With the novel coronavirus keeping most of the world inside their homes, people are looking to the digital world for their entertainment. From movies and tv shows to books and games, more and more is becoming available online.
The worldwide epidemic has quickly escalated into a situation where people are being asked to stay inside their homes as much as possible. Games such as escape rooms are a great way to pass the time while stuck inside.
While the do-it-yourself escape room is nothing new, becoming a popular addition to many parties, the concept is only increasing in popularity as the days of quarantine turn into weeks, with the possibility of months looming over us.
How Does It Work?
There are many options currently available for creating your own escape room at home or participating in one online. Some offer everything you need, including setup directions, a backstory, puzzles, and clues in a handy, printable stack of files. Meanwhile, others offer a listing of physical objects you will need to collect in order to play. Still, others have an online portion, such as a website or app, that includes things like a soundtrack or setup instructions, that you will need access to in order to play.
In essence, an escape room is really just a series of puzzles that must be solved in order to earn clues to help you find your way to freedom. As such, they can really be played anywhere (although it may be more fun and provide a bit of atmosphere to play in one single room).
The printable options can be printed right at home, or through a professional printing service if you would like to keep the game for future use.
Setting One Up At Home
Once you have found a printable or online kit you enjoy, if you are going to play with a group of people (your family, for example), you will want to go through all the puzzles to be sure you can solve them. Be sure to print off some blank cards. You can write hints on these to hide throughout the room to help your family members out if they get stuck. Some kits even allow you to set up the game without giving out too many hints which allow you to join the game as the organizer.
It is also important to remember that all puzzles can be modified to the ability level of the players. You do not need to have special computer skills to do this, many sites will offer tutorials to help you along.
You can choose to decorate the entire room to really get into the theme of the experience or pack the game into a single box that can be easily taken out for a night of fun at a moment’s notice. There are lots of options here, from how to set up the puzzles to using props or printable pictures, or even smartphones. The most important part is to have fun with it and not just think of the actual game. The decoration and set up process can also be super fun.
Printing out a variety of these rooms will help you to create a weekly night of family fun. While some of these kits are available for free, with a little research, others come with a small cost. With much of the world out of work for the time being, the cost can be a major factor right now. Pinterest is a great resource for finding free or cheap options for setting these games up. Each of these options can be just as fun, it is up to you how much you want to put into it.
Final Thoughts
The kits are a great way to pass the time while you are quarantined with your family and can be a great way to keep your stay-at-home students engaged! Consider using them during the day to break up the “school” day. The puzzles will keep your children thinking and learning while having some fun doing it. In addition, the game requires constant communication between players, which can allow the kids to learn how to work together, instead of fighting all day.
Escape room puzzles are a great way for family members to bond with each other and have a bit of fun while we are all inside being socially distant from the rest of the world.