The NSA hosts a website called Cryptokids: America’s Future Codemakers and Codebreakers.

The site is targeted at children with cartoon characters and games. However, the games are educational.

There is also a series of cryptograms and brainteasers designed to introduce the concept of codes to children.

In the Parents and Teachers section of the site, the NSA states:

NSA offers a variety of resources on its web site including a special section designed specifically for children. NSA invites you to view these pages and check out the games, puzzles, codes, ciphers and activities we have available (which are fun for adults too). Our goal was to provide a safe, educational, and fun place for kids to visit related to cryptology.

Just a quick browsing of the site and it seems that the NSA has met that goal.











Cryptology for Kids

It boasts a wide variety of code based games and puzzles along with math based brainteasers. It also seems that I am not alone in that opinion. The American Library Association (ALA) has voted the site as one of the “2010 Great Web Sites for Kids.”

The site also links to the National Cryptologic Museum website to give children (and adults) a more in-depth look into the history and development of the field of cryptology.

The National Cryptologic Museum website even has a virtual tour to help you decide if you want to check it out in person. I am definitely adding it to my itinerary the next time I am in Washington D.C.

The site also discussed the NSA/CSS and their roles in America.

“You can also learn about the National Security Agency/Central Security Service – they’re America’s real codemakers and codebreakers. Our Nation’s leaders and warfighters count on the technology and information they get from NSA/CSS to get their jobs done. Without NSA/CSS, they wouldn’t be able to talk to one another without the bad guys listening and they wouldn’t be able to figure out what the bad guys were planning.”

The site is a great learning tool for kids and a neat resource for teachers. For more information about codes and cyphers and to play some of the games or solve the brain teasers visit the NSA Kids page.

Originally published on TopSecretWriters.com