The Gibberish Challenge
Invent a playful gibberish language, create rules and a word list, then swap secret messages with friends to practice phonetics and creativity.
Step-by-step guide to The Gibberish Challenge
Step 1
Lay out your paper pencil and coloring materials on a table so everything is ready.
Step 2
Choose a fun theme or sound style for your gibberish like bouncy bubbly spooky or whispery.
Step 3
Write three simple rules that tell how words are made in your gibberish language.
Step 4
Invent and write 10 gibberish words on your paper and add one-word English meanings next to each.
Step 5
Write a short pronunciation guide for each gibberish word using easy sounds like "ba-na" or "shh-oo".
Step 6
Pick a short English sentence to turn into a secret message like "Meet me at the tree".
Step 7
Translate your English sentence into your gibberish using your rules and write the result clearly.
Step 8
Write three different gibberish messages on three separate pieces of paper to make secret notes.
Step 9
Make a small decoder card that lists your three rules so others can try to decode your messages.
Step 10
Give one secret note and the decoder card to a friend or family member to swap messages.
Step 11
Ask your friend to decode their note and say the decoded message out loud so you can practice phonetics.
Step 12
Have a one-minute gibberish chat with your friend using at least five words from your list.
Step 13
Add five new words or change one rule to make your language even sillier and more creative.
Step 14
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of paper, pencil, or coloring materials if we don't have them?
Use index cards or cut-up recycled cardboard instead of paper, a pen or marker instead of a pencil, and colored stickers or a tablet drawing app in place of coloring materials when making your gibberish word list and decoder card.
My friend can't decode their secret note—what common mistakes should I check and how do I fix them?
Check that your small decoder card exactly lists the same three rules you used to translate the English sentence, add one worked example from your 'Invent and write 10 gibberish words' list, and rewrite any unclear pronunciation guides (like 'ba-na') more simply so they can match sounds.
How can I adapt this activity for younger children or older kids?
For younger kids use five simple words with picture meanings and one clear rule from 'Write three simple rules', while older kids can add grammar, longer secret sentences, and record the 'Write a short pronunciation guide' audio before doing the one-minute gibberish chat.
How can we extend or personalize the gibberish language beyond the basic steps?
Turn your ten-word list into an illustrated booklet, laminate the decoder card as a secret-club badge, record audio files of each pronunciation guide to share with the friend in the swap step, and then post your finished creation on DIY.org as the final step.
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Facts about language play and phonetics
🗣️ Klingon and Esperanto are famous constructed languages—Esperanto still has tens of thousands of speakers and clubs worldwide.
🤝 Making and swapping secret-language messages boosts creativity and teamwork—kids learn phonetics, pattern rules, and how to communicate with friends.
🐷 Pig Latin is a playful English language game that's been used for secret-sounding speech in stories and by kids for over a century.
🔐 Simple substitution ciphers (swap each letter for another) can often be cracked using frequency analysis because some letters like E and T appear most in English.
🔡 The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) gives a symbol for virtually every human speech sound, so you can write how any gibberish word actually sounds.
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