DIY Escape Rooms!

In a recent ALSC blog post, Ann Baillie broke down her method and tips on creating escape room programs for any age and any theme. 

Ann writes: "When planning programs, I often try to create programs around based around patron requests. When kids ask me to do a program about a favorite comic book or TV show character, I make it happen. One of my favorite ways to fulfill a patron’s request is with an escape room. If you have never hosted an escape room before, these are fun programs where patrons have one hour to solve a series of puzzles to escape a room."

Please click here to read the full post with some great resources included to spark YOUR creativity! [Unlocking Adventure: Creating Themed Escape Rooms. Baillie, Ann. ALSC blog. July 26, 2024]

Virtual Teen Escape Room Book Club

Photo by Spivack/Ferraro

Two creative teen librarians at the Loudon County (VA) Public Library recently shared their experience and ideas in connecting with teens during COVID in SLJ's Teen Librarian Toolbox blog..  They write: "In late 2020 when our library system was soft-launching virtual book clubs, we spent a closing shift on a dreary, wintery Friday evening frustrated. With specialties in Makerspace and Teen Services respectively, we didn’t see how book clubs were going to let us reconnect with the patrons we were used to seeing in the comfortable chaos of our library spaces. As we were talking through the challenges, it occurred to us that even without a pandemic, there’s a lot about a standard book club that makes it inaccessible to teens, especially teens with learning disabilities (including ADHD). One thing led to another and soon we had permission to run a virtual teen book club, which has since transitioned to a successful monthly in-person meeting. The thing that makes it work? The book club is an escape room."

Stop here to read how they developed the program!

Teen & Tween Virtual & Offline Programming YSS blog COVID-19 series:

• Virtual Teen Escape Room Book Club  10/22/21
• Keeping Up Your Spirits  10/4/20
• Tween Virtual Program Ideas  10/1/20
• Tips for Doing Teen Virtual Programming  9/14/20
• Teen Summer Programming During the Pandemic  7/22/20
• SLP Virtual and Offline Program Ideas for Teens/Tweens  5/22/20

Making Digital Escape Rooms

Digital Escape rooms have boomed during this time of pandemic-induced virtual programming. Now that winter is coming and opportunities to engage our families with outside activities are dwindling, it's a perfect time to think about ramping up your escape room offerings.

And we here at the YSS blog can help you!  Check out this recent brief and very helpful guide for creating your own digital escape rooms by Cindy Shutts writing at Teen Librarian Toolbox. Her handy-dandy guide will help you up your winter virtual programming game!

But wait, maybe you just want to access some escape rooms already created by others. We've got you covered there too! 

A few months ago, we shared this giant batch of escape rooms created by librarians around the country (including Sammy Nieman of the Sun Prairie WI Public Library). In addition, the boog post includes a webinar with detailed step by step instructions on creating escape rooms.

Go forth and be mighty, oh winter library programming warriors!

Virtual & Offline Programming YSS blog COVID-19 series:

• Innovative Solutions for Connecting with Kids During COVID 10/25/21
• Virtual Teen Escape Room Book Club  10/22/21
• Making Digital Escape Rooms   11/23/20
• How to be a Better Video Presenter  11/2/20
• Storytime on the Road!   10/15/20
• How to Do Halloween During COVID-19  9/28/20
• Recharging Your “To-Go” Services  9/9/20
• Youth Services Program Palooza webinar 6/8/20
• Digital Escape Rooms – the Holy Grail  5/26/20
• Virtual and Offline Programs for Summer and Beyond  5/6/20 (combines & updates 6 previous resource post)
• “Grab-&-Go” Activity Kit Ideas  5/5/20
• Offline and Feeling Fine: Ideas for Programming Unvirtually  4/29/20
• Beyond E-Storytimes: Virtual Services and Programs for Youth 4/22/20
• Using Premier for Virtual Programming on Facebook 3/24/20

Digital Science Escape Room Fun

We're blinded by science! On the ALSC listserv, a recent post by Dana from Princeton University's Cotsen Children's Library got us excited. h/t to Tessa Michaelson Schmidt for the share!

Dana writes: "Thought you might be interested in our library's newest virtual escape room...this time with a scientific twist! Kids can explore the museum, find the clues, crack the code, and learn about five famous scientists along the way! Feel free to share this link far and wide!"

 

Digital Escape Rooms - the Holy Grail

Image by Clockedin dk from Pixabay

Looking for ready-made escape rooms for youth, teens and families developed by libraries all over the country on just about any theme you can imagine? Then please look no further.  As one librarian who saw this doc exclaimed: "This is the Holy Grail of escape rooms!!" 

The curators of this multi-page, multi-link-to-escape-rooms write:

"These Digital Escape Rooms and other activities are compiled here by Sun Prairie (WI) Public Library Youth Services Librarian, Sammy Nieman, The County Library (Salt Lake) Adult Services Librarian, Ellen Thayn, and Mooresville Public Library Teen Librarian, but the activities themselves have been made by librarians from all over. If you truly enjoyed one, please consider reaching out to the library, if they provided their information, to thank them. Please feel free to share this document with all (patrons, friends, families). We have done our best to ensure we have the permission from the library/creator before sharing the activity."

Check out (and bookmark!!!) this google doc and discover your Holy Grail!!

