Clues

Puzzles, games, and challenges that promote problem-solving, collaboration and can tie into any curriculum area

Games promote problem-solving, collaboration and can tie into any curriculum area
Before you can make the escape site, you need to:
- Identify the lock description and the answer.
- Identify how the student will find the answer
- Photo, Article, Google Doc, Sheet, Rebus, Puzzle.(see links in the picture below)
Find online clues that unlock the different types of locks in the Google Form on the site (you don’t need to find the locks in any particular order!)
Click around, find links, read carefully and use your “escape room” mindset to break out

Types of Clues: https://sites.google.com/view/creatingonlineers/planning

Manipulating text to spell out a URL, clue, or code:

Use capital letters
Use bolded text or a different color text
Underline certain letters
If it is a shorter piece of text, omit letters
Use the first letters of every paragraph, sentence, or line of a poem

Ransom Notes (Make a Fake Ransom Note) http://www.ransomizer.com/
Secret Codes for Kids – Top Secret Message https://www.simonemadeit.com/secret-codes-for-kids-top-secret-messages/
Fake Airline Ticket http://returnflights.net/
Fake Ticket Generator http://www.fakereceipt.us/sales_receipt.php
Fake WhatsApp Generator http://www.fakewhats.com/
Bart Simpson Chalkboard Generator http://www.addletters.com/bart-simpson-generator.htm#.XMQ_oET0nGI
Warning Sign Generator http://www.addletters.com/warning-sign-generator.htm#.XMQ__0T0nGJ
Fake News Generator
Fake Phone Text http://www.fakephonetext.com/
Fake Receipt Maker http://www.fakereceipt.us/sales_receipt.php
Spiral https://www.festisite.com/text-layout/spiral/

Using Audio Recordings (Create an audio file and hide clues, keywords, numbers, questions in it)

Another way to lead students to information is by using resources that already exist on the internet, like articles, videos, songs, etc. Find articles, videos, or songs that relate to the topic or skill your breakout is focused on.

Example: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13r2thJcZ5Iv9jo5m72zzEUCn9_cyL8mX/view
Create: https://vocaroo.com/

Using Questions

You can also lead students to information by having them answer questions about information they've read, watched, or listened to or by having them answer questions that allow them to practice a skill. Some ideas for using questions to lead to a URL, clue, or code:

Have a series of multiple choice questions in a Google Doc with the answers spelling out a code (i.e. ACDBA).
Create a letter/number code to accompany several questions. Beneath each letter of the answer, have a corresponding number. I create a table with two rows in a Google Doc with students spelling out the answer in the top row and the corresponding numbers below. You can then give a series of numbers at the bottom of the Google Doc that will spell out a word that has no question accompanying it. Students will have to use the letter/number combinations from their other answers to figure it out.
Create a quiz using Google Forms. Once students have correctly answered all of the questions, you can give URLS, clues, or codes in the feedback when they view their scores.
Quizizz Memes (Create a quiz in quizizz. When they get an answer correct, it shows them a meme. Create memes using google drawing that give them a letter to their clue.)

Rebus (Use pictures they have to decode to get clue)

Example: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1We_30b64AVVB6BxOMwHOIbAdWGRMOwiC/view
Create: https://www.festisite.com/rebus/

Snotes (Choose words to “hide” in an image. They need to move around image to see the words. Words can create a question for the clue)

Example: https://snotes.com/snotes/ss.php?snoteId=5a7c8930b12ca4.21633533
Create: https://snotes.com/snotes/login.php

Pigpen Decode

Sporcle: Click and Match

Example: https://www.sporcle.com/games/Mrniemis/halloween-jokes-for-breakout-box
Create: https://www.sporcle.com/create/
Tutorial: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iqxXhbWIUeABkq6oZpPZs0Y1trjTffSy/view

Word Search (Create questions that give you a word as the answer. They need to find the words in the word search. The clue could be the letter after the word they found in the word search.)

Maze

Example: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1phjK0x0WaMBoURAedHFlIO_5z6Fs_lky/view?usp=sharing
Create: https://www.festisite.com/text-layout/maze/

Morse Code

Example: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EZTkANgwFOivLVpJToJDZQSPaqyDHxa2?usp=sharing
Create: https://morsecode.scphillips.com/translator.html
Create: https://picklebums.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/morse-code.png

Make Your Own Secret Code

Example: https://picklebums.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/make-a-secret code.jpg
Create: https://picklebums.com/images/printables/picklebums_makeyourowncode.pdf

Book Cipher

The premise of a book cipher has you creating a code by providing a page number, line number and word from a specific book for each word in your secret message. It can’t just be any book but rather it has to be the same book printing to ensure the page, line and word position match.

Example: https://dwblog.melissaanddoug.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/6secretcodesforkids_3.jpg

Transposition Ciphers

With the paper wrapped you would write your message across the cylinder across the paper. When unwrapped the paper has random letters on it and the recipient can only read the code if they wrap the paper around the same size cylinder used to create the original code.

Letters to Numbers

For example, SAM would be 19-1-13. LOVE would be 12-15-22-5.

Example: http://learnincolor.com/secret-spy-codes-for-kids.html
Create: http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/numbers.php

Reverse the Alphabet

In this code, each letter in the code stands for a different "real" letter. A stands for Z, B stands for Y, C stands for X and so on.

Example: https://sites.google.com/site/codesforscouts/reverse-the-alphabet
Create: http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/atbash.php

Reverse the Word

Example: https://sites.google.com/site/codesforscouts/reverse-the-words
Create: http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/manipulate.php#

Read Every Second Letter

Read every second letter starting at the first letter, and when you finish, start again on the letters you missed the first time!

Example: https://sites.google.com/site/codesforscouts/read-every-second-letter

Phonetic Alphabet

The Phonetic Alphabet is an easy substitution cipher used by airplane pilots. The main reason for using it is that some letters sound really similar (like B, P, D and T), and can easily get confused over a bad connection, but the words that represent these letters sound quite different (Bravo, Papa, Delta, Tango) and can't be confused so easily.

Example: https://sites.google.com/site/codesforscouts/phonetic-alphabet

Braille

Braille is another substitution cipher - but it's not intended to keep things secret! Braille is specially designed to print letters using a grid of up to six raised dots, so that a blind person can read the letter by running their fingers over it.

Example: https://sites.google.com/site/codesforscouts/braille

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Clues

Clues

Types of Clues: https://sites.google.com/view/creatingonlineers/planning

Manipulating text to spell out a URL, clue, or code:

Using Audio Recordings (Create an audio file and hide clues, keywords, numbers, questions in it)

Using Questions

Rebus (Use pictures they have to decode to get clue)

Snotes (Choose words to “hide” in an image. They need to move around image to see the words. Words can create a question for the clue)

Secret Message Maker

Google Drawing Puzzle

Puzzles with JigSaw Planet

Pigpen Decode

Sporcle: Click and Match

Word Search (Create questions that give you a word as the answer. They need to find the words in the word search. The clue could be the letter after the word they found in the word search.)

Maze

Morse Code

Make Your Own Secret Code

Book Cipher

Transposition Ciphers

Letters to Numbers

Reverse the Alphabet

Reverse the Word

Read Every Second Letter

Phonetic Alphabet

Braille