With a few ordinary and very budget friendly items along with some printable game helpers you can create an festive and fun DIY Christmas Escape Room in your home this Holiday season.
The instructions below tell you exactly how to create and set up this game that is sure to make you the hit of the holiday. It includes a story, a naughty elf, a locked away Santa, and a mission to save him along with Christmas by solving all the hidden puzzles around the room to discover the four digit magic combination that will unlock the closet and release him.
HOW THIS CHRISTMAS ESCAPE ROOM WORKS
SET THE STAGE: A bitter naughty elf has locked Santa away. You will need a purchase a choose-your-own 4-digit combination lock. You may be able to find one locally if not check out this one on Amazon. If you want to go all out you can have someone locked in the closet in full Santa gear waiting to be rescued or perhaps a Santa bag of prizes - you can always keep it real simple and have a you win sign waiting for the players when they free Santa.
The only way to save Christmas is to discover the bad little elf's magical combination to open the lock and free Santa.
This is explained to them in the letter that receive to begin the game. It also explains that to free Santa players must discover and solve eight puzzles.
Each puzzle is has a different color theme and it's solution leads to one of ten CodeBusters. Each CodeBuster features a different fun Christmas icon and a padlock. When players line up the arrow on the CodeBuster with the correct colored arrow on the Decoder Disk then a combination number can be seen through the key hole on the padlock.
Below are the eight challenges, how they work, and how to set each up.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
green challenge - Santa's SECRET sYMBOLS
In this challenge players must discover Santa's Secret Symbols decoder hidden within the green ornament. Once they do they will realize that they have seen those symbols somewhere else - on the edges of the game letter they were given at the start of the game!
You will need the following objects to set up this Escape Room challenge:
- Rudolph CodeBuster (included in this Escape Room Kit)
- Decoder Disk (also included)
- The Letter (also included)
- Santa's Secret Symbol Decoder (also included)
- Green Ornament that can hide something inside.
TO PREPARE: Hide Santa's secret symbol decoder in the green ornament and hang the ornament inconspicuously. Players already have the letter.
SOLUTION: Players decode the symbols they see on the border of the letter to discover this message that has an anagram for Rudolph. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Rudolph CodeBuster to the GREEN arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the green challenge.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
PINK challenge - CIRCLE puzzle & Riddle
In this challenge players will come across seven pink circles, that with their Christmas present images may at first may appear like decor. Players must realize that the circles are more than they appear. You will need the following objects to set up this Escape Room challenge:
- Pink Circle Wheel Riddle (included in this Escape Room Kit)
- Dictionary
- Pink Highlighter
- Christmas Decoder Disk (included)
- Frosty CodeBuster (included)
TO PREPARE: Cut out and display the seven circles. They can be hung from a Christmas tree, placed on a table, or displayed in some other way. In your dictionary look up the word CHRISTMAS and use the pink highlighter to highlight the letters F-R-O-S-T-Y on that page. Place the dictionary somewhere inconspicuous in your playing area.
SOLUTION: Player place the circles on top of each other - largest at the bottom to the smallest at the top. When they turn them the correct way a riddle will form. The answer to the riddle is a dictionary. Players must look up the word Christmas in that dictionary where they will discover the letters F-R-O-S-T-Y highlighted in pink. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Frosty CodeBuster to the PINK arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the pink challenge.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
BLUE Challenge - santa's letters
In the blue challenge players come across a letter to Santa with the blue trim to indicate which challenge it belongs to, and a winter scene picture with a blue sky that indicates that it also belongs to the blue challenge. You will need the following objects to set up this Escape Room challenge:
- Dear Santa Letter (included in kit)
- Winter Scene Picture (included in kit)
- Single Hole Punch
- blue ribbon, yarn, or something similar
- Jingle Bella CodeBuster (included in kit)
- Decoder Disk (included in kit)
TO PREPARE: Place the letter somewhere in the room - on a table, in a desk, somewhere players will come across it. Place the Winter Scene picture elsewhere in the room - perhaps even put it in a frame and hang it up. Tie a blue ribbon (or something similar) on a single hole punch and place it in yet another place in the room.
SOLUTION: Players must use the hole punch to remove the outlined circles within each snowflake on the winter picture, now when they place that image over the Santa Letter the letters J-I-N-G-L-E-B-E-L-L-A. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Jingle Bella CodeBuster to the BLUE arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the blue challenge. They then write that number in the blue square on the game letter.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
yellow challenge - 12 days of christmas
In this challenge players must find 12 jumbo popsicle sticks each with a different image from the twelve days of Christmas song glued onto it. Images such as ten lords leaping, eight maids a milking, or a partridge in a pear tree. Players must discover the secret message they hold. You will need the following objects to set up this Escape Room challenge:
- 12 yellow jumbo craft sticks
- Peppermint Penguin CodeBuster (included in this Escape Room Kit)
- Decoder Disk (also included)
- 12 Days of Christmas images (also included)
- glue
- black marker
TO PREPARE: Glue each image onto one side of the popsicle stick. Stack all the popsicle sticks on top of each other in order, then using your black marker write the name PEPPERMINT on the side. Spread throughout the escape room area.
