Make Your Own Breakout Games

This is a pretty strange time to be a teacher. Or a student. Or a parent.

Actually, this is a pretty strange time to be anybody. 

And amid the barrage of media coverage, all the song suggestions for lengthy hand washing, and trending vocabulary (like social distancing, pandemic, and epidemiologist), the meme that stays stuck in my head is: Remember the days when we were terrified of romaine?

(I'd obviously go back to avoiding Chipotle's Salad vs. what we're dealing with right now.)

Teachers scrambled to put assignments online, often with limited notice, resources, or guidance. And to add to the anxiety, many are also parents whose children were simultaneously becoming distance learners in their own homes. It's been rough. For many, it's still rough. If even a little of this sounds like your story, my hat's off to you and I hope you're accepting the title of hero because it fits you. Frankly, it always has.

I didn't plan on writing about that at all, but it's on my mind and I know you're out there and I hope you're doing ok.🧡

All that being said, some of you are getting bored. (It is possible to be busy and bored at the same time.) You and your kids are out of your routine and there is nowhere to go. So, first, here's a Free Easter Breakout Game. Minimal prep is needed, but it's a fun boredom-buster for your own kids, as well as for your students. It's intended for children in grades 2-3, but as a "family game," older children can help younger ones with the challenges, making it a fun cooperative activity. And instead of competing with one another, they're only racing against the clock.

You know what else is a fun boredom-buster? Making your OWN breakout game. After using this one, try making one for your family or for the children you teach. 

By making your own, you can tailor the skills and level of difficulty specifically to the people who will be playing the game. And don't worry about making it high-tech. In all the Escape Rooms I've ever paid to go to with friends, we've never had access to an iPad or computer. 

If you've done breakout games in the past, then you know you can get creative with themed artifacts, locks & keys, flashlights, mirrors, magnifying glasses, riddles, and so much more, but these are the basic bones of designing your own game: 

Feeling up to it? 

You're thinking about it, aren't you? 😉

Happy teaching!