How to Make an Escape Room for Kids

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You have 1 hour to escape, can you do it??? I love creating an escape room for kids and my kids love when I plan one for them. I have so many escape room ideas and escape room clues that I am excited to share with this activity. Hopefully you are able to use some of the ideas in your own escape room at home!

This is our second room that I created for my kids on a rainy day. My kids are getting faster and faster at solving their escape room for kids.

Escape rooms can be created without spending much money at all. Use clues and puzzles that seem interesting to you, and that your kids will enjoy. Also, use materials that you already have.

Escape rooms are create for encouraging problem solving skills and team work when it is done with a group.

You can trade out a clue for another one that works better for you. A link to a list of 40 escape room puzzles can be found at the bottom of the page.

Make sure to always supervise children when doing escape rooms.  Use puzzles that are age appropriate, safe and placed in a location that is safe for the children doing the escape room. 

escape room for kids

Setting Up Your Escape Room for Kids

To start off the room, I put on suspenseful music in the background. I told my kids that they had one hour to ‘escape’ the room.

They could actually take as long as they wanted, but they liked the idea of racing the clock. And they felt really successful when they solved everything in under 45 minutes.

escape room for kids
The first clue. The letter “e” code.

Below are the puzzles and clues for this escape room for kids that you can easily recreate at home.

The Clues

To start, on the bedroom door there is the letter “e” code. Initially, my kids both thought they should then be looking for something that starts with the letter “e”. 

The code is actually the pattern to unlock my phone, which I left in the room.  Once they figured out that it was my code to unlock my phone, they were able to find their next clue.

Once unlocked, my background photo on my phone was photo that they recognized as one of their finger puppets – and a key. 

escape room for kids

If I were to use this clue again, I would make it a simple shape or an outline of a phone. Only because I had intended to start with a fun and easy clue. However, my kids were thrown off a bit because of it being a letter.

They immediately searched the room for the puppets. 

They found the bin of finger puppets under the bed.  Inside they found the puppet from the phone image – and a key! 

They also noticed the invisible ink pen; however, no other clue as to what the pen was for, but they knew it must be for something!

escape room for kids

After unlocking the treasure chest from the bed, it revealed a marble and a blank puzzle piece.  The puzzle piece implied that the rest of the puzzle was somewhere in the room, and maybe had a clue on it. 

As for the marble, they immediately knew what to do with it.

escape room for kids

The Marble Run

The marble went through our marble run.  I taped the tubes down because I didn’t want it to get bumped and then the marble go in a different direction. 

When dropped, the marble falls into one of the white cups at the bottom.  The one that it falls into gives them a 3 digit number.  This number is the code for a lock.

This marble run is a fun building challenge for kids to do. My kids had been working on the marble run the other day, so I was able to slightly change it to make it work for the room.

Challenging children to create the run is also a fun activity for participants to build and feel that they had a part in creating the room.

escape room for kids

Before using the number clue, they needed to find a lock or something that needed a 3 digit number to open.

Once they found the bin, behind the curtains, they were successful in taking off one of the locks, but they needed to keep searching to find the other number!

escape room for kids

Upon searching high and low, they found a puzzle (the rest of the puzzle) taped under the desk.  Quickly they took it down and started putting it together. 

It is a difficult puzzle because both sides are white, and blank.  However, they then realized that they had not used the invisible ink pen yet!

Taking out the invisible ink pen and shining it on the puzzle revealed some words and helped in putting the puzzle together. I love these pens!  They work so well and are perfect for escape rooms!  

My kids used the light on the pen to reveal the words that I wrote, “Check the one that does not belong”.  They quickly looked around the room and finally noticed the closet. 

I colour coded the shirts in the closet – except for one white shirt.  (No my kids closets are not usually colour coded!)

escape room for kids

Once they checked their closet, they figured out that it was the white shirt.  Once they took out the shirt they quickly found the number code written on it!

(It was an old shirt so it wasn’t an issue to write on it, however, you could print the number on tape and then stick the tape to a shirt.)

escape room for kids

Finally, the last clue.  They used the number, opened the box and took off the lock and opened it to find…

escape room

They were so excited to have solved their mystery room – with plenty of time to spare.  In the afternoon we went to the movies.   It made the movie even better because they felt like they had earned it!  Overall, it was a great day!

Escape Room for Kids Tips…

My kids solved the escape room for kids in just under half an hour, but depending on the age of participates time will vary. 

This escape room was definitely more challenging than our first, but just as fun. For more ideas and more escape rooms that we have created, visit the links below.

You can always change the clues based on what you have on hand. Typically I like to create my rooms with around 7-10 clues and they usually take 20-40 minutes.

If you are interested in certificates to add a little extra excitement to your escape room, you can print FREE escape room certificates from me.

Subscribe to join our mailing list and receive your escape room certificates to download right away as well as be notified about new escape room ideas and activities for kids. Join me today! Click image below.

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Escape Room Products

To make it faster to set up your escape room, below are links to some of the puzzles for this DIY escape room. The treasure chest is perfect for escape rooms because they include a lock and key… and they are adorable!

For more printables to make setting up your room easier, the pages that I use for clues and to celebrate our escape rooms are available below.

Print and Go Escape Room for Kids

If you are looking for a low prep escape room that you can do today, I have created print and go escape rooms. Print the pages, hide in specific locations around your house and your game is ready!

More Escape Room Ideas and Activities

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