friend will never figure out the note.

Guess your friend needs a copy of the circles too. Don't forget to make a set for everyone sharing this method.

When your friend receives your coded note he turns it to the A-15 you wrote at the top of the page and he unscrambles your note.

Very fun very easy.