These younger groups don't have the social competition that adolescent cliques do, or the level of bad behaviour that street gangs have.
A ramshackle den, tree house, clubhouse, fort, or "secret base" may be built in nearby scrub-land or an abandoned building.
Some children in a secret club may use a part of the grounds of the school they attend together as their "base" during periods of recess.
After growing out of the "egocentric", or "preoperational" stage, [citation needed] reaching the "age of reason", one is able to understand other people's intentions.
Juvenile comics and literature often feature such clubs as a plot device, often with spy or detective themes, and often far more organized than their real-life counterparts.
There are also juvenile non-fiction books that serve as "how-to's" for code-making and surveillance, most notably the Usborne Good Spy Guide series.
Children's Special Places: Exploring the Role of Forts, Dens, and Bush Houses in Middle Childhood.