One of my favorite things about creating escape rooms is transforming simple materials from around the house, into something mysterious and fun! An ordinary key unlocks a new adventure, a piece of paper begins a quest, and a building block can be used to create something extraordinary. This collection of 10 DIY Escape Room Ideas use building blocks in a whole new way!

Kids love these interconnecting blocks. They love building with it and letting their imagination run wild. If you’ve got these plastic building blocks in your home, then you’ve got everything you need to create your own escape room at home.

The puzzles below all use building blocks and any interlocking blocks will work. Using them to create an escape room is a great way to encourage children to look at their blocks in a way they never have before.

The ideas below are intended to give you a springboard to create your own puzzles. The great thing about DIY escape rooms is that any puzzle you think up can be incorporated.

If you’re looking to add more puzzles using materials from home, beyond building blocks, check out the popular list of 40+ Escape Room Puzzle Ideas of if you want the fun of an escape room, without the prep try a Free Printable Escape Room Game.

Creating Your Escape Room

To create an escape room, choose at least 5 puzzles. There are ten DIY escape room ideas below. You don’t have to use all of the ideas for your game. Typically at least 5 puzzles will create an engaging room. If you have players who are older, or more experienced in solving escape rooms, including more clues will make the room more challenging.

You can create an escape room for one person, or a group of people. It’s up to you. Typically an escape room will run for about an hour.

DIY Escape Room Ideas – Alphabet Code

Alphabet codes are popular and effective as an escape room puzzle. They are also a great way to give players a detailed clue, but require players to work to solve the clue.

You need 26 different pieces to create this clue. If you don’t have 26 different pieces, you can combine two, or more pieces together to create a new piece. Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding piece.

Create another code on a separate sheet with the corresponding blocks to create a word, or sentence that player have to use the alphabet code to solve.

DIY Escape Room Game Mini Clue

Part of solving an escape room is looking closely at the room, and clues and noticing things that aren’t in plain sight. Fill a hole in a block, with something like air dry clay, and let dry.

When dry, print a number code, or a word onto the clay. This small clue is in front of players the whole time – if they look close enough.

You can help players with this clue by directing them to the correct piece. For example, you can tell players to check a grey piece, or a grey piece with 15 holes.

Find the Weight Clue

Give a specific weight players need to find. Your scale will need to be fairly sensitive and measure the weight of an individual piece. Players have to place a specific number of blocks on the scale.

Once the weight is found, players count the number of blocks. This number amount is the code for a lock.

Make sure to test this clue ahead of time. It works best if each of the blocks are the same size (and weight).

If you have a piece that is double the length of one of the other blocks (and therefore double the weight), players could use that and the weight would end up being correct, but the number (of blocks) would be wrong. Using blocks that are all the same size, would help prevent this.

DIY Escape Room Ideas – Blindfold Clue

You need two identical sets of blocks for this puzzle. Put one of the sets fully together. Leave all the pieces for the second one available to players, but nothing put together.

Players are then blindfolded for this clue or you can place the finished set inside a box that players can reach in and feel, but cannot see.

Players have to feel the creation that you put together. They then look at the pieces they have and try to put it together. Once they think they have recreated the original piece, the adult supervising the game can either approve it, and players will move onto their next clue, or tell players they don’t have it put together correctly and they have to keep building.

DIY Escape Room Ideas – Morse Code

Use morse code to create a puzzle. Use just a few blocks to tell players where to go for their next clue. In the example blow, the blocks spell out, ‘CAT’.

Not all players will know morse code. Place a morse code decoded in the room or give players access to a phone so they can look online to find answers.

Measuring Puzzle

Include a box or object along with a pile of blocks. Challenge players to build a tower or structure the same height as the box. Once they reach this height, players count the number of blocks it took to get to the top. This number will unlock a lock or something in the room.

Count the Color for a Code

This clue uses a few colored stickers to guide children to figure out their clue/code. When solved this clue will give players a three digit code. Players count how many blocks there are of each color. In the example below, players count the total the number of blue pieces to get the first number in the code, then the number of green, then red.

You can add extra pieces that are a different color from the dots. This is just a way to make the puzzle more complicated.

DIY Escape Room Puzzle Marble Run

Use a large board and place number codes around the outside. Give players instructions to create a path that will lead to one of the numbers on the outside. You can place a few building blocks around the board and then instructions to complete the board.

The example below shows a simple path, but you can add more pieces around the rest of the board for players to then place their pieces to create one completed path.

Players can then place a marble at the beginning and roll it through to one final number. Older players will be able to see the route to the end without rolling a marble, but the marble is a fun piece to add that younger players will enjoy using.

DIY Escape Room Ideas – Number Code

Use a small board and put numbers on a few of the dots by counting in order. Tell players which numbers to place a long block. For example, the number one in the example below is created by placing a block to run from number 34 to 114.

This puzzle can take awhile for players to count out the numbers, but depending on their age, they will likely figure out the pattern of 16 dots in each row and be able to place the blocks quickly.

For younger players, you can print on more numbers to start.

DIY Escape Room Ideas – Tower Clue

If your players love to build, then this is a great clue to include in your escape room game. Create a tower or some structure using the blocks and take a picture of your creation.

Before taking it apart, print words leading players to their next clue onto each block.

Then, take the pieces apart, print a copy of the photo and include it in the escape room as a puzzle for players to solve. In order to solve the puzzle, players will look at the photo and rebuild the structure using the pieces (that now have the words on them.)

Once together, players read the words to lead them to their next clue.

Subscribe to Hands-On Teaching Ideas

Join Hands-On Teaching Ideas to become the first to learn about latest products, promotions and activity ideas. When you subscribe you will also receive an email with a link to the Free Resource Library.

The library is filled with free printable resources that you can print and use today! From STEM activities and escape room games to family activity ideas and educational resources, there’s something for everyone and lots to keep kids busy, and learning.

More DIY Escape Room Ideas

Looking for more engaging, hands-on activity ideas? Check out more activity ideas to keep kids learning and having fun. Try a free print and play escape room game, more escape room puzzle ideas and 49 DIY escape room puzzles.