Escape Room Supplies for the Science Classroom
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Escape rooms in the science classroom are a great way to get students in engaged in learning or reviewing content. Setting up a science breakout is a daunting task, especially if you want to set up a physical game for your students. There are many supplies needed for setting up a science breakout box, and in this post, I will describe the equipment and materials I have collected over the years for chemistry breakout boxes in my high school chemistry classroom.
Before we get started, I want to be upfront about the price associated with setting up physical breakout boxes in your classroom. Setting up escape rooms can get quite pricey. I will do my best to offer alternatives that might help keep the cost of breakout boxes more reasonable. Here are some ideas and tips for managing the cost of escape rooms in your classroom:
Use only 1 or 2 boxes for your entire class. Teams can come up and attempt to open a lock. After they open a lock, you can replace it on the box for the next team to open.
Collect boxes and materials over time. I have built my collection of supplies to what it is over many years.
Share materials with other teachers so that the cost is more manageable.
Utilize kits that your school or district might already have purchased.
Put supplies on an Amazon wish list so that others may help you procure supplies for your classroom.
Look for used supplies on sites such as Facebook marketplace and eBay.
The Boxes.
You need a box. At least one. As mentioned previously, you can have only 1 or 2 that all teams use for the period. This is how I started out. I couldn’t afford multiple boxes, so I started with 1, and then added another. And another. I am up to 5 Breakout Edu® boxes and 1 ammo box for the 6 tables I have in my classroom. The ammo boxes are a great alternative to official breakout boxes, as you can generally find them for less than $10. For the longest time, I mostly had ammo boxes. Only recently have I added more official boxes by finding cheaper kits on eBay. Whatever boxes you use, you need to be able to attach a hasp for the locks.
Hasps.
You will need a hasp for each box. The hasp allows you to lock the box with as many locks you see fit for your game.
Locks.
You need a variety of locks to use with the box. If you are only using one box with your entire class, you would need just one set of the locks on hand. The more boxes you accumulate, the more locks you will need. Locks can get expensive, so this might also be a supply that you collect over time. In addition, there are times when a lock might break or get set to a code that you don’t know-ask me how I know that lol-and those locks need to be replaced. Having an extra hand is a good idea. Here are the more common locks I use with my boxes:
Breakout Edu® also has some locks with interchangeable wheels, which can allow you to use other codes like shapes and colors.
Other Things You Might Need. Or Want.
You really just need the box(es), the hasp, and the locks. Plus the game and clues. But there are some other things you might need. Or want.
Something to put in the box for when the students get in. You can offer extra credit. You could put candy in the box, or some other treat or trinket.
Invisible Ink Pens and UV Flashlights. You can write secret messages on a clue, and students use the flashlight to find the clue.
Cipher wheels and other ciphers. Sure, you can make these with paper and brads. I have plenty like that. But to make it a bit more exciting, you can also get pre-made ciphers and pig pen grids. You could get just one and have it available for all teams to use.
Storing Locks for Multiple Boxes.
When you have multiple boxes, you have multiple locks. You need a way to store those locks, and you need to be able to know what code is currently on each lock. If you forget the code, and the lock is closed, you will not be able to reset the lock.
Here is the system I have come up with over the years. Each lock goes in it’s own bag. Inside each bag, I have a card that contains the current code for the lock. Each time I change the locks for a new game, I cross out the current code, and write the new code underneath.
To make the locks easier to put away, I have now added colors for each team. I have 6 teams when we play breakout games in my classroom, so I use the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. All of the locks for the blue team, as pictured to the left, have a blue vinyl circle (made with my Cricut) on the lock itself, and a blue vinyl circle on the code card in the bag. This saved me SO MUCH TIME when putting the locks away. Previously, I had to search for the bag and match it with the code on the lock. Now I can look for the colored dots. Which means I can find the bag much quicker.
I hope you have found something useful in this blog post. Thanks for reading! My next blog post will focus on the types of clues I have used for my breakout escape room games in my high school chemistry class. You can find that post here. Happy teaching!
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