The idea

Four posters with Halloween puzzles hang around the playground and the little park next to it. Kids walk from station to station and collect one number at each.

The four numbers, in order, make the code for a bike lock with a 4-digit combination. The lock holds the rope of a small bucket hanging from a tree branch. Whoever cracks the code lowers the bucket and takes a small treat from it.

The kids get plenty of candy on Halloween anyway. This gives them a little win on top: they unlocked the treasure themselves. Depending on age, it only takes a few minutes.

Three age levels, one code

Each poster has three colour-coded tasks:

• Orange (ages 4–6): counting
• Purple (ages 7–9): simple maths
• Green (ages 10–12): two-step problems

All three lead to the same number. Siblings of different ages can play together, and there’s only one code. The little ones are out with a parent on Halloween anyway, who can read the riddles with them.

Every child gets a small tracking sheet with four boxes for the numbers. We print five per A4 page and cut them into strips.

The 4 stations

The posters are in German, so here are the translations.

1. The Bat Forest Count the bats, spiders and ghosts

• 4–6: Count the spiders and ghosts together.
• 7–9: Each ghost has 2 eyes. How many eyes do all the ghosts have?
• 10–12: Bats times spiders, then subtract three times the number of ghosts.

2. The Witch’s Cauldron Ingredients for a potion

• 4–6: Count all the ingredients on the floor and on the shelf.
• 7–9: The recipe needs 12 ingredients. 5 are already in the cauldron. How many are missing?
• 10–12: The potion needs 25 ingredients. The witch has already thrown in 3 handfuls of 6. How many are missing?

3. The Haunted House Lit and dark windows

• 4–6: Count the dark windows.
• 7–9: The house has 12 windows. 8 are lit. How many are dark?
• 10–12: Count the lit windows, multiply by 2, then subtract 12.

4. The Skeleton Dance Dancing skeletons

• 4–6: Count the dancing skeletons.
• 7–9: All the dancing skeletons together have 10 arms. How many skeletons are dancing?
• 10–12: Each skeleton has 1 skull, 2 arms and 2 legs. Together they have 25 of these body parts. How many skeletons are dancing?

The posters come in two variants: a bit more colourful, or a bit more economical for home and sustainable printing.

Code (spoiler): 6-7-4-5

What you need

• 4 A4 posters, laminated, tied to trees or posts
• A bike lock with a 4-digit combination
• A small bucket or basket and a sturdy rope
• Small treats (we’re preparing about 120 bags for about 100 kids)
• Tracking sheets and pencils
• Flashlights or LED candles for the posters, since it’s dark in the evening

Tips

• Test the branch and rope beforehand, so the bucket doesn’t drop suddenly.
• Hang the stations within sight of each other, at kid height.
• The numbers in the pictures have to be exact, or the code won’t match.

One rule for everyone: “You earn the code, you don’t share it!”