The Best Escape Rooms to Try with Kids

Over the last few years both Sunshine and Striker have become huge fans of Escape Rooms. The simple idea of solving riddles to proceed through a series of doors or rooms has been a challenge that both have enjoyed. But what is an Escape Hunt? Where can we complete one?

What is an Escape Room?

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Escape Rooms are a concept that has developed in popularity here in Australia over the last decade or so. There are a number to visit around Australia, quite a suite you can visit online and then versions you can create at home yourself.

Traditionally, an Escape Room is a physical space that you enter and then need to complete a series of clues, challenges or riddles to escape from. It is a game that you can enjoy alone, but is at its most challenging when you play against a friend or another team.In those that we have visited, we have always been able to physically get out if we want to, but the challenge is to work through the clues to get out rather than just walking out when you’ve had enough.

Physical Escape Hunt Rooms around Australia

Please note that all physical Escape Rooms in Australia are currently on hiatus. I will update this section as they begin to open again.

Escape Hunt

Escape Hunt rooms can be found around Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. With each challenge lasting around an hour, you can choose an adventure and then head into the room to uncover the clues and hopefully escape before your time is up. I’m really keen to try the Young Wizard’s Quest.

Virtual Room

I was not an early adopter of the VR Escape Room experience and recently, with reluctance, took Sunshine, her cousin and BFF to Virtual Room Sydney to give it a go. I was afraid that like many VR experiences I’ve tried previously, I would become dizzy. I’m now kicking myself that we didn’t try it earlier as it was iNCREDIBLE and my favourite of all escape room experiences yet.

Virtual Room is a Multiplayer & room-scale VR with 2 to 4 players working through the challenge. Each player physically has their own room, but in the game you are together. It is a fusion of the escape room concept and a full 3D cinematic experience which delivers a unique, immersive and mind-blowing adventure. We can not wait to try it again!

FREE Virtual Escape Rooms

Over the last few weeks we have discovered that there are numerous virtual escape rooms for FREE on the internet. Whilst I don’t find them as satisfying as physical escape rooms, they do provide a challenge for the kids that they have enjoyed.

Escape from Wonderland Digital Escape Room

Based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this escape room is intended for all ages although primary aged kids will probably need your help to complete this version.

Animal Adventure Breakout

Your class is off on an excursion to the zoo but on arrival you learn that all the animals have disappeared. Your challenge is to find the animals and return them to their home. Collect your badge at the end to prove you escaped.

Asteroid Collision

The year is 2135 and you are now living in space on the space station Freedom 2. Unfortunately, miners have made a mistake and a big chunk of an asteroid is headed straight for Freedom 2. Thousands of lives will be lost. You have 45 minutes to get into your secret lab, crack the code and save the space station.

Camouflage Caper

In this Escape Room a number of animals are using camouflage to hide from you. Use your detective skills to find them.

Cinderella Escapes

Who doesn’t love a good fairytale! In this Escape Room you need to help Cinderella get to the ball so she can meet her prince. Suitable for tweens and up, follow the clues and puzzles to get Cinderella to her happily-ever-after!

Dog Man Escape Room

Author Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man comes to life in this fun Escape Room. Help Dog Man escape.

Dr Seuss Escape Room

Explore the world of Dr. Seuss by completing all the tasks and unlocking the codes. There are five clues in total and these ones are a little tricky so the kids may need your help. Good luck!

Escape from StarKiller Base!

The Rebel Alliance needs your help! The mission is tricky though as you will need to infiltrate a First Order Star Destroyer ship that is stationed above StarKiller Base. You are required to steal information relating to the First Order’s starship manufacturing center. If you can figure out where the ships are put together, the Rebellion can destroy the factory–causing the First Order to finally admit defeat.

Escape the Fairy Tale (part 1)

In this Escape Room the Magical Book Fairy is in charge of collecting all the stories that happen in these enchanted woods. When she invites you to the enter the first of the fairy realms things don’t go quite as well as planned and you are challenged to escape.

Escape the Fairy Tale (part 2)

After escaping the last fairy tale, you take a walk through the enchanted forest when you notice some tracks veering off to the right. Soon you discover the Seven Dwarves have tricked you and you are challenged to escape.

Escape the Lion’s Den

On a school excursion to the zoo you find yourself exploring the African Savannah only to discover you’re alone and can’t get out through the gate. How do you escape?

Fortnite Battle Royale

This Escape Hunt focuses on reading comprehension which is cleverly hidden within the activity. After being air dropped into your next game of Fortnite with the mission to find a character called Twitch_Svenness.

Halloween Haunt

It’s All Hallows Eve and you and your friends have stumbled onto an old graveyard. You must figure out all of the clues and unlock the locks before the clock strikes 12 or else…

Hogwarts Digital Escape Room

I originally came across this Escape Hunt when writing Bring the World of Harry Potter Home for the Kids. In this Escape Room you have just arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and been sorted into your new House. The house prefect tells you about a new muggle trend where they lock themselves in rooms and have to answer puzzles to get out – no magic at all!

