Last week when my students walked in the classroom and saw the escape boxes set-up, they started bubbling with excitement. I was asked no less than 100 times, “Are we going to do an escape today?”.  I let the suspense build until they just about couldn’t take it anymore, and then I affirmed that we were doing our Fraction Escape Activity, which you can find here.

Yes, this did require a bit of prep, but that excitement over a very challenging math lesson made everything so worth it! This type of activity is best used as a culminating task, not an instructional lesson. These tasks would have been way too advanced for my students at the beginning of the fraction unit.

As in all of my escape activities, I have students work in groups of four. I’ve found that a larger group decreases participation. It’s a little too easy for one or two students to take over. Groups of two or three would work, but that would also increase my prep and materials needed, so I stick with groups of four.

Materials

I gave each group an envelope that has everything they need to escape the “Fraction Fair”. I laminated any set of cards, so that I can reuse them. While I rarely print anything in color, I do for this activity. Since I only print one set for each group, it doesn’t feel so wasteful. I also gave each group a locked escape box. If I were using the digital version, I wouldn’t give students the box. Instead, they would use their Chromebooks.

Ideally, students would begin by reading the directions carefully. But, they don’t. Every time I’ve ever taught this lesson, students  immediately get started and then realize they have no idea what they’re doing. Then, they’ll raise their hand and say, “We don’t get it”.  I don’t help until they can articulate the directions, and I see that they’re actually confused. Otherwise, students develop a pattern of learned helplessness.

Clue 1

In clue one, students match equivalent fractions puzzle pieces. For example, they would match 5/10 with 3/6. After students match the puzzle pieces, they look at the numbers formed on the puzzles. They ADD each of those numbers together to get a 4-digit sum, which happens to be the 4-digit number code for the first lock. Over the years I’ve watched students struggle to keep themselves organized. I have seen more than one group correctly match all the equivalent fractions and then shuffle the cards back together before cracking the code. To help students understand the directions and to stay organized, I include a picture example on the directions and a very detailed recording sheet.

Fraction Escape Activity-Clue 2

Once students open the box, they’re ready for the next clue. In this task, students once again work with equivalent fractions. Some of the questions, like the first one, are fairly easy to get students started. But, of course that changes. They have to stop and REALLY think about the whole and how many parts are in the whole. They can’t rely on procedures or memorization. As they solve each problem, they circle the correct answer. The letters they circle form the code to the 5-letter lock.

Clue 3

In the third fraction escape activity, students solve fraction word problems with both addition and subtraction problems. As students solve the problems, they write their answers on a recording sheet to keep themselves organized as they crack the code. Students use the decoder wheel to determine what color to use for each number/answer.

Fraction Escape Activity-Clue 4

The last activity is my favorite, because it almost always stumps students. Once again, it forces them to slow down and to think about the relationship to the whole. The first row is rarely ever a problem. But you can guess what students will do with the hexagon in the second row. Yep, one-half. That shows how they’re trying to label wholes and halves as a set amount, rather than showing flexibility. When they do this, I don’t jump right in and tell them what the answer is, but I do intervene and redirect their thinking. When students finish the table, they add the whole numbers in the squares together to find the last code. When students open the box, they get an escape ticket. You can add a prize if you want, but it’s definitely not necessary.

As you can see the physical version of the boxes in the fraction escape activity offers a TON of engagement and novelty, but if you’re not ready for that yet, you can definitely start out with the digital version. If you want to learn more about implementing these types of lessons, be sure to check out this blog post.

I created these tasks to be a challenge and to require understanding of fractions, not just repeating steps. I typically give students our entire math block to escape, and sometimes, some groups don’t make it. I don’t try to make this an everybody wins activity. While the disappointment of not escaping is real, the stakes are pretty low, so it turns into a good learning opportunity. I’d venture to say that 90 percent of the time, a group doesn’t escape because they don’t work well together, not because of the math. And that has also led to some really good conversations and eye-opening moments for kids.

You can see this Fraction Escape Activity here!

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This Division Escape Room Lesson (you can find it here) is one of my favorite culminating activities to my 4th grade division unit. It incorporates so many skills and concepts into a fun and exciting format for students. I consider any lesson where students are so engaged and motivated that they don’t realize just how hard they’re working a success. In this post, I will share how I implemented this escape activity into my classroom.

As with my other escape rooms, there detailed directions on how to set up and prep the escape room. While, you definitely can’t consider this a “no prep” activity, you can greatly reduce the amount of prep time needed. I like to prep my boxes by setting everything out and assembling one lock at a time. I can usually get the boxes and locks ready in less than 15 minutes. If I use the digital version, I can be ready to go in less than five minutes.

