Case 1 (Baloo Missing)

My brother and I developed this code cracking evening to run with his Cub Pack via a Zoom session. We thought it was a fun resource and have decided to share it for other Groups to enjoy.

Story

One of the leaders (Baloo) has been kidnapped and has left a number of coded messages to help identify the kidnapper.

These messages have been passed to the “Pancake And Noodle Detective Agency” (P.A.N.D.A for short), who have asked the group to help decode the messages to rescue Baloo.

In total there are 6 codes that need to be solved. Each of which reveal a ‘guess who’ style clue, which is used to identify the kidnapper from a list of suspects.

Resources

The activity is designed to be run online, so mainly uses a PowerPoint presentation. Participants just need a pen and some paper to help solve the codes.

There are printable worksheets available (and a list of suspects so they can cross them out themselves) though these aren’t necessary to run the activity – just useful for those that may wish to print them.

We have tried to design the activity with a range of age groups in mind. Each code includes a number of additional slides to explain how to crack the code. These can easily be removed/skipped if being used with older sections.

After rescuing Baloo, there are also 3 additional codes which take far longer to crack. These are mainly designed for older sections, or members that have a particular interest in cracking codes. Each of these feature a Scouting phrase, and don’t need to be solved for the main activity to work.