MAKE YOUR OWN ESCAPE ROOM FOR KIDS

Are you looking for a unique escape room for kids that you can easily set up? You are in the right place. I’m going to run through how to create an escape room that your kids are going to love.

Let me tell you, I poured my heart and soul into crafting my first ever escape room for my son’s birthday. Countless late nights fueled by cups of coffee, and I’m sure I sprouted several grey hairs in the process! It was so worth the effort. Since then, my love for making puzzle games has just continued to grow. The joy and satisfaction of watching my kids solve puzzles and conquer challenges kept me creating. And now, I can’t stop myself from making more and more games!

But enough chit-chat; let’s dive into the fun stuff!

To create a mind-blowing escape room adventure for the whole family, all you need to do is choose a captivating theme, create a thrilling storyline, and strategically hide clues and puzzles around your house. Oh, and don’t forget to make sure the challenges are just right for your players. We want them to have a blast without feeling overwhelmed, you know? Add some exciting decorations and sound effects to amp up the excitement, and give it a clear objective and an ending that will leave everyone feeling like a winner. And hey, a prize at the end is definitely a game-changer!

Escape Room Themes

Now, here’s a list of 10 awesome themes to get your creative juices flowing. But the possibilities are endless. Think about what your audience love the most – their favorite TV shows, sports, and activities. Aha! There you have it – the perfect starting point to create a memorable escape room adventure tailored just for them.

• Dinosaur Park
• Chocolate Factory
• Pirate Adventure
• Night at the Museum
• Haunted House
• Space Adventure
• Time Traveller
• Mad Scientist
• Zombie 
• Trapped in a Computer Game

AFFORDABLE ESCAPE ROOM IDEAS

I don’t believe you need to spend a fortune on special materials to create an epic DIY escape room for kids. You probably have a few bits and bobs lying around that you can use. Here are a few things you can use to add fun to your escape room.

boxes and containers

Boxes and containers of all different shapes and sizes. Great for hiding clues inside. Anything can be used, an old pringle tube, a hollowed-out book, a Tupperware box, a file folder and even a backpack. I like to lock items inside with clues attached to help players open them. You don’t need to have a hasp attached to your box, string wrapped around or a lightweight chain tied shut absolutely does the trick.

Add some Locks

Most of us have a lock or two floating around the house. I have gathered a collection of cheap locks over the years that I will use for my games. I have a blog post all about different types of locks and includes a free printable escape room lock kit. There is something so satisfying about discovering a locked box and figuring out how to open it!

The power of LIGHT

Light up your game with the power of light. And let me tell you, UV light is where it’s at!
And speaking of UV light, it’s a must-have for any game. There is something magical about revealing a hidden message that can only be revealed with the black light. Trust me, it’s a game-changer. Luckily, you can find the perfect supplies on Amazon. Personally, I swear by the edding 8280 pen. It’s a long-lasting gem of a pen. Now, if you’re throwing a party, the mini kid’s pens are a hit. They may not have the same durability, but hey, they make fantastic party favors. Plus, they come with a handy mini black light. Talk about a win-win!

• UV Marker pen and key fob lights.
• Kids Favour pens with light
• UV torch

Now here’s a simple but fun idea. Try this for a really simple escape room puzzle. You will need two pieces of paper. Half of the information will be written on one piece of paper and the other part on another. Individually, they may reveal nothing, but once overlaid, ta-da! The secret message comes to life. All it takes is a trusty torch or simply holding up the paper to strong light. But hey, why stop there? Let your imagination run wild! Create a challenge by using codes instead of words, or keep it simple with pictures for the young ones.

Use your senses

Get ready to take your escape room games to the next level by engaging all of your senses! Most escape room businesses overlook the incredible potential of taste and smell, but not us. At home, you have the advantage of knowing your players personally, so why not add these extra elements for an unforgettable experience?

But how do you incorporate smell into the game, you ask?

It’s simple! Have your players sort out different scents by placing a piece of paper with a drop of essential oil on it. Prepare a few pieces of paper with various scents, like floral, citrus, earthy, and more. On one of the papers, write the crucial clue, while the others act as decoys. You can step it up a level and have the clue written with a UV pen, now that’s sneaky!

When your players sniff the piece of paper with the targeted scent, they’ll unlock the answer they’ve been searching for. It’s an ingenious way to engage their sense of smell and elevate your game to a whole new level of immersive fun.

