The Secret Code Game – Help the Wild Animal Reach its Food

This activity combines European Code Week, board games, and the development of computational thinking, perfectly tailored for exploring nature. Children first play according to simple rules and then create their own instructions, plan a route, and check whether their wild animal has successfully reached its food.

Materials

A large game board with a grid, for example, 5 × 5 squares.
Game pieces, toy figures, or cutouts to represent the native wild animals (e.g., a wild boar).
Direction cards with arrows: forward, backward, left, and right.
Obstacle and goal cards suited to a natural habitat, such as a river, large rocks, bushes, and the goal (the animal's food, like acorns or roots).
A dice and markers for the starting point and the goal.

How to play

Step 1 – Explore the board Children observe the board, choose a wild animal game piece, and identify the starting square. Their task is to guide the animal safely through the habitat to the goal, for example, to a spot where its favorite food is hidden.
Step 2 – Create a secret code Before moving the animal, the child arranges a sequence of arrow cards. Each card represents one instruction or step. For example: forward – forward – right – forward.
Step 3 – Follow the instructions The child moves the wild animal piece according to the code, one square at a time. The other children check whether all the instructions have been followed in the correct order.
Step 4 – Find and correct the mistake If the animal does not reach its food, the children work together to identify the mistake in the sequence and change one or more cards. They then test the new solution again.

How to connect the activity with board games To make this more than just a coding task, introduce rules commonly found in board games:

Players take turns and wait for their turn.
Before making a move, they discuss their strategy to help the animal navigate its habitat safely.
Every player can suggest a solution.
If the animal encounters a natural obstacle (like a deep pond or rocks), the player must find another route.
The group can have a shared goal: all players must guide their wild animals to the feeding ground together.
Additional challenge: Children create a new rule themselves. For example, when the animal lands on a mud puddle, it must stay and rest for one turn, or when they land on a sunny square, they draw a surprise nature card.

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