Using Escape Games in the Classroom

Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the popularity of Escape Games.  Escape Rooms have popped up across the country with a range of themes from finding lost gold and raiding Egyptian pyramids to escaping Alcatraz prison.

After taking part in a few escape games with my wife and various friends, I kept thinking how engaging it would be to create an ‘Escape’ game that could be completed in the classroom.

Through working on an escape game type activity, children could develop a number of skills, including:

I have since created and completed 2 escape game type activities with my class based on the themes of an Alien Landing and the ‘Elf on a Shelf’.  I used one of the sessions as an observed lesson by the Headteacher and Deputy as part of Performance Management.

Despite the volume in the class being high, and organisation of children during the lesson limited.  The outcomes of the lesson in terms of skills developed  and their engagement were fantastic.

Creating an Escape Game

To begin with, I worked out how many groups the class would include so that children were working in groups of 4/5.  It was then time to purchase some resources, including:

• Key Locks
• Number Locks
• Directional Lock(s)
• Black Light Pens

Working in a school, it is a little awkward and a potential fire hazard to lock the children in the classroom, so it was easier give the groups a box which was sealed with a variety of locks and envelopes that could only be opened at certain points.  The children would be required to solve puzzles to eventually get into the box.

Also, whereas an escape game has winners and losers, to develop teamwork further, once each group had got into their box, the contents from each would form one final clue, which the class as a whole would need to solve to complete the challenge.

I then thought about the types of clues to give which would help to solve the puzzles and give the children the information needed to unlock the various locks.  The different puzzles included:

When children had solved each clue, the answers would either reveal a number to unlock a number lock, or a location in the class, where they would find a key, etc to unlock another part of the box.  They could then open the next envelope in the sequence providing clues and items needed to solve the next problem.

Setting up an escape lesson does take time to and effort to plan and create the resources, however, the enjoyment and engagement of the children throughout the lesson make it worthwhile.  I will definitely be completing more in the future, linked to the topics that are being taught in class.

Below are a few images of my scribbled notes created during the planning phase of each game.  They are hard to understand, but show the thinking that went into each puzzle and the order of receiving clues.

If anyone is interested in setting up an Escape Game in their class, I am more than happy to talk through ideas and support in any way possible, just get in touch via this page, my Facebook Page or on Twitter.