Reclaim Your Christmas Magic with a DIY Escape Room Kit

Christmas is a time for family, right?

Then why does setting aside this family time feel more like herding a mob of sarcastic toddlers?!

Before the kids are enthralled by their new presents, and the adults fade into their respective food comas, is it too much to ask for a moment of quality family fun?

Even if you get everyone's attention, the reaction is always the same. Blank stares, and a single question, "Well, what should we do?"

Christmas carols? Nope. What teenager doesn't love a rousing rendition of "Deck the Halls?" Or maybe a solo of "Holly Jolly Christmas?" Before long they'll be singing, "you're a mean one, Mrs. Grinch."

You could have a great snowball fight! Unless, of course, you live in South Florida... in which case... maybe a water balloon fight?

Obviously, you need a new Christmas family activity. One that engages your family's imagination, draws them together, and focuses their attention for 60 short minutes. And preferably, one that doesn't include wearing ugly sweaters for pictures with Grandma.

Just grab one of our kids escape room games (we've got several).

All you'll need to do is print the game, set up a room (in the back of the house), and gather the little elves for an hour of mystery and intrigue. Task a teenager with the gamemaster's job, making sure he understands that gamemaster does not mean gametyrant.

The adults can relax in the main room with a hot toddy and enjoy some low-volume, stimulating conversation... before the kids crash back in, flooding the room with stories of their epic victory. With energy dialled back up to 11, everybody will be ready for dinner and presents!

Mix-up your Christmas this year by hosting a post-dinner escape room contest.

Each kit has puzzles of varying difficulty, so there's always a way for younger (or less sober) players to get involved in the game. This makes for a perfect family experience that everyone will actually enjoy!

Just break the family into groups of 4-6 and send them all to different rooms to see who can escape the fastest. Of course, it's way more fun if you up the stakes a little... have prizes for the winners, such as hot chocolate packs, candy, or last pick in the Dirty Santa contest!

Our DIY escape kits make creating your own, genuine escape room easy!

You'll need to go all-out, but the end result is super rewarding. Visit the local dollar store for props and locks. Redecorate the room to fit the theme of your chosen escape room. Print the posters we provide and hang them on the wall. Flip the mood from lighthearted Christmas to 1920's flophouses or the zombie apocalypse.

The puzzles are all done for you (not to mention, they're entirely customizable), so all you need to worry about are the decorations!

Our kits are simple and easy. No assembly required. No batteries included or needed. No diagrams drawn by engineers with serious anti-social streaks to decipher. Download, print, and party. It's that simple. You decide on the design, whether very simple or elaborate.

Your first step is to print out the game

Our games are designed to be played in teams of 2-6. This means that you will need to split your crew into smaller groups, and print out one copy of the game for each team. Have 24 players? Print 6 copies of the game. Have 48 players? Print 12 copies of the game. Have 96 players? Wow! You have a huge house! Print 24 copies and hope no one gets lost!

Prepare yourself, because everyone and we mean everyone, will be gushing about their heroic victories, narrow defeats, and embarassing oversights for hours!

Clues will be rehashed over barbecue meatballs. Lock combinations will be discussed over meat and cheese. You may even receive advice on your next game (you're a hero now, so there is always the next game) from your uncle while his face is full of fruitcake.

And despite the number of times that astonished family will ask "how did you put this all together?", you can sit comfortably (maybe even smugly) and tell them it was easy... because it is! We work tirelessly to make sure that setting up our escape room games is simpler than helping your kids with their legos. (In both cases, you're a legend!)

Did we mention that we include help? You can email us with any questions you have when you are setting up the game. We have elves here to help. Reindeer also chip in. Snowmen provide help as well, but only in colder weather. Do not ask the snowmen about growing plants in greenhouses. They only know how to escape, not grow plants.

We stay with you every step of the way. During the game, we provide you with a hints page to get you past harder to solve problems. Each game has a website that keeps you on course by giving you the hints you need to solve the most challenging puzzles. Think of it as Geek Squad for escape games.