In the division escape activity, there is also a detailed student direction page. It’s important to consistently remind students to go back to the directions page. Many times my students want to skip that step, and then they don’t know what to do or how to use the clue to determine the code for the lock. If  the question is something they can answer for themselves, I remind them to look back at the directions. This is one of the reasons I love these activities, because it encourages independence and problem solving.

Division Escape Room-Clue 1

In the first clue, students solve each of the long division problems on the recording sheet. I let students choose whichever strategy they prefer, since I use this at the end of our division unit. After students divide, they find the quotient to each problem on the bottom of the recording sheet. Students place the letter on the problem on top of the corresponding quotient. When they crack the secret message, they use that message to unlock the first lock.

Division Escape Room-Clue 2

Clue 2 is a lot of fun, because students are never sure how the recording sheet will actually give them the clue. I LOVE the expressions on their face when they “see” the clue. The numbers on the table are being used as dividends in division problems. Students color in all numbers that will be certain to have a remainder-no matter what the divisor for the problem is. Encourage students to not attempt to try to solve every possible division problem. Instead, students think about divisibility rules and use the process of elimination.

Division Escape Room-Clue 3

Clue 3 contains task cards where students must interpret the remainder to a division word problem. There are three answer choices at the bottom of each task cards card. Students select the best choice and write down the corresponding letter. After completing each of the task cards, students unscramble the letters to find the code for the next lcok.

Division Escape Clue 4

Clue 4 focuses on the representation of long division through area models, partial quotients, and place value. In this clue, students find the missing number in a division equation. Students solve each of the problems on the Clue 4 task cards. After they determine the five answers, they place their cards in order from the smallest answer to the greatest answer. This is the order of the letters for the 5-letter lock.

After students complete Clue 4, they escape the division dungeon. You can give students a prize for escaping, or the act of escaping can BE the prize.

As with my other escape rooms, I’ve included a digital version, so you do do these lessons without the boxes and locks. If you’d like to learn more about the set-up and assembly of escape rooms, be sure to check out this blog post. It has a lot of useful ideas that you can use with any escape room.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this Division Escape Room Lesson!

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This Christmas escape room activity is so much for students and teachers! I love any and all Christmas related activities. I also love escape lessons in the classroom, so I decided to combine two of my favorite things to create a Christmas Escape Room activity that is perfect for upper elementary students. This is not a grade level or standard specific breakout project. Instead, this Christmas Escape Room activity focuses on critical thinking and reasoning, and a whole lotta fun! If you need ideas on how to implement an escape room activity, be sure to check out this blog post.

Christmas Escape Room Activity – Set the Stage

In this Christmas escape room activity, students have to escape from Santa’s naughty list. There’s been a terrible mix up at the North Pole, and the class has accidentally been placed on the naughty list! This was a mistake and everyone is supposed to be on the nice list, so students must alert Santa of this mix-up! However, for students to get the message to Santa and escape the naughty list, they must solve a series of four Christmas puzzles.

Clue 1

To prove that students belong on the nice list, they’ll need to sing a few Christmas carols. Students must decipher the picture clues to determine which 12 carols to sing. They will write the title of the song that each card represents on the recording sheet. I’ve tested these out with several students. Some aren’t too difficult, but some were fairly challenging. Fortunately, with students working together they won’t have too much trouble identifying all of the carols.

Clue 2

In clue 2, students learn that Santa accidentally jumbled up his Christmas list. They must help him by finding the hidden words on the list. The letters that are NOT used will give students the next code to discover the following clue.

Clue 3

For clue 3 in the Christmas Escape Room, students must help Santa find what number goes at the top of his tree. To find the missing number, students should add side-by-side numbers and write the sum of those numbers on the hexagon above that number. The number at the top is the code for the next lock. The higher students work their way up the tree, the larger the numbers will become, so there is a bit of math involved.

Clue 4

In the fourth portion of the escape, students help Santa organize his supplies. To do this, students need to match the Christmas items on the Christmas puzzle. To complete the 3-by-3 puzzle, students should reconstruct the squares so that all of the images match on every interior side. Once students complete the puzzle, use the top three images and the decoder wheel to crack the code!

