Thrilling and family-friendly escape rooms that the kiddies will enjoy!
Looking for the best escape rooms for kids in Chicago and its suburbs?
Wondering whether your children would like an escape room to be part of a family day out in our city?
Searching for an activity in Chicagoland that will teach your children skills like observation, quick thinking and teamwork…while they’re having heaps of fun?
We got you!
Escape rooms in Chicago for children
Image by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash.
Escape rooms have exploded in popularity in Chicagoland and beyond over the last few years, and for good reason.
They immerse players in a themed adventure that reflects some of the players’ favorite fantasies. Players have to work as a team to spot clues and solve puzzles to accomplish a certain “mission” within 60 minutes.
It’s a good way for folks to bond with one another, and learn skills like teamwork, observation, quick thinking and so on.
Many escape room games have complex themes that aren’t suitable for kids; some are downright off-limits.
However
There are quite a few escape rooms in Chicago that offer kid and family friendly escape games.
As we shall see, some even offer kid-friendly versions of their escape rooms, which your children can play on their own (without you being present inside the rooms with them).
Here are the 10 best escape rooms in and around Chicago for children,
Followed by some FAQ’s and tips and tricks to help you plan a great escape room adventure in Chicago for your kids!
Escape Artistry
Escape Artistry offers 2 escape room adventures, both near Wicker Park - The Railcar at 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave, and The Time Gallery at 1342 North Milwaukee Avenue.
Their games are constructed entirely by local artisans and feature interesting tidbits about our city. For example, The Railcar, which is based in a train car setting, actually resembles blue line cars.
If you want your children to learn fascinating aspects of Chicago, this is the escape room you’re looking for!
Website: Visit the website
Email: support@escape-artistry.com
Phone: (773) 789-9535
Fox in a Box Escape Rooms (that’s right, we just referred to ourselves in the third person)
We’ve got three escape rooms for kids to try out - The Bunker, The Prison and The Bunker.
They’re all based on different kinds of themes, to appeal to children with different interests and preferences.
Oh, and did I mention we were voted the #1 escape room in Chicago?
If you’re looking for a child-friendly escape room in Chicago which both boys and girls will completely engage with, you’ve found it!
Pro tip: We do offer child-friendly versions of our escape rooms that can be handled by all-kids teams, without requiring any adults to be present inside the rooms.
Website: Visit the homepage
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Email: info@foxinaboxchicago.com
Phone: (312) 878-7899
No Escape Room
Don’t be fooled by the name - No Escape doesn’t have scary rooms that will terrify young children.
Rather, they have challenging escape games that will put the little ones’ sleuthing skills to the test.
Kids will especially enjoy the walkie talkies through which the game masters communicate with players.
If you’re looking for escape games in Buffalo Grove that will pleasantly surprise kids, this is the one you should be looking at.
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Enquiry form: Visit their contact page
Phone: (847) 722-2543
Hidden Key Escapes
With well-planned puzzles and tasks and cleverly challenging clues, Hidden Key’s escape games will prove a lot of fun for the young ‘uns.
Even if they can’t escape within time, the children will have a lot of fun.
This is the perfect escape room in Napierville at which the kids will have a blast.
Pro tip:They have “kid mode” escape rooms that simplify the games for youngsters.
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Email: contact@hiddenkeyescapes.com
Phone: (630) 442-0239
Escape hOUR Room
A cool escape room that children will find pleasantly challenging and exciting. They have various kinds of puzzles ranging from crosswords and Sudoku to mysteries and word games.
If you’re looking for well-themed escape games for your kids in Bolingbrook, now you know where to book!
Tip: They have a “3 Clue Rule” which means players can’t ask for more than 3 hints.
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Email: contact@escapehourroom.com
Phone: (331) 318-8337
Mobile Room Escape
Yeah, these folks have escape room trailers that they can drive to your place. And their escape games (including Down Periscope, in which the kids have to save their submarine from sinking) will rapidly become top favorites with the little ones!
So, if you’re looking for kids’ group activities in Chicago (like a school event), look these guys up!
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Email: info@mobileroomescape.com
Phone: (773) 219-2922
Escape Factor
Escape Factor offers innovative escape games to test kids’ observational and collaborative skills. Their games are set in various kinds of settings such as a treehouse, a game show set and even a graveyard.
If you’re looking for a child-friendly escape room in Forest Park, look no further.
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Phone: (708) 943-7227
Escape The Room
Their escape room challenges are good for smaller groups, which makes this ideal for family escape room experiences in Chicago.
The staff are responsive and will give out a hint if the team gets stuck.
If you’ve been searching for a child-friendly escape room in Oak Brook, this is the one!
