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Whydoescaperooms?

-High-demandlibraryprogramsbecauseprofessionalescaperoomsareexpensive

(around$25perperson)

-Fun

-WaytoaCractfirst-EmeparEcipantstolibraryprograms

-Canbedonewithavarietyofagegroups(tweens,teens,adults)

-Bringstogetherpeoplefromdiversebackgrounds

-FosterscollaboraEon(animportantlifeskill)–workingtogethertoreachacommon

goal

-PracEseproblem-solvingskills,logicalandabstractthinkingskills,communicaEonskills

Drawbacks:

Staffintensive–bothcreaEngthemandrunningthem

Workbestwith5or6parEcipants–everyonegetsachancetoparEcipate

AprogramspacecanbeusedonlyfortheescaperoomforaperiodofEmeORneed

extrastaffEmetoset-upandcleanupeachdaythatyouruntheprogram

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Thepremise:“Youareagroupofstudentswhohaveheardthattheirpaleontology

professorhasfoundawaytobringdinosaursbacktolife.Allhehastodoisincrease

therateofglobalwarming,andheatuptheEarthtoatemperatureatwhichdinosaurs

cansurvive.You’vesnuckintohisofficewhileheisteachingaclassandyouhaveonly

45minutestofindhisplansandgetout.Thisshouldbeacinch,exceptyouhearlocks

closingbehindyou,notonlytoyourprofessor’soffice,buttothebuildingaswell.Hurry

andfindawayoutbeforeyoubecomedinolunch!”

-ThisprogramwascreatedthroughthecollaboraEveeffortsoftwostaff

-AphotographercametotakepicturesforaSt.AlbertGazeCearEcleonescaperooms

ArEcleURL:hCps://www.stalbertgazeCe.com/arEcle/great-escape-a-look-at-the-

regions-newest-entertainment-trend-20170311

(photoisfromSt.AlbertGazeCearEcleGreatEscape:Alookattheregion’snewestentertainmenttrendpublishedonMarch112017:PhotographerChrisColbourne,

ArEclebyMichelleFerguson)

-MoreEmetoplanandcarryoutthananEcipated,buttheparEcipantswerevery

excitedtotryandescape

-WantedtooffertheprogramtoalargeraudienceagerpuhnginsomuchpreparaEon

-WewereabletoblockoffameeEngroominthelibraryandruntheprogramover

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ThePremise:Yourresearchteamhasdiscoveredanewspeciesofpenguinin

AntarcEca.Arivalteamwantstotakecreditforyourdiscoveryandtheyhavelocked

youintheabandonedDangerIslandResearchStaEonwhichispoisedprecariouslyon

anunstableiceshelf.Thevillainousteamhastakenalloftheremotedooropeners

exceptone.Thecaretakerhasaspareremotedooropenerlockedawayfor

emergencies,butsheogenforgetsthecombinaEonofthelock.Followtheseriesof

cluesandpuzzlesshehaslegtogetintothefinallockbox.Yourteamhas45minutes

tosolveallthepuzzlesandpushthebuConbeforetheiceshelfcracksandtheresearch

staEonandallofyouareplungedintotheicyocean!

-Maximumof6parEcipantspersession

-Sessionswere94%full

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AsamplingofcommentsfromparEcipantfeedbackforms

WealsohadmanyposiEveparentresponsesviaemail

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-Thereare3differentpuzzles.IwillgooverallthepuzzlesandthesoluEonsfollowing

theacEvity

-ThetypeoflockyouareaCempEngtoopenisshownontheenvelope

-AlllockswillopeneasilywiththerightcombinaEon–donotforcethelock

-TrythecombinaEonONEEme.Ifthelockdoesn’topen,resetittoallzeroesand

returntoyourgroupformoreproblemsolving

-ComeuptotrythelockagainwithyourrevisedcombinaEon

-Time’sup:cleanup

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You’llhavetoshigsomeleCercombinaEonsaround,becausetherearemulEplesof

someingredientswherethecanshavedifferentsetsofleCersonthelid.

