GFS lockdown activities – Spies and code breakers week

There’s nothing cooler than spies and code breakers. They’re smart, stealthy, daring and mysterious. This week, flex your MI5 muscles and see if you can uncover some secrets in your home.

Get active – laser maze

Super stealth and insane flexibility will be needed to make it through our homemade version of the iconic laser maze. Instructions here.

My community – take fingerprints like a detective

While we have many similarities, we are ultimately unique. Fingerprinting is used by detectives to identify individuals who have left a mark at a crime scene. Follow our video guide to collecting and comparing your own fingerprints at home.

Happy to be me – the codebreakers of Bletchley

First, meet the unsung heroes of the Second World War – the women who decoded the enemy’s messages and saved 1000s of lives. Then, put your own decoding skills to the test with our coded messages.

Skills for life – good and bad secrets

When you’re practising your super spy skills and code-making, secrets are the name of the game. But in everyday life, secrets can be a bit more complicated.  Play our games to help identify the differences between good and bad secrets.

Be creative – invisible ink

Did you know you can make your own invisible ink at home? Follow our instructions and post to a neighbour.

Have fun – media recommendations

Here’s a round up of the best spy girls across TV, film and literature.

Watch

Harriet the Spy – Harriet loves collecting secrets and writes down everything she sees, but learns that. Not currently streaming but available to rent for £2.49 on Amazon, Google Play and YouTube.

Kim Possible – Kim Possible and her sidekick Ron Stoppable take on the bad guys and have some silly laughs along the way. Kim is a super strong spy girl, but still has to navigate the waters of high school! Cartoon TV series and live action film streaming now on Disney+, and the animated film is also on Now TV and SkyGo.

Carmen Sandiego – A master thief who uses her skills for good, Carmen Sandiego travels the world foiling V.I.L.E.’s evil plans — with help from her savvy sidekicks. Streaming now on Netflix and voiced by the wonderful Gina Rodriguez.

Doctor Who season 11 and 12 – One for older kids, The Doctor has delighted audiences with his cleverness, heart and adventurous spirit for decades. But in 2018, something amazing happened. The Doctor was no longer a he. Written with no less energy, smarts or eccentricity than befits the iconic Time Lord, Jodie Whittaker shows girls can do it just as well as she battles through time and space. Streaming on BBC iPlayer now.

Read

Nancy Drew – Nancy Drew has been inspiring girls for decades (including feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsberg), and it’s not difficult to see why. Although dated in parts, Nancy’s  independence, fearless inquisitiveness and determination to get the job done make her the original crime fighting girl. The books have since been made into numerous films, most recently with Emma Roberts in 2007.

Murder Most Unladylike – Suitable for ages nine and up, the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens, features Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong who set up their own detective agency to investigate mysterious goings on at their school.

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow – The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow is a delight to read, for both children and adults; the characters are wonderful and varied. Sophie, the young shop girl, and Lil, the glamorous shop model, are heroines to root for as they seek to solve the mystery. Both are smart, resourceful, and loyal, and they bring out the best in each other.

Finished all of spies and codebreakers week? Check out our other fun GFS activities.

Science week

Children’s Art week

Gardening week

Nature week

Wellvbeing Week

Celebration week

Music week

Engineering week

Story telling week

Explorers week

Reporters week

Sports Day

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