How it works
Each clue is a short message in a secret code, with the code's key printed on the same sheet. Decoding a clue tells the players where the next one is hidden. The fifth clue gives the password, and the password opens the prize.
The codes get harder as the game goes on, from pigpen and Morse to a Caesar shift at the end. Press Print this pack and only that set prints, a sheet to a page, in black and white, with an answer key at the back for whoever runs the game.
At home: the missing present
For a family or a party. Hide the clues around the house and put a treat or a small present somewhere only the password can get to.
- Hand out clue 1 to start.
- Hide clue 2 under the Christmas tree, clue 3 in a stocking, clue 4 in the fridge and clue 5 under a pillow.
- Swap any hiding place for one that suits your home, and make a matching sheet with the escape room puzzle maker.
5 sheets and an answer key, A4 or US Letter.
Clue 1
Name:
Each shape is the part of the grid that holds a letter. Match the shapes to the key.
Pigpen key
Clue 2
Name:
Each group of dots and dashes is one letter. Use the Morse code key to read them.
Morse code key
Clue 3
Name:
Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet: 1 is A, 2 is B, 26 is Z.
A1Z26 key
Clue 4
Name:
Each pair of numbers is a row and a column in the square. Find the letter where they meet. I and J share a square.
Polybius square: row, then column
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | B | C | D | E |
| 2 | F | G | H | I | K |
| 3 | L | M | N | O | P |
| 4 | Q | R | S | T | U |
| 5 | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Clue 5
Name:
Every letter has been moved along the alphabet by the same number of places. Move each one back to read the message.
Shift: each letter moved forward 5 places.
At home: the missing present: answer key
- Clue 1: LOOK UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE
- Clue 2: THE NEXT CLUE IS IN A STOCKING
- Clue 3: CHECK INSIDE THE FRIDGE
- Clue 4: LOOK UNDER A PILLOW
- Clue 5: THE PASSWORD IS REINDEER
Setting up
- Hand out clue 1 to start.
- Hide clue 2 under the Christmas tree, clue 3 in a stocking, clue 4 in the fridge and clue 5 under a pillow.
- Swap any hiding place for one that suits your home, and make a matching sheet with the escape room puzzle maker.
In the classroom: the elves' code
For the last week of term. Print a set per team, and plan on most of a lesson; try it yourself first, since times vary a lot between classes.
- Hand each team clue 1 to start.
- Hide clue 2 behind the classroom door, clue 3 in the reading corner, clue 4 under the teacher's desk and clue 5 by the window.
- Change the places to suit your room, and make matching sheets with the escape room puzzle maker.
5 sheets and an answer key, A4 or US Letter.
Clue 1
Name:
Each shape is the part of the grid that holds a letter. Match the shapes to the key.
Pigpen key
Clue 2
Name:
Each group of dots and dashes is one letter. Use the Morse code key to read them.
Morse code key
Clue 3
Name:
Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet: 1 is A, 2 is B, 26 is Z.
A1Z26 key
Clue 4
Name:
Each pair of numbers is a row and a column in the square. Find the letter where they meet. I and J share a square.
Polybius square: row, then column
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | B | C | D | E |
| 2 | F | G | H | I | K |
| 3 | L | M | N | O | P |
| 4 | Q | R | S | T | U |
| 5 | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Clue 5
Name:
Every letter has been moved along the alphabet by the same number of places. Move each one back to read the message.
Shift: each letter moved forward 7 places.
In the classroom: the elves' code: answer key
- Clue 1: LOOK BEHIND THE CLASSROOM DOOR
- Clue 2: THE NEXT CLUE IS IN THE READING CORNER
- Clue 3: CHECK UNDER THE TEACHER'S DESK
- Clue 4: THE LAST CLUE IS BY THE WINDOW
- Clue 5: THE PASSWORD IS MISTLETOE
Setting up
- Hand each team clue 1 to start.
- Hide clue 2 behind the classroom door, clue 3 in the reading corner, clue 4 under the teacher's desk and clue 5 by the window.
- Change the places to suit your room, and make matching sheets with the escape room puzzle maker.
Running the game
Hide clues 2 to 5 before the players arrive, and keep the answer key with you. If a team is stuck, tell them which code the sheet uses, then give them the first word. Teams of three or four work well, so that everyone has letters to decode.
For the prize, the password can go on a sealed envelope, a box with a combination padlock, or a puzzle lock, which hides a message on a phone until the right answer is typed in.
Make your own clues
Want different hiding places or a different password? The escape room puzzle maker turns any message into a sheet in the same style, in eight codes, with an answer key. There are more sets on the printable puzzle packs page, and Christmas word searches and scrambles on the Christmas word search and Christmas word scramble pages.
Questions
What age is it for?
Anyone who can read and count to 26 can solve every clue, since each key is printed on its sheet. Younger children manage with a grown-up helping. Both sets are the same difficulty; only the hiding places differ.
How long does it take?
It depends on the players. Try decoding a clue yourself first to get a feel for it, and keep the answer key to hand.
Do I need colour ink?
No. Every sheet prints in black and white, on A4 or US Letter.
Is it free?
Yes. Print and copy it for your family, a party or a class.
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