Brain games and puzzles
Maze Maker
Design your own maze on squared paper with one true path and lots of dead ends, then swap with a friend.
Thinking sheet · Brain games and puzzles
Invent a Secret Code
Make up a symbol for each letter, write a secret message and challenge a friend to crack it.
- Grades
- 2–5
- Time
- about 25 minutes
- Kids practice
- symbols, spelling, logical thinking
What kids do
“Invent a symbol for each letter. Then write a message only a code-breaker can read!”
- My code key (keep it secret!)
- My secret message in code:
- Cracked by: … It took them:
How to run it
- Fill each cell with a letter and its symbol, like A = ☆.
- Short messages are easier to crack. Start with three words.
- Give the code-breaker one free letter as a clue.
Talk about it
- What made your code hard to crack?
- Which letters show up the most?
- Who uses codes in real life?
Take it further
Write a whole note to a friend in code.
Pairs well with
Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.
More thinking sheets
Brain games and puzzles
Help the Robot Home
Guide the robot through the maze to its charging station, then decorate the walls.
Brain games and puzzles
Tic-Tac-Draw
Tic-tac-toe with doodles instead of X and O. Each player picks a tiny picture as their mark.
Brain games and puzzles
Dots and Boxes
The classic pencil game: take turns joining dots, close a box to claim it and draw a tiny face inside.
Free for teachers
Get the free Classroom Drawing Kit
12 printable pages: six step-by-step lessons, a grid activity, draw-and-write sheets and teacher notes, sent with your welcome email. After that, new classroom printables by email.