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TheicecoresamplesaregluegungluesEcksmarkedwithcoloredandblackpermanent

markers

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Wehavedonethis.Itisdifficultandstaff-intensive

WewenttoaprofessionalescaperoomforinspiraEon

Wehadbrainstormingsessionswithtwostafftogenerateideasforpuzzles

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Forthefirstescaperoom,Iwenttothecragstoreforwoodenboxesandthehardware

storeforlocksandsuppliesmulEpleEmes

Professionalescaperoomscandothingsthataredifficulttodoinalibrarysehng:

-Trapdoors

-Movingwalls

-MagneEclocksthatopenwhenobjectsareplacedormovedinacertainsequence

Thelibrarydiddoatwo-stagebreakout-hadtogetoutofalocked“office”intoa

larger“laboratory”areawithnewpuzzles

Lockedboxesandotherthingsthatlock:

Suitcases

ToolBoxes

Lockingcabinet

Safe

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-45minutes-scheduleandadverEseitasa60-minuteprogram

-Laminateanyposters,signs,instrucEonsheets

-CanusepaCernedducttapetoindicatethatthingsdonotneedtobetakenapart

-UseacountdownEmer/syncitwithyourwatch

(parEcipantsdiscussedre-sehngtheiPadEmerthatweused)

-Simple,explaintogroupalongwithguidelinesBEFOREgoingintotheescaperoom(as

soonastheygointheroom,theirfocusshigstowhat’sintheroomandtryingtosolve

puzzles)

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Usestafforagroupofvolunteers(Teenadvisorygroup?)whowerenotinvolvedin

creaEngthegametodoatrialrunandhopefullyfindanyissues

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Mixofeasyandmoredifficultpuzzlesisagoodidea

Allowstheteamtoexperiencesuccessaswellaschallenges/frustraEon

PropsandpuzzlesiPadwithaVRapp(HPReveal)

Booksonatopicrelatedtothethemeoftheescapescenario

Recipes

Maps

Jigsawpuzzles

InvisibleinkandUVflashlight

EasyBuConfromStaples

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Whyusehints?

-avoidfrustraEon-allowsthemtoconEnueagerhihngablock

-canchallengeparEcipantstouseonehintornohints

-hintsthemselvescanbechallengingforthefacilitator-Needsomefamiliaritywiththe

roomandpuzzles.

-In2018mostgroupsused2hints,1groupused1hint,nogroupsusedzerohints

-hintcardsarehelpful-atokenexchangedforahint,andoncethey’regone,they’re

gone

-useawirelessdoorbelltocallthefacilitatortogethints

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PutaposiEvespinoneverything

Emphasizesuccesses

Takeasadphotofollowedbya“wehadfun”phototosendtoparEcipants

UsedWeEscaped/WeDidn’tEscapesigns

Haveafinisherswallforbothsuccessfulandunsuccessfulgroups

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BreakoutEDU

Markettheirproductas“animmersivelearninggamesplasorm”

Thekitsplus12monthsaccesstotheirplasormofescapegamesis$150USDplus

shipping

Wepaidabout$225CanadianforoursinFebruary

Also,forbranchlibrarysystems,thecompanyhaskitbundlese.g.6kits,6accesscodes

($800USplusshipping)

Haslotsofusefulcomponentsincluding

-2lockboxes(largeronewillaccommodateatablet)

-high-qualitylockswithexpansionlockwheels:numbers,shapes,colors

-invisibleinkpenplusdecoderUVflashlight

-hintcards

-cardsthatpromptparEcipantstoreflectontheirescapeexperience

Gamesontheplasormareclearlyexplainedwithstepstosetupandprintable

resources(thataresharedwithyouonyourclouddrivewhenyouclick“access

resources”foragame)

Examplesofgamesavailable:TotallyRadical80’sTimeTravel/BacktoReality(a

Minecragthemedgame)/lotsofsubjectthemedgamesformath,science,social

studies

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-About$20Canadianforagame

-EXITareone-usekitsbecausethecomponentsarebentandtornasyouprogress

throughthegame

-Unlock!Canbereused(withnewgroups)andrequiresafreeappthatrunsonphones

andtablets–worksofflineonceappisdownloaded

-SuccessfullyusedtheUnlock!GamewithaTeenAdvisoryGroup(ages13to18)

-Recommendsearchingonlinereviewsforindividualgamestohelpdeterminedifficulty

level,content

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