We won’t be trick or treating this year, but we will be doing some fun things at home with the kids like our Halloween scavenger hunt and treasure hunt. But, the big thing is an escape room at home! I’ve created an easy way for you to create a Halloween escape room at home for your tweens and teens, too!
I’m so excited for this! I’ve actually been working on this for awhile. It was hard, but then inspiration hit me, and it just came together all of a sudden. My kids loved it, and I think your kids are going to love it, too!
Table of Contents
What ages is this Halloween Escape Room at Home made for?
My kids are ages 10, 16, and 21. I tried to aim this at tweens and teens, and I tried to make it fairly challenging.
I was really worried, they’d do it in five minutes and think it was the dumbest thing ever. But…it was a challenge! They had to work together to figure things out.
Get the Files!
I’ve made this very straight forward for you to create at home. It’s a 20-page PDF. There are instructions, a list of supplies, all the printables needed for the escape room, as well as how to set up the house. I also included what the clues mean, so you can give a little help if needed.
What supplies do you need to make this Halloween-themed Escape Room at Home?
There is a list of everything you need in the files. Most of the items are things you have at home like cotton swabs and printer paper. There are a few items like a bike lock and black and orange balloons that you might need to purchase.
There are a few items listed that you probably don’t have on hand and can use a substitute like a combination lock you have on hand instead of a bike lock. Or, for the giant spider, you can totally DIY a spider out of cardboard painted black, etc.
But, some things are necessary that you can’t skip out on so that the clues work together — like the balloons.
How do you make an escape room at home?
This is basically an “escape the house” version. The lock will go on the front door, and you will be using the living room, a hallway, and the kitchen where the kids will search for clues and play games.
What is the theme of this escape room at home?
This is a Halloween-themed escape room that starts with a story about a witch–WHO LIVES IN THE ATTIC!
The starting clue is a letter from someone named Hutch Winter (anagram of Witch Hunter) addressed to you. Put it in an envelope and mail it to the kids if you have time, to make it look official.
The witch has somehow locked us in the house after stealing the Halloween candy. And, we find that the front door has a lock around it.
I made this into a little party for my kids, so the envelope was on the kitchen table with all the treats and eats. This Halloween spread of treats was created two-fold. It’s a way to hide things that the kids need for their clues and also as a little snack time.
I don’t want to give everything away in this blog post, just in case your kids might be reading it over your shoulder. Here are a few highlights:
There are moments of peril like when they must climb through a giant spider web to get another clue.
There are other times that your kids must work together to accomplish the goal, like when they have to avoid the witch hats on the floor and steal the evil witch’s broom.
My kids LOVED this part. They failed the first time and had to redo it, but they were so into it to help each other. I was amazed!
They were so happy when they figured out the last clue and were able to find their stolen Halloween candy.
My kids have never gone to an escape room, so they needed a little push at the very beginning to figure out what was going on. But, once that got their wheels turning, they did not need help.
I wasn’t keeping track of time, but it took them about 45 minutes to an hour to do the whole thing. We had a lot of laughs. They enjoyed it a lot and worked hard at figuring out the clues.
If you don’t have older teens/college kids to help the tweens, you probably will need mom or dad to do the escape room along with younger tweens.
More Halloween Activities
Looking for less involved activities for the family this Halloween season? Check out these fun activities.
- Let’s Go on a Halloween Treasure Hunt
- Neighborhood Halloween Scavenger Hunt
- Name that Tune – Halloween
- Halloween Printables for Kids
- Halloween Trivia & More for Kids & Adults
- Wicked Witch Twister