Christmas Escape Room

I have included multiple versions of this Christmas Escape Room to meet your classroom needs. One version is for a physical setup of the activity, and the second version is for a hybrid digital version of the activity that does not require boxes or locks. In both versions, break students into small groups of approximately four per group. If you use the digital version, you don’t need any special locks or boxes, which does simplify it a bit. I’ve written a blog post that severs as a how-to guide on implementing digital and physical escape lessons, and you can see that here. I also made You Escaped cards, and I will probably add a candy cane or something seasonal to our smallest boxes. I feel very confident that everyone will make it to the nice list on this Christmas Escape!

You can check out this post for a huge collection of Christmas activities!

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I cannot tell you how much my students and I LOVE completing math escape rooms. These escape lessons are some of my favorite activities of the entire school year. Now that I have a little experience and practice, it’s a cinch for me to prep and set-up, even when using the activity with three groups of math in one day! You can learn more about the management of escape rooms here.

I’ve given my Multiplication Escape an Ancient Egyptian theme, where students must escape the curse of the multiplication mummy. Students must find the map that will guide them out of the pyramid in which they are trapped.

As with my other math escape room activities, there is a physical version and a digital version. This means students can still participate in the activities without access to the locks and lockboxes. Instead of using the locks, students can enter the codes in a Google form. I also have a third grade version and a fourth grade version to meet specific grade level standards.

In clue 1, students must match the multiplication comparison statement with the corresponding number sentence or number. For example, students must recognize that 21 is three times bigger than seven. Students will use a ruler to connect the statement and answer, and as they connect the dots they will cross out letters. The letters that are NOT crossed out are used to open the 5-letter lock.

Since third grade multiplication standards are different, in the third grade version students match multiplication statements such as, “What is three groups of seven?”.

In clue two, students find the factors of 42, 54, 72, and 84. There are four factors that each of these numbers have in common, and those factors are the code of the 4-digit lock.

These numbers would be a bit large for third grade students, so I included smaller numbers in the third grade version. However, the concept of the activity is still the same.

In clue 3, students solve a variety of multiplication problems. There are a few problems where students find the largest and smallest partial product of a multiplication problem. However, the majority of the problems include 2-digit by 2-digit and 4-digit by 1-digit problems. Students use the symbol on each problem and the hieroglyphic decoding wheel to decode the message to open the next lock.

Once again, I needed to make a few changes to the third grade version of the math escape room. This contains 12 word problems, where I threw in a couple addition word problems to prevent students from assuming they should multiply to solve every problem. There are also several multiples of ten problems in this version.

Clue 4 has students complete sieve of Eratosthenes to find all of the prime numbers through 100. This is SUCH a powerful lesson for students. In fact, it’s so important, this will be my students’ second time completing this lesson. Trust me-they still need it! Students will follow a series of step-by-step directions to cross out all of the multiples of 2, 3, 5, and so on until the only numbers remaining on the chart are prime numbers.

While third graders may be able to complete this math escape room activity, I feel like it’s better suited for fourth grade, so I made a different lesson for third grade. This allows students to solve multiplication problems using the properties of multiplication.

Once students solve this clue, they are able to escape from the curse of the multiplication mummy! Remember, these can be completed with or without the boxes, and it’s not necessary to have any particular type of box or special brand of locks.

I have a set of math escape room activities for each of my 4th grade units. I’ve compiled each of the activities into an Escape Room Bundle. I don’t have the third grade bundle ready, but it will be coming soon!

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I absolutely LOVE using escape lessons or breakout activities to make my instruction fun and engaging for my students. Earlier, I shared a blog post on how I’ve started using escape rooms in my fourth grade classroom. The post gives step-by-step directions in how to implement and organize a physical or digital escape room or back to school breakout. You can find that post here.

I wanted to incorporate an escape lesson at the beginning of the year. But I knew that my students wouldn’t be ready for an academic breakout lesson early in the school year. This Back to School Breakout is quite a bit different from my other escape lessons, because it’s not directed toward a specific grade level or standard. Instead, this focuses on critical thinking and puzzle type activities that are suitable for multiple grade levels. Like my other breakout lessons, I have created physical and digital versions. So, you won’t need a ton of materials.

I store all of students’ materials in a manila folder. I create one folder for each of my groups, and I have four students in each group.

Inside the folder, I include a student direction page that gives an overview of each of the challenges in the escape activity. My students have learned that it is essential for them to read the directions carefully.

In the first challenge, students solve a four by four puzzle. That in itself isn’t difficult, but this is challenging, because the pictures do not assist students in solving the puzzle. Instead, students will have to work together cooperatively to put the puzzle together. Then students will add the digits in each row together to find the combination to open the first lock (physical or digital). I cut these out and store them in sandwich baggies inside the envelopes.