[Updated 5/29/20]

And for more resources on escape rooms and how to build them, check out Escape Rooms Virtually - Not Just fro Teens and Adults blog post published  5/28/20 on the ALSC blog

Virtual & Offline Programming YSS blog COVID-19 series:

• Innovative Solutions for Connecting with Kids During COVID 10/25/21
• Virtual Teen Escape Room Book Club  10/22/21
• Making Digital Escape Rooms   11/23/20
• How to be a Better Video Presenter  11/2/20
• Storytime on the Road!   10/15/20
• How to Do Halloween During COVID-19  9/28/20
• Recharging Your “To-Go” Services  9/9/20
• Youth Services Program Palooza webinar 6/8/20
• Digital Escape Rooms – the Holy Grail  5/26/20
• Virtual and Offline Programs for Summer and Beyond  5/6/20 (combines & updates 6 previous resource post)
• “Grab-&-Go” Activity Kit Ideas  5/5/20
• Offline and Feeling Fine: Ideas for Programming Unvirtually  4/29/20
• Beyond E-Storytimes: Virtual Services and Programs for Youth 4/22/20
• Using Premier for Virtual Programming on Facebook 3/24/20

Virtual Programming & SLP Ideas for YOU!

As we start getting closer to summer, libraries are adapting and planning for how they might provide SLP and programming virtually. We have gathered a number of great webinars and resources to help you out. Thanks this week go to Tessa Michaelson Schmid; Teresa Pennington; and the MN Dept of Education weekly meetings for the great shares.

• Summer Reading 2020 Recording 2020 and Followup - 4/10/20.  Illinois Heartland Library System. Ashley Stewart, Caseyville Public Library District and Lindsey Herron, Wood River Public Library, share outstanding practical tips and ideas for doing a virtual SLP no matter your theme

• Escaping Online: Virtual Escape Room & Other Virtual Program Ideas Webinar - Sydney Kawiaec from Peters Township Public Library, McMurray PA explores virtual programs, Hogwarts Digital Escape Room, step-by-step how to make your own escape room and other applications. Nebraska Library Commission. 4/22/20 - NCompass Live is a free to anyone in the US weekly, live sharing of information and resources. Sessions are archived. Wednesdays at 10 am CST

• Digital Escape Rooms and Activities - Google doc with links to a  huge variety of escape rooms shared by libraries around the country.  Sammy Nieman, Sun Prairie Library, Sun Prairie, WI, created and maintains the list and Ellen Thayn, The County Library (Salt Lake), Salt Lake, UT helps maintain the list.

• Virtual Programming Best Practices - Melissa Clark, Millersville Public Library in Millersville, TN. Kate Smith, Youth Services and Special Projects Coordinator wrote about it: "The staff at one of our smaller libraries has been knocking it out of the park for the variety and quality of the online programming they’ve provided since the pandemic began. I asked the director if she and her youth services staff would put on a webinar for us yesterday and they did an incredible job. We didn’t record it, but they have agreed to let us share their slides."

SLP Programming YSS blog COVID-19 series:

• A Reimagined SLP During a Pandemic  9/30/20
• A Look Back at Summer 2020  9/10/20
• Fun Summer Library Activities During COVID-19  7/6/20
• Summer Scavenger Hunt Fun 5/30/20
• Virtual and Offline Programs for Summer and Beyond  5/6/20
• DIY Family Activities for SLP from CSLP 5/1/20
• Virtual Programming & SLP Ideas for YOU! 4/25/20

Don't Let the YSS Social Escape You!

Youth Services Section Escape Room Experience at WLA!

Wed. October 24th 7:30-10:30pm in the Radisson Hotel La Crosse - Wisconsin I

Theme: Mr. Lemoncello's Library! Team up with other youth services, or socialize and network.

Sponsored by the Youth Services Section (YSS) of WLA. 

You can still register for the best WLA fall conference evah! Join your colleagues and learn (and laugh) a ton!

Build an Escape Room - Teen Program

Pixabay Image

I really hope you follow the Teen Librarian Toolbox blog that lives on the SLJ site. Intermixed with big questions and thoughts about the lives of teens are some great program ideas.

Recently they posted a thorough "program in a box" on developing escape room scenarios for your library that includes not just the how-to but the "why-to" that contributes to the ultimate success of your rooms!

Check out the post here!

Escape Rooms

Last spring, I started to hear about this new teen program sensation...Escape Rooms!  People used some of my favorite words to describe the program: mystery, clues, intrigue, stories, puzzles.

What is an Escape Room?
A group is locked in a room. They must find clues and solve a series of puzzles to unlock the door. The group has a time limit, which can be 15 minutes or an hour. There are businesses, Real Escape Game, that host events and create elaborate themed rooms. Escape room game apps are also popular.

Librarians are never ones to say no to a challenge and have hosted escape rooms at their library for teens and adults. Below are a few examples of library events to get you thinking.

Teen Services Underground "Escape Rooms: Escape the Ordinary"
YALSA "Escape the Library"
Teen Librarian Toolbox.com "TPiB: Locked in the Library"

Have you hosted an escape room at your library? Post in the comments! Or do a short write-up of your event and email Sarah Cournoyer scournoyer@mwfls.org. We can add it as a guest post.