JIGSAW PUZZLES

Jigsaw puzzles are really easy to create, and you can adapt this simple activity to make some really fun kids’ escape room puzzles. You may have an old puzzle at home that you can use or purchase a cheap dollar store puzzle. Write your clue on the reverse of the picture. Have the players assemble to puzzle to reveal the message.

Here is a simple idea you can use. Grab a cheap picture frame and, using a UV pen, write your clue on the reverse. I printed out two identical photos. I placed one inside the picture frame and placed it in the room where players could easily see it. The other picture I cut up into a puzzle and placed inside a plastic wallet along with the blacklight torch. A nice easy puzzle to create and set up.

I like to make my own puzzles. I will create an image to match my escape room theme, and on top, I will write a message. If the game is for older players, I will write my message using a code. Perhaps Morse code, braille or a pig pen code that needs to be deciphered. I have a spy kit in my shop with nine different cyphers you can use to make your secret messages. When you are happy with your message, cut the picture into pieces to make a puzzle. You can even use pictures cut out of magazines, write your message on top and cut up to make your puzzle.

Sorting puzzles

If you have a three or four-digit lock, these types of clues are a lot of fun. For a three-digit lock, you will need a collection of three objects that need to be sorted. Items can be sorted by size, shape or colour. Here is an example. I have locked a box with the code set and 194. Attached to the box, I have a picture of a knife, fork and spoon. Next to the box, I have a collection of those objects. 1 knife, 9 forks and 4 spoons all jumbled up. All the players need to do is sort and count each of the objects.

My absolute favourite way to use this type of clue is using a bag of sweets. Jelly beans or M&M’s are my go-to. Players sort the sweets via their colour. This particular clue was super popular, the kids enjoyed eating the sweets as soon as they had solved the puzzle. I used this in one of my Halloween games. If you would like to use this type of clue I have a free printable you can grab on this post https://lockpaperescape.com/fun-locks-for-your-diy-escape-room/

Preparing your Escape Room

You can have as few or as many puzzles as you like; there isn’t a magic number. Variety is more important. A single simple puzzle can be separated and made into a more complex problem-solving task. Always keep in mind the skill level of your players. You can make a simple puzzle appear more complex and interactive by simply hiding and locking elements into boxes. Each found element reveals more information to help solve the puzzle.

I encourage you to hide away puzzle pieces and clues. Tuck clues into books, poking out from underneath a cushion or taped on the underside of the table or scrunched paper clues thrown into a clean wastepaper basket. There are lots of places to hide puzzles.

SET SOME GAME RULES

When setting up your puzzles, think about where you want the children to look for clues. It’s a good idea to set out some rules at the start of the game. For example, no looking under the sink. A few simple rules ensure you don’t have a gaggle of eight-year-olds rummaging around in your knicker drawer or rifling through Dad’s prized vintage vinyl collection!

It goes without saying someone should be around to supervise and offer hints if needed. My biggest piece of advice is to let the kids engage their grey matter and work through puzzles. Part of the joy of an escape room is experiencing the ah-ha moment. If you step in too soon, offering a hint, you may inadvertently stop that magic moment.

When I run my games, I offer the players hints in exchange for a forfeit. They usually have to perform something silly, a tongue twister or maybe hopping on one leg pretending to be a pirate for a minute. For example my favourite way to offer hints is to have them fish out a hint cards from different tubs of slime. Such as cooked spaghetti or those slimy floristry beads, what ever it is they have to rummage around to pull out a card in exchange for a hint.

ESCAPE ROOM Finale

Once you’ve got those puzzles sorted, it’s time to give some thought to the grand finale! What’s the big reveal? How will you make it satisfying? Maybe a locked treasure chest filled with goodies? You definitely want to leave your players feeling satisfied with their efforts and excited about the reward. And If you really want to make your game one to remember, decorate with props and play some atmospheric music (youtube is a goldmine).

I hope this blog post has been super helpful. I love making escape room games and hope you’ll have a blast too. If you love the idea of an escape room but want something to get you started why not look at some of my done for you kids escape rooms.

KIDS PRINTABLE ESCAPE ROOM GAMES

• Night at the Museum
• Chocolate Factory
• Skull Island
• Escape the Witches House
• Kids Zombie Escape Room
• Kids Halloween Escape Room
• Christmas Escape Room
• Qupids Quest Valentines Escape Room
• Easter Bunny Escape Room