Begin the holiday festivities with a bang in your classroom with a Holiday Code Cracker!

How to Do Code Cracker Puzzles

Our teacher team created this code cracker puzzle for lower key stage 2 pupils, and includes everything you need — teacher instructions, activity answers, activity templates, task cards, and the resources needed for this activity!

These activities urge students to think about concepts that involve a multitude of learning areas, including:

• maths
• geography
• comprehension
• vocabulary

To solve the code cracker, pupils will use the knowledge and communication skills acquired this year to work together on six tasks that reveal six numbers that crack a lock combination. The groups are then presented with a final riddle that helps them rearrange the numerals to crack the code and succeed in their mission.

Pupils who solve code crackers are having fun while also working to improve the following important skills without even realising it:

• critical and creative thinking
• collaboration
• speaking and listening
• problem-solving

Activities in the Christmas teaching resource include:

• Season’s Greetings Introductory Poem
• Holiday Tree Wheel
• Rudolph’s Present Predicament
• Trifle Tower
• Cryptic Chatterbox
• Holiday Treasure Hunt
• Party Light Chaos
• Holiday Hooray! Final Riddle

Code Cracker Activity Ideas

Want to add some more fun to your pupils’ puzzle-solving? Try these ideas from our teacher team!

Code crackers are perfect to use as a whole class game where pupils work in six small groups. So ideally, each group will rotate around the six activities and have a go at all of them. Don’t forget to use the Teacher Information Sheet as a step-by-step guide and follow these top tips:

1. Arrange your students into 6 mixed ability groups and set up your 6 stations.
2. Set the combination locks.
3. As a class, read the Season’s Greetings Introductory Riddle to the students and ask if they have any questions.
4. Monitor and support your students as they complete their puzzles. Undo any misconceptions along the way.
5. Once a group has completed all six puzzles, check the numbers before reading the Holiday Hooray! Final Riddle.
6. Use the final riddle to work out the correct number order to crack the code (refer to the answers on the Teacher Information Sheet).

Put the ‘Buzz!’ into your classroom by filling a lockable box with a reward or message that pupils will want to win by cracking two 3-digit combination locks.