Unlocking Adventure: Family Escape Rooms

Hey there, fellow adventurous families! I’m a mom of five, and let me tell you, life in a big family is an everyday adventure. We’re always looking for new ways to have fun and learn together, and one activity that has become a favorite in our household is tackling escape rooms as a team. If you haven’t tried it yet, let me share why bringing your kids to an escape room can be a fantastic development opportunity for them. And here’s also a sneak peek at some of our FAVORITE places to go!

 

How It All Started

My oldest, MJ, is soon to be 10 and has moved beyond the standard theme parks, arcades, and family bowling nights. While he can still let loose and have fun with his younger brothers, I could tell he wasn’t being challenged as much as the younger kids during our outings and was beginning to feel confined and frustrated. So, I made it my mission to start finding outings that would align with his age and his interests.

Anyone who knows MJ knows that he’s a bright kid, always thinking, and is probably the biggest politician you’ve ever met. So, when he said he wanted to try an escape room, I knew I would eventually give in so why not just go for it! What I thought would be a day out with just MJ turned into a fun day with the 4 big kids ranging from 4 to 8 at that time.

 

We have done 3 different escape room so far:

Escape Rooms – District Eat and Play (districtoviedo.com) – Uncle Tick Tock’s Circus was a Big Top Circus themed room with bright colors, difficult puzzles and a cannon that opened into a very small slide into the second room.

Wizards Tower • Mystique Escape Room in Lake Mary, Florida – Wizards Tower was the “scariest” one I’ve allowed them to do so far. With their love for all things Harry Potter, I just had to bring them in to see if they could caste the right spells to find the magic gems (and they were amazing enough to allow the boys to bring in their own wands!)

Playground Escape Room | The Escape Game Orlando – The Playground on I-drive was the best one yet. Some of these rooms can be dark, a bit run down, and have wear and tear from a lot of visitors. This one was bright and cheery, had games the boys could relate to, and required much more teamwork which I love for the boys!

Each was fun and unique in its own way, and the boys had a great time in each of them. But there’s so much more to it than just fun, so here’s WHY we keep going back for more!

 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

In an escape room, there’s just one, shared, objective: Get out! Because the focus is so clear, it aligns everyone’s efforts toward that one purpose, which encourages them to work together. We either win as a team or lose as a team, and that’s exactly what I look for when planning family outings. And because each one of the boys is so incredibly different, they each bring a unique perspective and set of skills to the game, which encourages the boys to build off each other’s strengths or help each other out when someone is struggling. This is not only an exercise in communicate and conflict resolution, it is also a major lesson in teaching them effective teamwork.

In the Playground, not only do you have the normal teamwork lessons of an escape game, but you’re acting out the storyline of a class of students who are trying to get the golden dodgeball to make their way outside to recess. This allowed them to see how teamwork really can play out in their normal lives at school.

 

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

Yes, our school system is fantastic, and I do believe they focus on teaching the boys how to effectively solve problems and utilize critical thinking. But, honestly, there’s nothing like learning through play for kids, especially boys! Escape rooms are essentially a series of puzzles and riddles that need to be solved within a set time frame. This challenges children to think critically, analyze information, and apply their problem-solving skills under pressure. It’s like a real-life adventure puzzle that sharpens their minds and keeps them engaged more than sitting in a classroom ever could.

While there were desks in the Playground, the boys only sat in them for one quick second! The rest of the riddles and games revolved around things they would find in a classroom, toys they would have at recess and other tangible objects that made sense to them more so than magic gems and potions. Because of this, I could see them really get into acting out the story line and using their critical thinking in a third person state, questioning, “If this were my math assignment, how would I do it?”. It was exciting to watch them get correct answers and fill up their A+ report cards during the game!

 

Time Management and Prioritization

If you know anything about kids, you know that time management is nearly the last skill they ever want to learn or use in real life… unless it’s “How do we get out to recess the fastest?!” That’s what made the Playground so perfect for the boys. In general, escape rooms are a race against the clock, which means kids need to learn how to manage their time wisely. They’ll quickly understand the importance of setting priorities and working efficiently to make the most of the limited time they have. These skills translate well into many aspects of their lives, from school projects to household chores so having them go through a real practice scenario that resonated with their true desires in life was a great lesson on time management!

 

Building Confidence and Resilience

Nothing beats the feeling of successfully completing an escape room! When the prized, golden dodge ball came into view after we solved the last puzzle in the Playground, the look on the boys’ faces was absolutely priceless. The sense of accomplishment and the rush of solving complex puzzles boosts kids’ confidence levels and makes them trust their own thoughts and solutions. And even when we haven’t solved the puzzles in the past, the boys still learned the value of persistence and that it’s okay to face challenges head-on even if you don’t win in the end.

 

Conclusion

So, there you have it! Escaping from a room might seem like child’s play, but the benefits it offers are anything but just a game. It’s a wonderful opportunity for your kids to develop essential life skills while having a blast. Trust me, as a mom of five, there’s no greater joy than seeing my kids grow, learn, and have fun together. Give it a try, and let the adventures begin!