{"id":2534,"date":"2023-01-25T16:05:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T16:05:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/?p=2534"},"modified":"2023-06-12T23:52:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T23:52:45","slug":"the-scytale-cipher-what-it-is-and-how-to-teach-your-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/the-scytale-cipher-what-it-is-and-how-to-teach-your-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"The Scytale Cipher (What It Is and How to Teach Your Kids)"},"content":{"rendered":"
We may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I love teaching my kids how to write secret codes and ciphers. I like that I can add an extra layer to their imagination and play. It’s not enough to play good guys and bad guys. Why not be a spy trying to send secret messages while undercover? Or the next time you need to prepare a surprise for Mother’s Day, you can communicate with your kids using secret messages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While there are a lot of secret codes and ciphers out there, one of my favorites is the Scytale cipher. Not only is it super easy to encode and decode messages, but it\u2019s also easy to teach little kids. In fact, this is one of the first ciphers you can teach your child. As long as they can read and write, they can use a Scytale cipher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Scytale cipher is a transposition cipher encoded and decoded using a predetermined-sized cylinder. A strip of paper is wrapped around the cylinder with a message written across it. One letter is written on each portion of the paper with decoy letters to fill any empty spaces.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The scytale can be traced back to as early as the 7th<\/sup>\u00a0century BC in Ancient Greece. The word \u201cscytale\u201d is from the Greek word \u03c3\u03ba\u03c5\u03c4\u03ac\u03bb\u03b7. It can be transliterated into \u201cskytale, ” translating to baton or staff. It was a tool used for military communications between government leaders and commanders in the field of battle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article is originally from www.dadstuffsite.com<\/p>\n\n\n Before a military commander was sent to war, he was given a scytale, that is a baton, to communicate with government leaders. In this way, the scytale was used as a kind of military authentication stick as well as a cryptographic device. This also means the scytale might be one of history’s earliest known transposition ciphers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Scytale Cipher is a variation of a Rail Fence Cipher. To learn more, check out the Rail Fence Cipher (Fun Secret Code to Teach Your Kids)<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A Scytale cipher is really a simple transposition cipher not very different from a Rail Fence Cipher<\/a>. What makes it unique is the method by which you encode and decode messages. A cylinder does all the work. This is especially great for kids because they don\u2019t need to learn any theory to encode and decode messages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To begin, you need some sort of a cylinder (your scytale) and a strip of paper. You can make a scytale any size. It could be as small as a pencil or as big as an empty paper towel roll. A cylinder with a diameter between 1\/2 and 1 inch works best. You can use something smaller, but it becomes a bit too small to be practical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I recommend using the larger cylinders for younger kids (it\u2019s easier for them to read and write the larger letters), and smaller ones for older kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article is originally from www.dadstuffsite.com<\/p>\n\n\n You will also need a strip of paper that is long enough to wrap around your scytale at least 5 or 6 times. If you use a larger diameter cylinder, you will need a much longer strip of paper than a smaller diameter cylinder. You can either cut multiple strips of paper and tape them together to make a long strip, or you can buy some receipt paper<\/a> online or at your nearest office supply store. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is a Scytale Cipher?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Encode and Decode Messages Using a Scytale Cipher<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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