Thanks for visiting us at the NC Museum of Life and Science in Durham on July 14th!

While there, you should have received your first code for the Dino Mystery.  There are four codes in all!

In case you missed it, here is the first code.

CODE 1:  Ikicpqvqucwtwu Ku Vjg Nctiguv Ectpkxqtqwu Fkpqucwt Fkueqxgtgf.

So here's how you solve it. 

This is an ancient code called Caesar's Code.  According to WikiHow, "Julius Caesar was one of the first people to write in code. He invented the Caesar cipher, in which each letter is replaced with another letter that's a fixed number of positions down the alphabet."

In this case, every letter in the message has been "shifted" to two letters after it.  So, for example, in the word CAT

C would be shifted to E

A would be shifted to C

T would be shifted to V

That would mean that CAT would be ECV in Caesar Code.  Got it?  So you have to figure out what each code means about the dinosaurs.

Ready for the rest of the codes?  Fill in the information below and you will immediately get a PDF file of the four codes you can print out and work on.  An email will be on your way with the solutions so you can check out how you did!

Good luck solving the Dino Mystery!!!

We gave away awesome dinosaur rocks at the Museum of Life and Science.  We wanted to share our recipe with you.  It's a keeper! 

Here is how to make your own.  Great for birthday parties and gifts for friends!

What you need:

• 1/2 cup coffee grounds (used or instant)

• 1/2 cup sand

• 1/2 cup salt

• 1 cup flour

• 1/2-3/4 cup of water

Set oven to 250 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Add water until you have a nice consistency like cookie dough.  Pull off the dough to make the size of the rock you want and put in rows on a cookie sheet.  (We used a nonstick foil to line the sheet with.) 

Find a non plastic item such as a coin or metal charm and roll into each rock.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes.  Let air dry for 1-2 days.  We did try baking them longer, but the air dry was really the best way to do it!

Give or enjoy your rocks and treasures!