Theme days / Escape Room Day

Escape Room Day ideas for OSHC

16 DIY activities for a escape room day at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around Any time / Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September) or 17 July. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.

Build a Escape Room Day

Escape Room Day · Big Kids Club · Puzzle Day +2

Build-Your-Own Escape Room

Older children design and build a series of puzzles, then run their escape room for younger groups to solve.

IndoorModerateBig set-upYears 4 to 6 Pirate Day · Treasure Hunters Day · Escape Room Day +2

Buried Treasure Hunt

Teams follow riddle clues around the yard to dig up gold-painted rocks. A pirate adventure that combines problem-solving and teamwork.

OutdoorHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Detective Day · Spy School · Escape Room Day +2

Cipher Scavenger Hunt

Children decode pigpen cipher clues, each one leading to the next location in a treasure trail.

EitherModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Escape Room Day · Detective Day · Spy School +1

DIY Escape Room

Children solve a chain of locks, codes and riddles to escape the room before time runs out.

IndoorModerateBig set-upYears 4 to 6 Emoji Day · Puzzle Day · Escape Room Day +1

Emoji Story Decoder

Children decode titles of well-known stories, songs and sayings written only in emoji, then write their own puzzles.

IndoorCalmSome prepYears 4 to 6 Halloween · Dramatic Play Day · Escape Room Day +2

Haunted House Role-Play

Children design a spooky room with sheets, torches and props, then guide small groups through it as tour guides.

IndoorModerateBig set-upYears 4 to 6 Spy School · Detective Day · Science Week +1

Invisible Ink Letters

Older children write secret messages in lemon juice, then an educator reveals them with gentle heat.

IndoorCalmSome prepYears 4 to 6 Escape Room Day · Puzzle Day · Teamwork Day +1

Jigsaw Race

Teams race to finish identical jigsaw puzzles, working together to sort edges and colours.

IndoorCalmGrab-and-goPrep to Year 6 Detective Day · Escape Room Day · Spy School

Missing Snack Whodunnit

Teams interview educator suspects and examine clues to work out who took the snacks, building teamwork and deduction skills.

IndoorModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Detective Day · Treasure Hunters Day · Spy School +1

Mystery Clue Trail

Teams collect clues hidden around the site and piece them together to solve a case, combining movement with problem-solving.

EitherModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Escape Room Day · Puzzle Day · Great Race Day +1

Riddle Relay

Teams race between stations to solve riddles, sending one runner at a time to collect the next riddle.

EitherHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Spy School · Detective Day · Escape Room Day +2

Secret Decoder Wheels

Older children make a two-layer cipher wheel and use it to encode and decode secret messages.

IndoorCalmSome prepYears 4 to 6 Great Race Day · Teamwork Day · Treasure Hunters Day +2

Service-Wide Challenge Race

Teams race through challenge stations around the whole service, collecting clues that lead them to a final finish line.

EitherHighBig set-upPrep to Year 6 Superhero Day · Treasure Hunters Day · Escape Room Day +2

Six Gem Challenge Quest

Six coloured gems are hidden around the service, each guarded by a mini challenge that teams must complete to collect it.

EitherHighSome prepPrep to Year 6 Great Race Day · Challenge Day · Teamwork Day +2

Two-Choice Detour Challenges

At each stop of a team race, groups choose between two different mini challenges, weighing up speed, skill and strategy together.

EitherModerateSome prepYears 4 to 6 Target Games Day · Spy School · Escape Room Day +2

Wool Laser Maze

Children crawl and step through a maze of wool 'lasers' without touching a strand.

IndoorModerateSome prepPrep to Year 6