SOLUTION: When players find all 12 sticks and figure out they must stack them together (that's the puzzle) then the answer will reveal itself to them. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Peppermint Penguin CodeBuster to the YELLOW arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the yellow challenge.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
PURPLE Challenge - The odd assortment
In this challenge players will come across a PURPLE basket with an assortment of different Christmas related objects in it. Their challenge is to figure out what message these objects are trying to tell them and which CodeBuster Character they lead to. You will need the following objects to set up this Escape Room challenge:
- Purple Basket
- Mistletoe
- Reindeer
- Santa Figure
- Card (Christmas)
- Lights (Christmas)
- Angel
- Up on the House Top Sheet Music
(included in this Escape Room Kit) - Star (Christmas)
- Christmas Decoder Disk (included)
- Mrs. Claus CodeBuster (included)
TO PREPARE: Place eight objects inside the purple basket. Each object begins with one of the letters in the name Mrs. Claus. You can switch out the objects with another object that begins with the same letter if you prefer - these are just my suggested objects. I couldn't think of any Christmas item that begin with the letter U until I thought of a song - that is why I included the sheet music for it. If you want you can leave a hint in the basket such as " THE BEGINNNING WILL LEAD TO THE END".
SOLUTION: The Purple basket signifies that this is the purple challenge. Players must realize that the objects starting letters spell Mrs. Claus. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Mrs. Claus CodeBuster to the PURPLE arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the purple challenge. They then write that number in the purple square on the game letter.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
brown challenge - the missing puzzle piece
In this challenge players come across two puzzles. One puzzle they will put together and discover one of it's pieces missing. The other puzzle they won't be able to put together at all, discovering that the pieces are all hodgepodge. They must discover that one of those hodge podge pieces is the missing piece to the other puzzle.
You will need the following objects to set up this Escape Room challenge:
- Jolly Joe Elf CodeBuster (included in this Escape Room Kit)
- Decoder Disk (also included)
- Christmas Puzzle (also included)
- Hodge Podge Puzzle (also included)
- 2 brown paper bags or small brown boxes
- pen
TO PREPARE: Cut up the pieces of the Christmas puzzle along the black lines so that it forms 11 square pieces. Place all the pieces in a brown paper bag or small brown box and place it in your playing area. Now cut up the pieces of the Hodge Podge puzzle along the black lines. The piece on the top left hand corner is the missing piece to the Christmas Puzzle. Write the name Jolly Joe on the back. On the back of the other pieces write all the other names. You can leave two blank since there are only 10 names or just make up two more. Place all these pieces in another brown paper bag or small brown box and place in a different place in your playing area.
THE SOLUTION: If they discover the Christmas puzzle first they will put it together to discover a missing piece, they won't be able to figure out the clue until they find the hodge podge puzzle and realize that even though the pieces don't go together one is the missing puzzle piece to the other puzzle. The name on the back of that one is the answer to the challenge. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Jolly Joe CodeBuster to the BROWN arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the brown challenge.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
Orange Challenge - the present puzzler
In this challenge players come across six Christmas gifts - they all have clues that lead to one of the CodeBusters, but only one of them is the real deal. The other are decoys. Players will also discover a Christmas card from The Trickster which gives clues as to which present hold the real clue.
You will need the following objects to set up this Escape Room challenge:
- Santa Claus CodeBuster (included in this Escape Room Kit)
- Decoder Disk (also included)
- Gift Tags Clues (also included)
- Trickster Note with Clues (also included)
- Santa Claus figure (optional)
- Snowman figure (optional)
- Penguin Figure (optional)
- Mouse Figure (optional)
- Polar Bear figure (optional)
- 6 small wrapped gifts
- Basic Blank Christmas Card
OPTIONAL: This challenge comes with an easier version that only includes five gifts and easier clues in case you think this one is too hard.
TO PREPARE: Place one of the figures in each of the gift boxes - wrap them. If you do not want to use the figures you can simply write the names on a slip of paper. Place the gift tags on each present - making sure the one labeled with Gift Tag D is the one with the Santa figure in it our the name Santa Claus in it.
Place the Trickster note in a Christmas card and seal it in a envelope (if that envelope can be orange even better) - then place the card near the presents.
THE SOLUTION: Players use the clues provided on the Trickster note and the gift tags themselves to determine which gift is the one holds the true answer inside. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Santa Claus CodeBuster to the ORANGE arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the orange challenge.
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DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
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THE SOLUTION: Players use the Secret Symbol Ruler to measure each of the red candles. Then they use Santa's Secret Symbol Decoder to determine what letter each candles height represents. The letters will be C-O-M-E-T. Once players discover this they must align the arrow on the Comet CodeBuster to the RED arrow on the Decoder Disk to get the code number for the red challenge.
DIY Christmas Escape Room PLan
time to free Santa!
When players have solved all eight challenges and filled in the numbers in the colored spaces at the bottom of their game letter, they then do the simple math that creates the four digit magical code. They use that code to open the closet Santa is trapped in and Save Christmas!
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Your printable Christmas Escape Room Kit Includes:
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Your printable Escape Room kit will arrive within minutes in printable PDF files. This is a digital purchase - No physical product will be mailed. If you do not see it in your email please check your junk folder before you contact us - that is the usual culprit. If you have any questions or feedback we would love to hear from you! Contact us at: HappyPartying@gmail.com
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