Once students complete the first challenge, they are able to begin the second activity in the packet, where they describe what they should do in various social situations. In this activity, students have a collection of task cards with different scenarios such as, “You and your friends are talking at lunch. You notice a student looking at your group but not talking. What could you do?” I feel like this type of activity is essential for developing soft skills with students and for developing a classroom community. I also store these in sandwich baggies and keep them in the envelope.

Since there isn’t a right or wrong answer, I added a second part to this activity. When students finish writing down what they could do, they will bring me their recording sheet, and I give them a maze to complete. The numbers on the correct path are the digits in the next combination. This portion of the activity should be quite fast, and it adds to the puzzle component of the escape room.

Clue 3 includes a back to school Bingo game. This will allow students to get to know the members of their group at a deeper level. There are 20 different events on the Bingo sheet, and if a group member has completed one of those activity, they should write their name on the line. When there are five spaces in a row, vertically, or diagonally signed, students have Bingo! I make a rule that each student in the group must add their name to a line at least once.

Since this is another activity where there is no clear answer, I’ve created an additional step to this activity. Students will use American Sign Language to decode the next clue. This spells out the colors used in the next lock. If you don’t have a color lock, I’ve also included a color wheel decoder, so you can use it with number locks as well.

In the final activity, students answer classroom procedure questions to find the letter combination for the last lock. This allows students to review some of our classroom procedures in a fun way. Since every classroom is different, I’ve included an editable copy for you! This will allow you to adjust the questions and answer choices to your classroom needs.

I love the challenge and fun this will provide my students during this busy time of year! You can see the activity here!

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As the end of the school year draws closer, I’m constantly looking for new ways to keep my students motivated and engaged. Last week I shared a blog post on how I’ve started using escape rooms in my fourth grade classroom. The post gives step-by-step directions in how to implement and organize a physical or digital End of the Year Escape Room. You can find that post here.

I wanted to let my students complete one last escape activity before the end of the school year, so I’ve created an Escape the School activity. This is quite a bit different from my other escape lessons, because it’s not directed toward a specific grade level or standard. Instead, this focuses on critical thinking and puzzle type activities that are suitable for multiple grade levels.

Getting Started

I store all of students’ materials in a manila folder. I create one folder for each of my groups, and I have four students in each group.

Inside the folder, I include a student direction page that gives an overview of each of the challenges in the escape activity. My students have learned that it is essential for them to read the directions carefully.

End of the Year Escape Room Challenges

In the first challenge, students solve eight rebus or word picture puzzles. Students are given a recording sheet and use the directions on the recording sheet to form the combination to open the first lock (physical or digital). I cut these out and store them in sandwich baggies inside the envelopes.

Once students complete the first challenge, they are able to begin the second activity in the packet, where they help the P.E. coach give ribbons for Field Day. In this activity, students complete a logic puzzle with two different parts. In the logic puzzle, students must determine which classes participated in which event in the school’s Field Day. Students must also discover what place each class was in on Field Day.

Clue 3 is definitely my favorite activity in the pack! Students must turn in their overdue library books, but to do so, students must identify the book’s title from the quote on the library card. I have provided more than five library cards for this activity. This will allow you to select the best quotes for your students. Also included are blank library cards where you can add a quote from the book of your choice. I included quotes from many of today’s popular children’s chapter books to ensure all students can complete this activity successfully.

The flexibly in this lesson means you will determine the code for the five color lock. I’ve provided a code wheel, so you can use this activity with a 5-color or 5-digit lock. To determine the code, place the first letter of each of the five book titles you’ve chosen in alphabetical order. For example, I plan to select the quotes from the books: The Land of Stories (T), Fish in a Tree (F), Hatchet (H), Walk Two Moons (W), and The Tale of Despereaux (T). The first letter of the first word in each book in alphabetical order forms the code: FHTTW. There are multiple possible hints or scaffolding for this activity. You could provide students a computer to search the quotes. You could also provide the books and let students know which chapters to look through or mark the pages with a sticky note.

Final Activity

In the final activity, students match the school supply icons to clean out their desk/locker/cubby. This is a challenging activity that will certain require students to demonstrate their growth mindset. It is important to have the cards cut out prior to the beginning the lesson. I also store these in sandwich baggies. Once students solve the puzzle, they will decipher the code to escape the school.

I love the challenge and fun this will provide my students during the hectic end of the year! You can see the activity here!

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What are Escape Room Activities?

