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 fuelled by cups of coffee, and I’m sure I sprouted several grey hairs in the process! But it was so worth the effort.

To create a fun escape room adventure at home, all you need to do is choose a theme, create a fun storyline, and strategically hide clues and puzzles around your house. It actually pretty simple

To make it pop, add some decorations and sound effects, and make sure the goal of the escape room is clear. Are you defusing a bomb or escaping a haunted house in a set time?

Escape Room Themes

Now, here’s a list of 10 awesome themes to get you started. But the possibilities are endless. Think about what your audience loves the most. Think about their favorite TV shows, sports, and activities. This is 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 Apocalypse
• 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.

#1 boxes and Container

Gra youtself some boxes and containers of all different shapes and sizes. They are 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 a hasp. String wrapped around or a lightweight chain tied shut works just as well.

#2 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. There is something so satisfying about discovering a locked box and figuring out how to open it!

#3 The power of LIGHT

Light up your game with the power of light. And let me tell you, glowing UV light is where it’s at!
There is something magical about revealing a hidden message that can only be revealed with the black light.

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. 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.

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

Light Clue Idea

Now here’s a simple but fun idea. 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, like a bright window.

#4 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 can’t use the 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 sense into your puzzle.

This clue is all about using your nose! Add a drop of essential oil to several pieces of paper, each with a different scent. Write information on each one, numbers, letters, or locations, but make only one scent the correct match. The rest are clever decoys.

Once players sniff out the right scent, they’ve found the answer they’re looking for.

#5 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.

Jigsaw Puzzle Idea

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.

Create your own puzzles to match the theme of your escape room. On top, write a message that is revealed when the puzzle is completed.

If the game is for older players, consider writing the message in code. Perhaps Morse code, Braille or a pig pen code

#6 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 to 846. In the room I also have a picture clue with three different coloured jelly beans on it. Next to the locked box, I have a bowl of jelly beans. All the players need to do is sort and count the jelly beans to reveal the code.

Jelly beans or M&M’s are my go-to. But you can use anything that can be sorted. Cutlery, coloured blocks, plastic bugs, you name it. So long as the players can count and sort the objects, you have a fun lock puzzle.

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 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.

Hints

When I run my games, I offer the players hints in exchange for a forfeit. I usually get the players to perform something silly, a tongue twister or maybe hopping on one leg pretending to be a pirate for a minute. They then don’t feel like they have just given up!

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