![]() ![]() You can download a free pdf worksheet below (and I do mean free. You can reinforce this by giving them a couple worksheets to do. Use a simple printout or draw the code on a piece of paper. Take the time to show your kids how this cipher works. He then spent hours “discovering” secret messages aliens left in his room. ![]() When I first showed it to my oldest son, he fell in love with it, and showed all his friends. There’s something about it that makes it look like it’s a message from an alien. The great thing about the pigpen cipher is that it’s super easy to learn and kids think it looks cool. Pigpen Cipher Activity Ideas (Plus a Free Worksheet) If you want another great easy secret code for your kids, check out The Caesar Cipher (What it Is and How to Teach Your Kids). Simply type your message in a standard font, then convert it to a pigpen font, print it out, and Bob’s your uncle. Pro tip: you can download and install a pigpen cipher font. Take the symbols of your coded message and replace them with the corresponding letters. ![]() Using the pigpen cipher, we can encode the following message: To encode (that is to convert the plaintext message into ciphertext), replace letters of the original message (plaintext) with the corresponding fragment of the grid associated with the letter (ciphertext) If you want to have greater security using this cipher, place the letters of the alphabet in an arrangement known only to you and the message receiver. The figure above is a classic arrangement of the pigpen cipher. To this day, engravings of the pigpen cipher can be found on the tombstones of some Freemasons. Some earlier members even claimed the Freemasons invented the pigpen cipher. Some historians argue the Knights Templar used the pigpen cipher during the Crusades almost a century ago.įreemasons used the pigpen cipher so often some call it the Freemasons’ cipher. If you want to try another cipher that’s simpler for younger kids, check out The Scytale Cipher (What It Is and How to Teach Your Kids). Fragments of the checkerboard and X patterns then replace the letters of the original message. ![]() The pigpen cipher gets its name because letters of the alphabet are separated like pigs in a pen using checkerboard and X patterns. The pigpen cipher is a simple substitution cipher in which letters of an original message (plaintext) are substituted by geometric symbols creating a coded message (ciphertext). What is a Pigpen Cipher (Masons’ Cipher, Tic-Tac-Toe Cipher)? My epic deep dive has led me down some rabbit holes, one of them leading me to the pigpen cipher. How can I find a way to give my kids a fun adventure in a classic Dad Stuff way? An adventure that inspires my kids, gets their imaginations running, and is fun for me too. I’ve been working hard this past year giving my children a proper education-introducing them to some great classic movies like Indiana Jones, the Goonies, and (does this count as classic?) National Treasure.Īs I’m watching these movies, I can’t help but remember how much I wanted to go on my own treasure adventure when I was a kid. It’s been fun to finally expand beyond Ninjago, Pokémon, and the classic Disney movie canon (not that there’s anything wrong with any of those, but let’s be honest, there are only so many times you can watch Lego Batman). As my two boys get older, my wife and I have been able to enjoy family movie nights more and more. ![]()
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