I like to think of escape room activities as a type of academic scavenger hunt. Students solve problems to discover a clue or code that will take them to their next problem. Let me use my Escape From Place Value Island as an example. Even if this particular lesson doesn’t fit your needs, it may help clarify what exactly an escape activity is. Just remember that each activity and type of code or clue can be different, it’s just one of the MANY possibilities.

To begin the lesson, I give each group a manila envelop full of the resources they will need for the activity and a box that is locked with three different locks.

Students begin with the baggie labeled with Clue 1. For example, in this clue, students determine which digit is in the ten thousands place in for each number. Once students identify the digit, they place the digits in order to create the smallest number possible and use that code to unlock the 4-digit lock.

Students move on to Clue 2 to solve five place value problems by determining which student is correct in various word problems. Students write the first letter of each students’ name on a line at the bottom of the page. The letters will create the code to open the 5-letter lock.

To find the code to open the last lock, students solve each of the rounding problems. As students round, they will color the corresponding number on the Clue 3 Recording Sheet. After students shade in the numbers, they should look at their paper to determine the next code.

When students open the lock, they will be able to open the box. However, inside the box is a smaller box with another lock on it. Students use Clue 4 cards to find the code for the next clue. To solve this clue, students multiply and compare 14 equation task cards using the symbols <, >, and = and determine how many of each type of symbol are used. Those numbers will determine the colors on the lock.

When students enter the code and unlock they box, they are able to escape the island with a cell phone (mini phone eraser).

Some teachers hide clues around the classroom, but I haven’t used that approach yet, but it is another way to create novelty for students. I’ve also seen where teachers use QR codes for the digital version, which would certainly work too. I don’t have access to ipads, so I haven’t tried that yet.

Materials for Escape Room Activities

You can either have students complete physical escape room activities. I thoroughly enjoy a physical escape activity. As far as the fun factor goes, it’s definitely my favorite version. However, it does require an investment of money and time. I had been eyeballing the kits on Breakout Edu for months, and I wrote a Donor’s Choose request for five kits. They are quite expensive at $150 each, so I certainly wasn’t going to pay for the kits out of pocket. I was just a couple weeks away from being funded when my project was fully funded! If you’re interested in a physical set-up I do recommend the kits. However, I think it would be completely possible to create your own physical kit. You would want the following items:

• larger box-about the size of a shoe box-make sure there is a place for a lock-Here’s one on Amazon.

• smaller box-any box that will fit inside the larger box will work-as long as you can lock it. If you can’t find a box, you could use an envelope and just poke a hole through the envelop for the lock.
• multi-lock-I had no idea what this was when I started, and it’s an essential material. You place it through the lock on the box. Then, the other locks go in its holes. That way the other locks have to be opened before the multi lock and open. I like this one.

• 3-digit lock-you can find these easily! I like this one, but if you have the box above, it comes with a 3-digit lock.

• 4-digit lock-these are also easy to find. Here’s another good choice.

• 5-letter lock-you’ll also want a 5 letter lock. I’ve heard good things about this one.

• 5-color lock-this is the tricky one. I can’t seem to find it anywhere but on Breakout Edu. Fortunately, I have thought of a way around this issue. I created a color decipher wheel where students can correlate each color with a number, which means you could just use a 5 digit lock, rather than a color lock. You can download the decipher wheel here.

There are other materials in the Breakout Edu kit. There’s an UV pen and UV light, directional locks, and shape locks. I haven’t used those resources yet, but I’m sure I’ll utilize those in my classroom. However, I’m trying to keep the types of materials I use in the physical set-up of my TpT products consistent and as minimal as possible.

There was a pretty steep learning curve for me in setting locks. It took me a little time to figure it all out, but once I got the hang of it with a little practice I could set the locks quickly. Don’t be discouraged the first time you set it all up. I reduced my prep time in half the second time I prepped an escape activity. I’ll share how I set up and prep in a bit. It’s also important to know that you reuse the materials every time you implement one of these activities. You don’t need a new set of locks for every lesson.

If you’re thinking that there is NO WAY I’m prepping all of this, and/or I’m not able to utilize something like Donor’s Choose for the materials, you’re in luck. There is a Plan B, which is a digital version of the escape classrooms or breakout activities. This requires FAR LESS prep and materials than the physical version. When I do a digital version, I do everything the same except the actual unlocking of the boxes. I don’t set-up any boxes or locks. Instead, students enter their codes in Google Forms. Sometimes there is a multiple choice version, where students select the one correct combination.

