If you are thinking about a fun, enjoyable and immersive experience for you and your family, have you considered an escape room?

You’ve probably heard the stories before about escape rooms being scary or not suitable for children, pre-teens or teenages. Well, you’ll be surprised to know that escape rooms are one of the most popular choices for family activities because of the excitement and thrill that they bring.

True, there are escape rooms that are very adults-only, but that doesn’t mean that they’re all like that. It’s just a matter of conducting the right search.

So, how do you find one that is suitable for your family? Firstly, let’s take a look at what an escape room is and why they’re for your family.

What is an Escape Room & Why is it for the Family?

Well, the name says it all: you need to “escape” the “room”.

In simple terms, you’ll be locked in a themed room with your family and have to search and solve riddles, crack passcodes, open all the locks and find hidden items so you can get out of the room. You’ll have to do it within an hour, so you’ll be locked in there forever (jokes! No, no, you’ll be released when the timer ends).

Escape rooms are fun for all families because they promote teamwork, build trust between parents and children, while encouraging your children to think outside the box to solve the problems. It can prove helpful with their educational and social lives, inspiring them to take on greater challenges in the future. Plus, who doesn’t love to win a game as a team?

So, let’s discuss how you can find one for you and your family.

Best Tips to Find an Escape Room for Your Children

  • Ask your fellow friends and family members about specific locations that worked for them and their children
  • Search online and read reviews about locations. The better the reviews and ratings, the better the experience for you and your children
  • Check Google Maps to find a convenient location near you – you don’t want to drive too far out to enjoy one
  • Check ‘escape room’ directories that highlight the best places within the local area. You’ll be able to weed out the ones that are not suitable for children

What to Look For in an Escape Room

Once you find an escape room location, it’s important to know what to look for. Listed below are some of the key factors that you should consider when looking for an escape room for your children.

Escape room
Young friends looking at wooden rosary while solving conundrum as detectives in quest room with old furnitures

If the Location Offers Kids-Friendly Options

Not all escape rooms have to be scary. Many are just joyous adventures that can feel like you’re trying to steal a precious jewel or solve a “who did it?”. Make sure you look to see if the location offers kid-friendly options, and see if they are suitable for your children.

For example, the team at Arcadia Adventures Escape Room offers two awesome escape rooms that are great for all ages: Ye Olde Horrible Dungeon (where you’ll escape a wizard’s tower) or A Golden Acquisition (where you’ll have to steal a golden artifact).

Make sure that the ‘story’ and the ‘theme’ is suitable for your family. As you can see from the examples above, they’re some great choices out there for you and your family – you’ll be surprised at what you can find!

Ensure the Location Allows Children

Not all escape room places allow children. That could be due to the themes of the rooms (such as horror or violence) or if they are strictly “adults-only”. In many cases, though, escape rooms allow children under a certain age to participate as long as they are with their parents. Ensure that the location allows children in the first place.

The Difficulty of the Escape Room

You want your children to have a good time, so it makes sense that the puzzles shouldn’t be overly difficult or complex. That’s why you should inquire about the difficulties of the escape rooms, asking whether or not they’re suitable for children.
A simple escape room can encourage your children to think outside the box, helping them solve riddles and puzzles. But if it’s too difficult, they’ll struggle and not enjoy themselves. And what is the point of the escape room if it’s not fun?

The Ratings & Reviews of the Location

What other people say about location will tell you a lot about what you’ll experience. So it’s important to search for key terms, such as “kid-friendly” or for “families”. Note down any reviews and ratings that speak highly about their experience as a family. It can prove decisive in your search and selection.

We hope that this guide can help you find an escape room for your family. Believe us, you’ll have a fantastic time together – and you’ll continue to do it in the future!