(Please Note that the part written in italics will be a message for the players. Rest are instructions for me. This story is divided in 2 parts i.e. two rooms. I used kids’ study room and living room for this. One room will be converted to ‘the future room’ and the second one to ‘the past room’. Please read the complete story.)
I created the following invite on my computer, for Kabir’s friends and sent them on whatsapp.
Props and the music played a major role in creating the ambience. So use cardboards, plants, remote controlled toy cars etc. and play appropriate music along.
“It was just another weekend, when you got a message from Kabir. His scientist uncle had created a time machine and wanted you all to see it. You got excited and went to his place. You sat in the machine and started pressing the buttons. But little did you know that the time machine had not been tested yet.
You all are now stranded in the future. The robots are alive and think that you are a danger to them. You just have ONE HOUR to repair the machine and get back home safe in the year 2020.
Failed? Prepare yourselves to be a slave to these robots FOREVVVER.“
ROOM 1 : Locked in the future
“KABIR’S scientist uncle meant well by showing you the time machine. But the machine malfunctioned and now you are stranded on a planet full of Human-like robots. They feel that you humans are a danger to them and they will try to make you their slaves. You need to stop them. And return to the year 2020“(This message is handwritten on a paper and given to the kids when they start playing.)
“For this, you need to repair the machine. Your time starts now. ” (And I sent them in Kabir’s study room and closed the door. I pretended to lock it. Also, I put a battery operated bell switch in the room, in case they needed any hint and needed to call me. I took the bell with me. Also, a white board and marker was given to them in case they wanted to write and solve something.
I put a toy ATM machine with the label TIME MACHINE on it. To open it, they had to solve a series of puzzles.)
A1. (I hid 3 DIY cryptex in plain sight, in the room.) There are 3 Cryptex (cipher on toilet paper roll) thrown all around. Solve to find 3 digit code.
2. This 3 digit code will open a lock so that you can use the scissors.
3. The scissors are used to cut the zip ties of a box containing a lego piece, some nerf bullets and clue for the next puzzle. Seems like a box that contains something important for the time machine. But you need to cut the zip ties with something.
B (For this part, I hid a lego piece (labeled machine piece) in a drawer. And took a photo of It on my Ipad, I put the pic as the wallpaper.)
1. Put a discharged, locked Ipad somewhere on a table.
2. Put the charging cable in a drawer with a message Maybe this will plug into some kind of futuristic device
3. Open the Ipad with following puzzle written on paper
The word ‘turn’ is an ambigram and a clue also
4. When they open the Ipad using the solved code and the charger, they will find the next lego piece whereabouts. These lego pieces are a must to repair the time machine.
C. 1. Then they have to cross the pretend laser maze. (This maze was more of activity part than solving puzzle part.) They retrieve a suitcase from beyond the maze, code for which was put up in photo frames on the wall.
I printed it on a paper using mirror text in MS Word The code is number of letters in each word. So, 553
“‘HOLD THIS TO A MIRROR’ Only when you have killed all the robots with the guns, will you be able to get your last piece for the repair of time machine. Then you are free to go. Hope you will be able to make it.. unlike me. BRIAN. ” (All written in mirror text)
These are used as props simple and will make kids’ imagination run wild
2. When the suitcase is opened, (I used a suitcases with combination lock so that codes can be used in puzzles.), they find some nerf guns, bullets and a scientific weighing scale. ( I had a small one for kitchen use.) “Carry this scientific scale to the year 2020. You will need it.
3. They will use these guns to kill the robots made of cardboard. (Just for fun)
DIY laser maze Kitchen digital weighing scale Robots made with cardboard
D. 1. The final puzzle set of this room. I used kid’s ATM money bank as a time machine. The code to open it MUST be 1020. Its crucial to step in the next room. Keep a small dummy key and a message inside it so that kids can find it upon opening it. “Put the parts inside the machine and slide the key under the door and pray that the machine works. Don’t forget the scientific scales.”
The time machine
2. I hid small square pieces of one of Kabir’s board games in every suitcase and drawer. Kids have to collect them all and unlock the time machine using the following puzzle.
solve to get 1020. So I hid 5 orange and 4 blue pieces
I had not locked the door from outside, so they had to slide the key out so that I can open it from outside. They were under the impression that it was locked.
I opened the door, and gave them the following message on the paper…
ROOM 2 : Stranded in the Past
“Oh No!!! This is not the year 2020.
You accidentally entered the year 1020 in the time machine. This is the year of the dinosaurs!!!!!
Now what should you do? This is secluded island with not a man in sight. What is that behind the trees? Is it an animal? Perhaps a dinosaur? Or just your imagination.
Don’t worry. At least you have got your friends with you. Buckle up. You need to find the time machine again and this time put the year right. If you don’t you may end up being lunch yourselves.
You are still LOST IN TIME.“
E. 1. “Seems like a bonfire here. Wonder who lit this.” I took some stones which Kabir used to play with and put some leaves and branches on top, so it looked like a bonfire. These stones had numbers written on them. 1,3,5 each number on a different stone.
2. A locked box was kept nearby with a message “I open with the weight of stones arranged in ascending order”. Kids had to use the scientific weighing scale and arrange these numbered stones in ascending order of their weight. The sequence will be the lock code.
3. Upon opening the box, they find a card with another puzzle. This can be solved only after F part.
F. 1. There was a small jigsaw puzzle (lion one) of Kaira’s which when put together would reveal a message. ‘look out for animals.’
2. I put lots of Stuff toys in the room. Each species had a number pasted on its back Dinosaur- 0, Teddy Bear 1, Dog 5, Pig 3. Now add these numbers according to the card found in E part to open the lock of next box.
3. This box contains a magnet and a string and a lego block.
G.This again is activity fun part. I arranged a ladder in a corner along with a bedsheet over it. This was a pretend volcano.
1. “There is a volcano with hot lava flowing out of it. And in the middle of the volcano are the pieces to your next clue. You cannot walk in the volcano. Look for something to pull the clues out.” Kids had to use the magnet and the string to pull out an iron piece which had the code for the second ATM machine written on it. 2020.
AAAAND DONE!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS !!!!
This was truly a low budget birthday party as I found almost all the items for the activity at home only. But, it was a LOT OF effort. And by that, I really mean a lot. So brace yourselves. Your pain will be rewarded.
If you want to look at more story ideas and create an escape room of your own, please go to My Big Bag of story ideas.
Happy planning !!