How the packs work
Each pack is a set of puzzle sheets with the key on the page, followed by one answer key for the whole set. Press Print this pack and only that pack prints, a sheet to a page, on A4 or US Letter, in black and white. They're free to print and copy for a class, a club or a party.
Want different messages? The escape room puzzle maker makes a sheet from any message in the same style, and the cryptogram maker turns any sentence into a cryptogram.
Classroom escape room: five clues
Five sheets, each pointing to where the next one is hidden. The last gives the password. It takes a class working in teams about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Print a set per team, and keep sheet 1 to hand out at the start.
- Hide sheet 2 under your desk, sheet 3 in a red book on the shelf, sheet 4 behind the clock and sheet 5 by the door.
- Change the hiding 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.
Classroom escape room: five clues: answer key
- Clue 1: THE NEXT CLUE IS UNDER THE TEACHER'S DESK
- Clue 2: LOOK INSIDE THE RED BOOK ON THE SHELF
- Clue 3: CHECK BEHIND THE CLASSROOM CLOCK
- Clue 4: THE LAST CLUE IS BY THE DOOR
- Clue 5: THE PASSWORD IS ESCAPE
Setting up
- Print a set per team, and keep sheet 1 to hand out at the start.
- Hide sheet 2 under your desk, sheet 3 in a red book on the shelf, sheet 4 behind the clock and sheet 5 by the door.
- Change the hiding places to suit your room, and make matching sheets with the escape room puzzle maker.
Maths code-breakers
Five codes, each hiding a maths fact, from shapes to prime numbers. They work as a starter, a plenary or homework.
5 sheets and an answer key, A4 or US Letter.
Shapes
Name:
Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet: 1 is A, 2 is B, 26 is Z.
A1Z26 key
Times tables
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 |
Angles
Name:
Each pair of numbers is a row and a column in the grid, as a prisoner would tap them on a wall. C and K share a square.
Tap code grid: row, then column
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | B | C | D | E |
| 2 | F | G | H | I | J |
| 3 | L | M | N | O | P |
| 4 | Q | R | S | T | U |
| 5 | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Time
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.
Primes
Name:
Every letter has been swapped for a different one, the same way all through. Use the letters you already know to work out the rest.
No key: that's the puzzle. Start with short words and repeated letters.
Maths code-breakers: answer key
- Shapes: A HEXAGON HAS SIX SIDES
- Times tables: SEVEN TIMES EIGHT IS FIFTY SIX
- Angles: A RIGHT ANGLE IS NINETY DEGREES
- Time: THERE ARE SIXTY MINUTES IN AN HOUR
- Primes: A PRIME NUMBER HAS EXACTLY TWO FACTORS
Halloween code-breakers
Five spooky messages in five different codes, from easy pigpen to a tricky cryptogram.
5 sheets and an answer key, A4 or US Letter.
The cat
Name:
Each shape is the part of the grid that holds a letter. Match the shapes to the key.
Pigpen key
At the door
Name:
Each group of dots and dashes is one letter. Use the Morse code key to read them.
Morse code key
Upstairs
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 3 places.
Midnight snack
Name:
The alphabet has been turned back to front: A is Z, B is Y, C is X. Swap each letter back.
Atbash key
The cauldron
Name:
Every letter has been swapped for a different one, the same way all through. Use the letters you already know to work out the rest.
No key: that's the puzzle. Start with short words and repeated letters.
Halloween code-breakers: answer key
- The cat: BEWARE THE BLACK CAT
- At the door: TRICK OR TREAT
- Upstairs: THE GHOST IS IN THE ATTIC
- Midnight snack: PUMPKIN PIE AT MIDNIGHT
- The cauldron: THE WITCH STIRS HER BREW BY THE LIGHT OF THE FULL MOON
Questions
Are the packs really free?
Yes. Print them and copy them for a class, a club or a party.
Can I change the messages?
Not in a pack, but the escape room puzzle maker makes sheets from any message in the same style.
Do I need colour ink?
No. Every sheet prints in black and white.
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