Other times, students have to answer a series of questions correctly. In the example below, students must choose the correct person for each question to be able to move to the next section.

There can also be a short answer question, where students key in the answer.

If students get a problem wrong, they receive the following message. Fortunately, they are able to go back and try again.

Each teacher will want to manage and organize the activities to best meet the needs of their classroom. I like to have my students work in groups of four, so that everyone has a turn to open a lock or enter a code. The obvious problem with this is that you need multiple kits. One suggestion is to give one group the physical kit and the other groups complete the digital version. Each time you complete an escape activity, you can alternate who uses the physical kit. It’s not a perfect solution, but sometimes we have to be creative and do the best we can.

My students LOVE these escape room activites, but I don’t use them frequently. I want to keep these special and a non routine activity, so I never do more than one activity a month. I wouldn’t use this activity to introduce or teach new concepts. Instead, I use it as a tool to allow students to apply or review concepts they have learned.

I don’t do a room transformation or set my room up in a special way when we do one of these lessons. I have my students sitting in clusters of four, and that is typically my students’ group for our escape classrooms. They are able to work together wherever they choose in the classroom, but once they’re in a spot they have to stay there. I make it a big deal for students to go to a different group and “spy” for clues.

When students are working on an escape room activity, I give each group two clue cards. If they need help, they have to use one of their clue cards, and I give them the help they need. Of course, if it’s a technical issue they don’t have to give up a clue card for that. This requires students to think carefully before they ask for help. They have to decide if the problem is something they can work through on their own, or if they genuinely need assistance. Once the clue cards are gone, they’re gone. Most teachers set a time limit for the activity. For example, my students had to escape from Place Value Island in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Although, I’ve been known to pause the timer every now and then;)

The boxes to take up a bit of space, but I was able to shuffle things around to make room for them in my cabinet. I store each set of locks in a small box that I stack on top of each other in the same box. Prepping for the lesson was a nightmare the first time I implemented this. I wondered what in the world I was thinking! The second time was better, not fast, but better. By the third time, I finally found a system that worked, so I’ll share what I do. Keep in mind your materials may look different, but you can get the basics of it. I can’t give a time estimation, because there are so many different variables. Using the escape classrooms I’ve made, I can easily set up from start to finish in 30 minutes.

I first set out all of my large boxes and place the smaller boxes inside the large boxes. It’s not necessary to have both sizes of boxes. You could just place all four locks on one box, but I think it makes it fun. Plus, the small boxes came with my kit.

I then lay out all of my locks. I store each complete set in a small cardboard box. I’ve labeled each set, so I’ll know which table is responsible for each set. That way if something is missing or broken, I’ll know who to talk to.

I begin with the end, so I place the You Escaped card in each of the small boxes. It’s not necessary to provide a prize or candy in the small box. The fun is in the game itself.

I close and lock the small box with the Clue 4 lock. I like to place Clue 4 in the big box, so it will be there when students open the box. However, it would also be okay to store it in the large envelope at the beginning of the game. It depends on your preference for escape room activities.

I close the big boxes and attach the multi lock. This was what confused me at first. I couldn’t understand how I would attach three locks on one box! This is how. I didn’t know they existed until I started do this.

I add the other three locks one at a time. I’ve found that I’m faster that way, because otherwise I keep forgetting the codes.

When all three locks on are the box, it’s ready! My students know not to touch the boxes until we’re ready for the activity. If I prepare them in advance, they may have to wait a day or two before they get to do the lesson, which drives them crazy!

Resources

I’m picky about my escape room activities, because I know exactly what I want for my students, and I need an easy to follow format. I’ve started created my own Breakout resources, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the activities. My goal is to have escape classrooms as a culminating project for for each of my third and four grade math units. I’ve finished with the 4th grade math resources, and I’m working on the 3rd grade resources now. I personally think these lessons are best suited for math, because of the problem solving nature of math. I’ve compiled each of the activities into a 4th Grade Escape Room Bundle. I don’t have the third grade bundle ready, but there are a few individual lessons ready.

If purchasing, make sure it fits YOUR needs. As I said above products that require a QR code reader won’t work for me, because we don’t have access to that. If you don’t have any physical materials, you wouldn’t want a physical ONLY product. I would also pay close attention to the rigor of the type of activities in the activity. Do you want students to recall facts or to problem solve and apply? What you select should meet your classroom needs.

Please let me know if you have any other questions about escape classrooms. I’m far from an expert, but I can try! Be sure to also read my posts on my Fraction Escape Activity, Division Escape Room Activity, and my Christmas Escape Room.

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