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Enquiry form: Visit the contact page
Phone: (331) 999-0887
The Great Escape Room
With various kinds of puzzles (including voice activated ones), this is definitely a great option for the youngsters.
It might be a little challenging for younger kids (say younger than 12) but they’ll enjoy the games nevertheless.
Looking for a Chicago escape room to test your kids’ quick thinking skills? You’ve found it!
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Enquiry form: Visit the contact page
Phone: (312) 281-8915
Mastermind Escape Room
Yet another escape room where ultimately clinching the escape may be a little difficult for the kids, but they’ll have an awesome time nevertheless!
The hosts are attentive and engaging and the puzzles and tasks are stimulating. One or two of the rooms may be a little spooky, but nothing that the kids can’t handle!
This is the escape room to check out if you’re looking for children’s escape rooms in Schaumburg.
Website: Visit the website
Location: Check address/Plan route on Google Maps
Email: MastermindSchaumburg@gmail.com
Phone: (847) 453-4348
The top ten escape rooms for kids in Chicago - FAQ’s
Some of the questions we get asked the most by parents making escape room bookings for their kids with us…answered!
What age are escape rooms suitable for?
Every escape room will have their own policies on minimum age.
That being said, most escape rooms allow children of all ages to play, but recommend that players be between 10 to 12-13 years old.
We at Fox in a Box allow children as young as 7…and we’ve observed them enjoy finding clues and contributing to tasks.
Are escape rooms scary?
Generally speaking, yes, some escape rooms can be scary.
However, most escape room businesses are responsible and will either not allow young children in their scary experiences, or will clearly mention those rooms as scary so you can decide whether they’re suitable for your children or not.
For example, our Zodiac escape room includes sensitive themes (serial killers and so on), which is why we have set the minimum age at 18 for folks to take part.
Do escape rooms actually lock you inside the room?
No, you will never be trapped inside the escape room.
Some escape rooms keep the main door unlocked; others will have a special emergency exit or a “panic button” that players can use to leave the room at any point during the escape game.
Here at Fox in a Box, we keep the escape room door closed but unlocked at all of our escape rooms except for The Prison.
In Prison we have a special “panic button” to unlock the prison cells where the game takes place instead of directly keeping the cells open, to maintain immersion.
Planning an escape room experience that your children will love - some tips and tricks
You can’t just go through our pick of the 10 most kid-friendly escape rooms in Chicago and book the game that you like the most.
Remember, you’re booking for your kids, not for yourself, and you need to understand what will appeal to them..
See if the escape room has “kid-friendly versions” of their games
A kid-friendly version of an escape room would cut down on certain special effects (like loud noises, bright lighting and so on) and place clues, puzzles and tasks to be accessible by kids.
Not all escape rooms offer such “kid-friendly versions” of their games - but you should ask them if they do.
As far as Fox in a Box is concerned, we do offer child-friendly escape rooms, that don’t require you (as adults) to be in the rooms with the children during the game.
Choose escape themes that appeal to your kids
Go for escape room games whose themes align with your kids’ current interests*.
Remember, the entire point of an escape room is for players to experience some of their deepest fantasies.
And that’s why choosing an escape room theme that appeals to your childrens’ tastes, rather than to your’s, is important to plan an escape room experience that your children will love.
* As I’m sure you know, kids’ interests keep changing. Focus on what they’re talking about, and talk to their older siblings to find out what their current interests are.
Ensure that the team has several children
Here’s the deal: the more adults and older teens your escape room team has, the less likely your children will enjoy the experience.
The reason is very simple. Adults and older teens generally think and discuss stuff in a similar way, which is very different to how kids think and discuss.
Which is why adults and older teens will tend to take over the show (subconsciously, not intentionally), and the kids will feel left out.
With fewer adults and older teens, and more kids on the team, the kids will be able to make their presence felt and play an active part in the experience.
You can think about organizing an escape room party for your children and their friends.
Choosing games that are not too difficult
Escape room games that are child-friendly can vary in difficulty. Choose games that aren’t too difficult, otherwise you might find the kids simply give up mid-game out of frustration.
Chicago’s best escape rooms for kids - key takeaways
Image by Allen Taylor on Unsplash.
There are a number of child and family-friendly escape rooms in Chicago and its suburbs for you to choose from.
Some of them feature games and puzzles that may be a little complex, but kids enjoy the experience nonetheless, even if they can’t finish their mission in time.
Try to have as many kids in the group as possible. This gives the children space to play the game at their own pace, which is key to them enjoying the experience.
And ask if the escape room you’re choosing offers kid-mode or kids’ version escape games, which essentially simplify the games so children can tackle them on their own, without any adults being present inside the rooms.
Featured image by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.
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