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These free Christmas code breaker worksheets give you Word documents on US Letter and A4: a picture code with ten Christmas words, a Christmas joke code, a Christmas math code, a secret Christmas message and a make-your-own code sheet, in colour and in black and white, each with an answer page. Every template is human-made by a teacher: I’m Patrick Elliott, a teacher and Inclusion Lead, and I designed and built each one myself in Microsoft Word, then printed them to check they line up and fill the page as they should.

In this guide, you’ll find which code breaker suits which age, how the code works, and how to write your own secret message.

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What’s in the Christmas Code Breaker Worksheets

Paper	Worksheet	Age guide
A4	Christmas Code Breaker	Ages 5 to 7
A4	Christmas Joke Code	Ages 7 to 9
A4	Christmas Maths Code	Ages 8 to 10
A4	Secret Christmas Message	Ages 6 to 9
A4	Make Your Own Christmas Code	Ages 7 to 11
A4	Christmas Code Breaker	Ages 5 to 7
A4	Christmas Joke Code	Ages 7 to 9
A4	Christmas Maths Code	Ages 8 to 10
A4	Secret Christmas Message	Ages 6 to 9
A4	Make Your Own Christmas Code	Ages 7 to 11
US Letter	Christmas Code Breaker	Ages 5 to 7
US Letter	Christmas Joke Code	Ages 7 to 9
US Letter	Christmas Math Code	Ages 8 to 10
US Letter	Secret Christmas Message	Ages 6 to 9
US Letter	Make Your Own Christmas Code	Ages 7 to 11
US Letter	Christmas Code Breaker	Ages 5 to 7
US Letter	Christmas Joke Code	Ages 7 to 9
US Letter	Christmas Math Code	Ages 8 to 10
US Letter	Secret Christmas Message	Ages 6 to 9
US Letter	Make Your Own Christmas Code	Ages 7 to 11

👉 Every coded picture has a box above it. Children find the picture in the key and write its letter in the box.

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What Is a Christmas Code Breaker?

A code breaker is a puzzle where every letter is swapped for a picture or a number. Children use the key at the top of the page to turn the code back into words, so they practise matching, spelling and reading without noticing. The 26 key pictures were drawn by Patrick Elliott in PowerPoint, using only shapes, and each one is easy to tell apart, even in black and white.

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Which Code Breaker Should You Use?

• Christmas Code Breaker: ten short Christmas words in picture code, for ages 5 to 7.
• Christmas Joke Code: four Christmas jokes with the punchline in picture code, for ages 7 to 9.
• Christmas Math Code: each letter has a number, and children solve addition and subtraction within 100 to read the message, for ages 8 to 10.
• Secret Christmas Message: one longer message in picture code. Copy pictures from the key to write your own.
• Make Your Own Christmas Code: a blank key for children to draw their own pictures, then write a message for a friend. For more Christmas puzzles, see the Christmas mystery pictures.

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How to Use the Code Breakers

1. Choose colour or black and white and your paper size above, download the ZIP and open the code breaker you want.
2. Print page 1 for the class. Page 2 is the answer page.
3. Show the children how to find a picture in the key and write its letter in the box above it.
4. Let them work alone or in pairs, then check with the answer page.
5. Finish with the make-your-own sheet: children invent a code and swap messages with a friend.

Read the first word together so everyone sees how the key works. Pair a confident reader with a younger child for the joke code. For a class secret message, copy pictures from the key into the boxes, then type the letters on the answer page.

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Black and White Versions

Every template on this page also comes in a black and white version with the same layout: grey headings and an outlined title, so it prints clearly on any printer and saves ink. In the download box, choose Colour, Black and white or All, then your paper size: A4, US Letter or both.

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How to Print at the Right Size

1. Open the template in Word and press Ctrl + P (Cmd + P on a Mac).
2. Choose the paper size in the file name: A4 for UK and Australian sheets, US Letter for US sheets.
3. Set scaling to 100% or Actual size, not Fit to page.
4. Print one sheet and measure a row with a ruler before you print a class set.

Every sheet keeps a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) margin on all sides, so nothing is cut off on home inkjets, school laser printers or older printers with a wide edge.

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FAQs

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Conclusion

These Christmas code breakers turn spelling and sums into a festive puzzle, human-made by a teacher in Microsoft Word.

Choose your paper size above, download the ZIP, and for another Christmas puzzle, use the word search templates.

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Related Tutorials

• Free Word Search Templates for Word
• Free Crossword Templates for Word
• Free Christmas Colour by Number for Word: Addition and Subtraction