The Hunger Games

For fans of the Hunger Games series, this Escape Room may be right up your alley as you channel Katniss and try to win the Hunger Games? Will you beat the clock to escape?

Looney Tunes Escape

I’m not a huge Looney Tunes fan, for some reason I find them irritating. However, the kids love cartoons so they may like this too. Explore the worlds of the Looney Tunes characters by completing all the tasks and unlocking the codes.

Marvel’s Avengers: Escape from the Hydra Base!

You’ve just been recruited to the Avengers Initiative! Your first mission is to find and decipher the city location of a world-ending doomsday device that is currently being controlled by undercover Hydra agents. However, the Hydra base that holds the information goes on lockdown once you and your team walk through the command center door. What now? It’s simple (relatively). Solve all the puzzles to discover and decipher the doomsday device’s location while looking for the code to turn off the base’s security measures so that you can escape!

Pikachu’s Rescue

This is one for Pokemon fans. Pikachu has disappeared and needs your help! Can you solve the mystery of the Pokemon’s disappearance before time runs out? Are you up for the challenge?

Sherlock Holmes Digital Escape Room

You enter the study at 221B Baker Street to find the great detective, Sherlock Holmes, perched in his usual armchair by the fire. The detective is noticeably deep in thought, smoking his pipe, his face obscured by shadow. The Game is Afoot!

The Smurfs Escape

Help the Smurfs escape the evil Gargamel by completing all the tasks and unlocking the codes.

Spy Apprentice Digital “Escape Room” Adventure

This has been your dream your whole life: to follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest spymasters in the world—Carmen. Finally, the time has come for all of your skills to be put to the test! Carmen’s puzzles will lead you around the world as you try to find where she has gone.

States of Matter

This is a Science Escape Room where you need to explore the States of Matter to escape the room.

Escape Rooms to Create at Home

As a teacher, I love the concept of creating an Escape Room and have made quite a number for my students. I’m pretty certain that creating them at home will be just as easy.

What to include in your home Escape Room

For my own Escape Rooms I have procured invisible pens, a variety of different combination locks, small lockable boxes and UV torches to develop escapes that my students will love. But what to do with them.

Ciphers and Codes

Almost every single Escape Room we’ve tried has included some sort of cipher or code which we’ve needed to solve to move to the next clue. Luckily they’re really easy to create. Don’t make them too hard or the kids might quit early! I usually use a combination of hidden messages, Caesar Ciphers, and mono-alphabetic ciphers.

Locks and Latches

Locks are really important. I purchased some alphabetical combination locks for our Escape Hunts, along with some traditional lock and key and bike chains. I’ve even used old phones and set a pin number that needs to be worked out to unlock the phone to retrieve the next clue.

Maps

Who doesn’t love a good map? Use them to create codes, clues or simple directions. Make sure to keep them simple too.

Invisible Ink and UV torch

There’s something about some invisible ink and a UV torch. Add them to an escape hunt and the kids seem to go crazy with excitement. They are super cheap on eBay and will add some fu to your escape hunt.

Work Out Your Narrative

Every escape hunt needs a good story to back it up otherwise it’s just a giant puzzle. You need the kids to be able to connect the dots and link the clues. Map out what you want the kids to do, what clues you want them to work through and what the end result will be.

Break it down: theme, duration, prize, consequence.

A theme will ensure the kids use their imagination to place themselves in the game. The prize needs to be good enough to motivate them to finish the game, and the consequence of not finishing the game needs to encourage them to make sure that doesn’t happen (at our place, if you don’t escape you’re on dish duty that night!).

Lock Paper Scissors has a great Escape Room blueprint that will help you work this all out here.

Google Assistant

If you have a Google device at home you can play a plethora of games with it by activating your choice via your voice. This includes some Escape Room type games.

The Vortex

You have awoken on a derelict space ship, stalked by a hostile alien entity. Command a ragtag team of robots to reclaim your vessel, discover the mysteries of the past, and survive the Vortex…

Activate by saying “Talk to The Vortex by Doppio”.

Castle Blackhorn

Castle Blackhorn is a fantasy role-playing adventure for one or more players. Venture into to the perilous dead lands, alone or with friends, and fight the ancient evil that plagues the land using might, magic and cunning.

Activate by saying “Talk to Castle Blackhorn”.

The Darkness at Innsmouth

As Professor Wolfe, of Blessed Trinity University, you will be faced with choices that will decide your fate and, perhaps, the fate of all humanity. Will you live, will you die, or are there things worse than death?

Activate by saying “Talk to The Darkness at Innsmouth”

Lost In Space Game

Help the Robinsons from Netflix’s Lost In Space survive on an unfamiliar planet with Google Home.

Activate by saying “Play Lost In Space Game”

I’m a Detective

I’m a Detective brings out the detective skills in you. This bot contains fun and mystery questions.

Activate by saying “Talk to I’m a Detective”

Detective Mr Z

If you think you can be a detective, consider yourself challenged. Talk to people, investigate the crime scene and find the criminal.

Activate by saying “Ask Detective Mr Z to give me a case”

We will add more over time.

So what do you think? Do you want to try an escape room? What would be your preferred theme?

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