Theme days / Spy School

Spy School ideas for OSHC

26 DIY activities for a spy school at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around Book Week (August). Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.

Build a Spy School

Coding Unplugged · Robot Day · Spy School +2

Binary Bracelets

Children spell their initials in binary code using two colours of beads to make a coded bracelet.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Spy School · Science Week · Detective Day +1

Box Periscope

Older children build a periscope from a milk carton and two small mirrors to peek over walls like a spy.

IndoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Spy School · Escape Room Day +2

Cipher Scavenger Hunt

Children decode pigpen cipher clues, each one leading to the next location in a treasure trail.

EitherModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Spy School · Treasure Hunters Day +2

Community Clue Trail

Children follow a walking trail of clues held by local businesses, finishing with a group barbecue.

OutdoorModerateBig set-upYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Spy School · Science Week +1

Crime Scene Investigation

Children examine footprints, hair samples and ink tests to work out which suspect is behind a mock crime, practising careful observation and logical reasoning.

IndoorModerateBig set-upYears 4 to 6 Escape Room Day · Detective Day · Spy School +1

DIY Escape Room

Children solve a chain of locks, codes and riddles to escape the room before time runs out.

IndoorModerateBig set-upYears 4 to 6 Budding Artists · Tiny Things Day · Detective Day +2

Fingerprint Characters

Children press fingerprints onto paper and turn them into tiny characters and animals with fine-line markers.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Spy School · Detective Day · Science Week +1

Fingerprint Detectives

Children lift their own fingerprints using pencil graphite and tape, then compare loops, whorls and arches like detectives.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Detective Day · Spy School · Science Week +1

Fingerprint Dusting Lab

Children dust surfaces for fingerprints with cocoa powder, lift prints with tape and compare them to solve a mock case.

IndoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Target Games Day · Games Day · Spy School +1

Foam Dart Target Practice

Children use foam dart blasters to knock down cups and hit targets, practising aim from different distances.

OutdoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Book Week · Detective Day · Treasure Hunters Day +2

Hidden Character Search

Small printed pictures of a stripy-shirted character are hidden around the room for children to find, sharpening observation skills.

IndoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Spy School · Detective Day · Science Week +1

Invisible Ink Letters

Older children write secret messages in lemon juice, then an educator reveals them with gentle heat.

IndoorCalmSome prepYears 4 to 6 Spy School · Obstacle Course Day · Ninja Obstacle Day +2

Laser Maze Spy Training

Children crawl under and step over wool laser lines and sneak past sleeping guards in a spy obstacle course.

EitherHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Backwards Day · Opposites Day · Spy School +2

Mirror Writing Messages

Older children write names and secret messages backwards, then use mirrors to read them, exploring reflection and letter shapes.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Escape Room Day · Spy School

Missing Snack Whodunnit

Teams interview educator suspects and examine clues to work out who took the snacks, building teamwork and deduction skills.

IndoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Spy School · Coding Unplugged +1

Morse Code Messages

Children learn Morse code and send secret messages to each other by tapping, buzzing or flashing torches.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Treasure Hunters Day · Spy School +1

Mystery Clue Trail

Teams collect clues hidden around the site and piece them together to solve a case, combining movement with problem-solving.

EitherModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Book Week · Silly Stories Day · Rhyme Time Day +2

Newspaper Word Collage

Older children cut words from newspapers and magazines to build silly sentences and poems, playing with language.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Spy School · Paper Crafts Day

Pocket Detective Notebooks

Children make a small stapled notebook with a home-made badge on the cover, ready to record clues throughout the day.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Spy School · Detective Day · Escape Room Day +2

Secret Decoder Wheels

Older children make a two-layer cipher wheel and use it to encode and decode secret messages.

IndoorCalmSome prepYears 4 to 6 Jungle Mission · Ninja Obstacle Day · Obstacle Course Day +2

Streamer Jungle Course

Children weave, duck and crawl through a hanging streamer jungle without touching the vines.

EitherModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Detective Day · Dramatic Play Day · Spy School

Suspect Line-Up

Educators dress up as suspects and children question them, listen for inconsistencies and vote on who did it.

IndoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Spy School · Detective Day · Puzzle Day +1

What's Missing Memory Game

Children study a tray of objects, close their eyes while one is removed, then try to spot what's gone.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Target Games Day · Spy School · Escape Room Day +2

Wool Laser Maze

Children crawl and step through a maze of wool 'lasers' without touching a strand.

IndoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6 Ancient Egypt · Time Travellers Day · Spy School +2

Write Your Name in Hieroglyphs

Children use a picture-symbol alphabet chart to write their names the ancient Egyptian way, exploring how early writing systems worked.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Vikings Day · Spy School · Time Travellers Day +1

Write Your Name in Runes

Children use a rune alphabet chart to write their names and secret messages, exploring how people wrote long ago.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goYears 4 to 6