Your family enters a mysterious room and the door locks behind you, a clock starts ticking down. Can you work together to decipher clues and devise a solution that will unlock the door before time runs out? That is the premise of the escape room, a new entertainment trend that engages a group of people in a mutual pursuit to solve a puzzle.
“There really is nothing quite like getting locked in a room by choice just to have some fun,” says Laura Kelly, artist and mom of four. “Escape rooms are an awesome way to bond with children and create family connection time.”
Kelly’s family has visited several escape rooms. Puzzah in downtown Denver (with another location at Flatiron Crossing Mall), has a variety of adventures that are suitable for younger school-aged children, she says. You can experience everything from time travel to escaping an alien abduction. It’s through the puzzles and challenges that you support your children and naturally create teamwork, which is beneficial in all families.
Her family of six, with kids ages 11 to 20, also visited King’s Escape Room and had a blast as a blended family. “This hour of time locked up together forced our children to work together, play together, and escape together,” she says. “I truly believe that this experience, void of all technology, was priceless.”
Most escape rooms run between 40 and 75 minutes, which isn’t beyond most children’s attention span. The themes of the rooms vary greatly so, with many around Colorado, there is a theme most families will enjoy.
In addition to being a valuable family outing, escape rooms are beneficial for scout troops, birthday parties, and kid’s sports teams. The focus on working together instills valuable lessons in cooperation and belonging to a team.
Family-Friendly Escape Rooms
Puzzah! 2 locations: Downtown Denver and Flatiron Crossing Mall
King’s Escape Room
Near Havana and Dartmouth
