A haunted escape room at home

Every lesson

1. 

   Lesson 1 · 0:59

   A reason to escape

   Your turn: Write your story in one line, make a locked box, and pick a three-number code.

   Watch lesson 1 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Hi, I'm Tek! Today, your home becomes an escape room, and your family has to crack it!

   2. 0:07

      In an escape room, players find clues, crack a code, and open a lock before time runs out. Nobody gets locked in. The box does!

   3. 0:17

      Every escape room needs a story. Here's mine. The cookies are locked in a box! Crack the code before snack time ends!

   4. 0:26

      Now make the lock. Grab a shoebox. Put the prize inside, and tape the lid shut.

   5. 0:33

      Draw a paper padlock with three empty boxes. That's where the code goes. Tape it to the front.

   6. 0:40

      Pick a secret code. Three numbers. Mine is four, two, seven. Keep it hidden!

   7. 0:46

      Your turn. Write your story in one line. Make your locked box. Pick a three-number code. Then press Next.

2. 

   Lesson 2 · 0:54

   The clue chain

   Your turn: Pick three hiding spots, draw your chain as a map, and write one clue and one number for each.

   Watch lesson 2 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Now the fun part: the clue chain! Each clue tells players where to find the next one.

   2. 0:07

      Pick three hiding spots. Under a pillow. Inside a boot. Behind a plant.

   3. 0:13

      Draw a map of the chain. Start, then the pillow, then the boot, then the plant. Then the box!

   4. 0:21

      Clue one sends players to the pillow. Where do you rest your head at night?

   5. 0:27

      Here's the trick. Each hiding spot holds one number of the code. Four. Two. Seven!

   6. 0:35

      Keep every clue to one line. Hard enough to think about, easy enough to solve.

   7. 0:41

      Your turn. Pick three hiding spots. Draw your chain. Write one clue and one number for each spot. Then press Next.

3. 

   Lesson 3 · 0:54

   Secret codes

   Your turn: Put a different code on each clue: number, picture, or mirror. Then make a decoder card.

   Watch lesson 3 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Want your clues to be extra tricky? Hide them in a secret code!

   2. 0:05

      A number code. Every letter gets a number. A is one, B is two. So two, fifteen, fifteen, twenty spells boot!

   3. 0:15

      A picture code. Swap a word for a drawing. Look under the... pillow!

   4. 0:22

      Mirror writing! Write the clue backwards. Players hold it up to a mirror to read it.

   5. 0:28

      Use a different code for each clue, so every clue is a new surprise.

   6. 0:34

      Make a decoder card for the number code. A is one, all the way to Z is twenty-six.

   7. 0:41

      Your turn. Put a code on each clue. Number, picture, or mirror. Make a decoder card. Then press Next.

4. 

   Lesson 4 · 0:53

   Test it, then host it

   Your turn: Test it on one person, make a hint card, and host your escape room for your family.

   Watch lesson 4 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Before the big day, test your escape room on one person. Hide the clues, and let them play.

   2. 0:07

      Did they get stuck on a clue for a long time? Make that clue a little easier.

   3. 0:12

      Now make a hint card. One hint for each clue. Players can ask for a hint when they're stuck.

   4. 0:19

      It's escape day! Hide the clues and the box. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Read your story out loud.

   5. 0:27

      Hand over clue one, and go! Pillow, four. Boot, two. Plant, seven!

   6. 0:35

      Four, two, seven. The lock opens. Cookies! They cracked it!

   7. 0:41

      Your turn. Test it, make a hint card, and host your escape room for your family. You made an escape room!