A cryptogram is a puzzle that includes a word or phrase that is encoded by letters, numbers or symbols. Most cryptograms are accompanied by a key which shows what each letter is encoded to. For example, a simple cryptogram could use numbers in place of letters, and have a key that shows 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, and so on. The child then matches the letter with the number and decodes a "secret" message. This game can help logic and reasoning skills, and improve letter and number recognition.