Escape rooms are popular because they involve a novel way to spend an hour or two with friends and family as everyone attempts to escape a pseudo death trap. However, for children, escape rooms can be especially fun recreational activities as the skills required to escape are the same types of skills required in daily life.
The variety of interpersonal skills involved help children in school and during play. Additionally, for older children, they help hone problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills that are key to success in relationships and jobs. Although the initial purpose of an escape room is to have fun, the underlying benefits in this type of game go well beyond a simple afternoon of fun.
1. Social skills
Social skills are skills that help you interact and communicate with others. Individuals with strong social skills are better prepared to build and maintain successful personal and professional relationships. When it comes to kids and escape rooms, participating in this fun activity can help children improve their current social skills and learn new ones.
Active listening
Active listening is the ability to listen to another person while he or she is talking to you. Some common behaviors an active listener engages in is ignoring distractions, looking at the person as he or she talks, and offering comments.
As you can imagine, participating in an escape room provides children a great opportunity to practice this skill. Listening to other players’ ideas and directions is a key component to successfully escaping the room.
Respect
Showing respect towards others is another important social skill that is necessary in everyday interactions as well as on the job. A major component in developing this social skill is determining when to respond to others and when to initiate a communication.
In an escape room, children are part of a team, and knowing when to allow others to speak as well as when it is your turn to speak is a key component in showing others respect. The opportunity to practice this skill during a fun and exciting activity is a great benefit of participating in an escape room.
Communication
Communication skills are required to be successful in any life endeavor. Strong communication skills allow you to share your ideas and thoughts in a clear and effective manner. However, developing this social skill takes a lot of practice. The ability to practice sharing ideas and thoughts in a fun atmosphere is a great benefit of participating in an escape room.
For example, everyone on the team will need to search the room to find the clues to figure out how to escape. Each time a clue is found, there is an opportunity to practice communicating clearly and effectively. Of course, kids will not see it this way. They will just be having fun communicating with their friends regarding the clues they found or any information they have discovered that might help move the game forward.
2. Critical thinking
Critical thinking involves the ability to analyze facts and formulate a judgment based on those facts. Not surprisingly, a large part of participating in an escape room requires critical thinking. For instance, participants must think quickly as most escape rooms give you just one hour to escape. During that time, you must form strategies and solve puzzles.
For older kids, this is a fun way to practice their problem-solving skills. To win, kids must think as efficiently as they can. For younger children, it is the perfect opportunity to watch others demonstrate this skill and try their hand at it under the guidance of a parent or older sibling.
3. Teamwork
The ability to cooperate with others on a team is a very important skill that will serve anyone throughout life. For instance, some common escape room puzzles require a minimum of two team members to work together before the team can move to the next room. Learning the skill of working together and experiencing the success it brings will undoubtedly leave long-lasting effects that will transfer to other situations in your child’s life.
4. Building confidence
Solving the puzzles and escaping the room brings a sense of accomplishment. This sense of accomplishment helps to build confidence. A child who experiences working together as part of a team that successfully figures out the clues and ultimately solves the puzzle will naturally feel confidence in his or her abilities. This is important because a child with more confidence is more apt to participate in a classroom exercise or work harder in another aspect of his or her life.
5. Bonding
In a time when most kids are glued to a screen, it can be difficult to pique their interest in a family activity. However, because you can choose from a variety of different types of escape rooms, you are sure to choose one that will excite even the most unenthusiastic person. For instance, you can choose between thrilling story lines that include murder mysteries or forensic investigations. Others involve action-based puzzles or fantasy. For older kids, horror escape rooms can be fun as well as scary.
Once you have got their attention with a unique story line, participating as a family in an escape room is a great opportunity for family bonding. For instance, because this activity requires the family work together to solve the puzzle and escape the room, no one will be looking at a screen. Additionally, even though trying to beat the timer makes this a competitive activity, participants are not competing against one another. To win, the entire family must work together, which helps to create a rather unique and memorable bonding experience.
6. Time to shine
One of the interesting aspects of an escape room is that it provides the opportunity for kids to use their own unique skills. For instance, while one child might be good at math, another might be good at finding hidden clues. In fact, no matter how old your children are, they will be able to use their unique skills to help the family succeed. When they solve the puzzles and escape the room, the pride and joy simply beams from them.
