A cipher wheel

Whether you’re raising a future James or Jane Bond, or just want to sneak in some writing practice, a cipher wheel is a brilliant way to make words more fun.

Add a secret mission of your own by sneaking a few spelling words into the messages.

If you don’t fancy making the cipher wheel yourselves, you can download and print a template from here instead.

What you’ll need:

• Card
• Compass, protractor, ruler
• Pencil (and some coloured pens or pencils if you like)
• Scissors
• 1 split pin (paper fastener)

How to make your cipher wheel:

1. Use the compass to draw one large circle (14 cm diameter) and one smaller circle (10 cm diameter) on the card.
2. Cut both circles out.
3. Using a protractor and ruler, divide each circle into 26 roughly equal slices — one for each letter of the alphabet. Don’t worry if they’re not perfect; close enough works fine. (They should be approximately 14 degrees each).
4. Write the letters A–Z in order around the edge of both circles.
5. Carefully make a small hole in the centre of each circle.
6. Place the smaller circle on top of the larger one and fasten them together with the split pin.

How it works

• Start by turning the inner wheel so the letters don’t line up — for example, match A on the inside circle with E on the outside.
• The real letter (the one you actually mean to write) is always on the inner wheel, and the coded letter is on the outer wheel.
• To write your secret message, swap each letter in your word for the one it lines up with on the outer circle.
• To crack the code, the other person will need their own cipher wheel and the same “key” — in this case A = E — so they can set it correctly and decode your message.