5 reasons digital escape rooms will transform your teaching
I remember participating in my first escape room with a group of friends like it was yesterday. Starting off in the woods, finding our way into an old cabin, and then going down a SLIDE to get to the mines. I was completely transported to the time of the Gold Rush and fully immersed into the experience in every way. The sights, sounds, and even smells were all relevant to the theme of the escape room. I loved looking for clues, getting stumped, overcoming challenges, and watching the clock tick away as we worked to get out. (FYI: We broke out!) I. Was. Hooked. I would complete an escape room every weekend if I could. I was determined to create this same amount of fun for my kids in my classroom.
What is an escape room?
In a nutshell, you pay money for someone to lock you in a room for 60 minutes, and you work on solving clues and figuring out puzzles to escape before the timer goes off. You have a guide (sometimes in the room with you, sometimes through a screen) to offer guidance and hints if you get stuck. And did I mention how fun they are?!
So how does that work in the classroom?
Please don’t lock your students in your classroom and watch them through your window. BUT, you will still act as their guide as they work to solve challenging puzzles centered around reading or math concepts. You heard me say THEY, right? This is an experience for your kids to struggle and persevere while you take a backseat and act as the facilitator. (Fellow type A teachers, this was hard for me too.)
Sounds like a lot of prep!
CUE DIGITAL. No prep. No locks. All you need is at least one device and you are ready to rock. Now I love prepping for a physical escape game (it’s really not that much!), but I’ll save that for another blog post. If you have 15-20 minutes to preview the game, then you are ready to assign it to your students. As long as you understand the ins and outs of the activity, you can help your students when they get stuck.
Today I’ll be sharing 5 reasons why digital escape rooms are going to transform your teaching and turn you into a rockstar. (Even more than your students already think you are!)
If you are already on board with me, you can check out this FREE digital escape room that I made just for you! It will allow you to see what digital escape rooms are all about, and you’ll see why your kids are going to be begging for more.
Benefits of Classroom Digital Escape Rooms
Students will…
Become problem solvers
Escape rooms are not meant to be easy. They are meant to be a challenge where students are going to have to work hard, struggle, persevere, and learn how to overcome challenges. They might have to try multiple solutions before they find one that works, and this might be a struggle for some of your students! Escape rooms give students the chance to practice solving a problem, which I think our students desperately need. As the facilitator you can guide them and offer hints along the way, but the bulk of the brain power should be coming from your kids. Resist the urge to give them the answer if they are getting frustrated. Cheer them on and encourage them. They can do hard things when given the chance.
Think critically
An escape room is the perfect activity to practice critical thinking. Students must monitor, refine, and correct their thinking. They need to ask questions and offer solutions to the puzzles. They must be open-minded and flexible when their solution doesn’t work or they get stuck on a puzzle. They will apply their knowledge of the content and connect it to the challenges that they see in the game. It’s vital that we are providing our students with opportunities to think critically because it is such a valuable life skill, and it doesn’t come naturally–it comes with practice.
Collaborate with peers
To have students get the most bang for their buck, have them work together. I would never go to an escape room by myself and expect to break out alone–so don’t make your students! They will not be losing anything by completing the activity with a partner or in a group. Collaboration is actually one of my favorite benefits of escape games. I love hearing ideas and solutions that kids come up with to try and solve the puzzles–they always surprise me! Students need to practice voicing their ideas out loud and working through a challenge together. Their original idea might not be successful, so students can come together to brainstorm another solution. They can also be great cheerleaders and encouragers for one another if someone in the group gets frustrated or wants to give up.
Apply their learning
You need to make sure that you have taught all of the content that you want them to learn for that skill before they go ahead and try to complete an escape room. They will be applying the skills that you’ve worked so hard to teach them. This activity will really allow you to see who has mastered the content. This activity is different from a worksheet that just allows students to demonstrate knowledge on a surface level; they will be using their knowledge and digging deeper to solve the problems. I like to have students complete the escape game after completing a unit to ensure all skills are covered.
HAVE FUN!
Last but not least, your kids are going to have an insane amount of fun completing this digital escape room! Even though it’s challenging, they are going to be working so hard because they want to get to that “Congratulations” slide at the end. Their engagement level is going to be through the roof because they have a goal that they are working towards. They get to see their progression as they move through the different puzzles, which is an internal motivator. Students learn best when they’re having fun, and it’s one of those activities that they’ll never forget. My goal as a teacher is to make their learning “the best day ever;” this activity definitely checks that box.
Ok, I’m on board! How can I make this work in my classroom?
Here are some ways to implement an escape room in your classroom tomorrow!
- Complete in partners/small groups–this is a must for maximum success rate
- Whole group–the first time your class completes an escape room, do it together. Students can work out the problems on white boards while you navigate the game and click the links. Try this FREE virtual escape game out!
- Early finisher–give those high babies an extra challenge
- Morning work/math center–students can work for 15-20 minutes a day at their own pace and pick up right where they left off as long as they save their combinations that they’ve already solved (perfect use of the recording sheet)
- Complete after a unit as a celebration of learning
You know your students best, so tune in to their needs. Get rid of the expectation that they must complete it by themselves in 60 minutes or less. The goal is to have them practice problem solving while having an insane amount of fun.
Anything else I need to know?
There can be a bit of a learning curve to figuring out the format of the escape room. Here are some tips to help you (and your students) through the technical side of the game:
- Make sure Google Sites isn’t blocked–check out this freebie to see if it will work in your district! You can ask your IT dept. to see if they can unblock the site for you if your students don’t have access.
- Walk students through the Google Form so they will know what kinds of locks they’ll be solving–are they looking for digits, words, directions, etc?
- Remind them that any letters entered into the Google Form need to be UPPERCASE.
- Always remember that the puzzles are set-up logically. Order matters when figuring out the combinations.
- The game is set-up to be as much like a physical escape room as possible, so students will actually have to search for clues and puzzles. They will always click on actual objects in the pictures to find the puzzles. They will not be clicking in some random part of the sky to find something.
Now that you have the rundown on why digital escape rooms are amazing, I hope I’ve convinced you to give one a try. I’ve made this freebie so you can test out a game at no cost to you!
It includes 3 puzzles centered around 2 digit addition and subtraction. My other escape games that I’ve created include 5 puzzles, so the free digital escape game allows you to get your feet wet and try it out. If you are sold on all the benefits of digital escape rooms, check out this BUNDLE, so your kids can be escaping all year long! (It’s something that I’m also updating frequently, and you get all new games for FREE, regardless of when you purchased it!)
I know trying something new can be scary! You could always take a baby step and try it out with a small group of students before you tackle it with your whole class. This will give you a chance to see how it runs in action without being overwhelmed with lots of questions.
I remember feeling a little defeated when some of my students got stuck, or didn’t break out when I was first starting out. But even when that happens, your kids are learning so many good life lessons and still working hard on that content, so don’t fret! Remember, I’m here to support you! Reply and let’s chat about your questions or concerns.
Stay crafty,
