Escape Room: Countdown to the New Year

Escape Room: Fun And Learn

Open online activity

elifgencosmanoglu@hotmail.com

Turkish

Atatürk, Canik, Samsun, TUR

Escape Room and Fun adlı uluslarası eTwinning Projesi kapsamında hazırlanmış bir etkinliktir. O yüzden dili İngilizcedir.

Escape Room: Countdown to the New Year

Overview: Participants must solve New Year-themed puzzles and use coding skills to unlock clues that will help them "escape" in time for the New Year countdown. The theme involves elements like fireworks, clocks, winter scenes, and holiday symbols. Each stage introduces a new puzzle, requiring critical thinking and teamwork.

Stage 1: Unlock the Midnight Clock

• Objective: The participants begin with a locked box containing the first clue. The box can be unlocked by decoding a clue that involves a countdown timer (simulating New Year’s Eve countdown). The participants must correctly arrange numbers that represent the countdown to 00:00 (the New Year).
• Puzzle: The box contains a digital clock (micro:bit or app-based) with random numbers displayed. The correct order of numbers forms the code to unlock the box. This requires participants to solve the countdown in reverse.
• Clue: A riddle might read: "The seconds slip away, but the code to break is hidden in the hours, minutes, and seconds before the New Year arrives. Find the order of the countdown!"

Stage 2: Fireworks Pattern Generator

• Objective: After the first box is opened, participants find an interactive fireworks pattern generator (using micro:bit or a visual programming tool like Scratch). The goal is to replicate a specific pattern of fireworks on a digital screen.
• Puzzle: The generator has a set of color codes and patterns that participants must replicate to reveal the next clue.
• Clue: Once the pattern is successfully reproduced, it displays a hidden number or word (e.g., "FIREWORKS" or a 3-digit number) that will help unlock the next stage.

Stage 3: The Snowfall Cipher

• Objective: Participants now encounter a snow-themed cipher. A set of letters or numbers falls like snowflakes on the screen. They must decipher the snowflakes using a key code (could be a basic cipher or a sequence of simple coding instructions).
• Puzzle: Using the cipher key, participants decode the falling letters to reveal a phrase (e.g., "WINTER WONDERLAND") that will open the next lock.
• Clue: A clue like, “As the snow falls, look for the letters hidden in the cold. The code will guide you to your next step.”

Stage 4: The Gift Box Challenge

• Objective: Participants find a large gift box with several layers of wrapping. Each layer contains a challenge that must be solved using logic or code. At the center of the box, a button will appear with the final passcode.
• Puzzle: The first challenge is a simple math puzzle (e.g., “Add the digits of the year 2025” to get a code). Once solved, a visual puzzle involving a gift card code is revealed, allowing participants to move to the final stage.
• Clue: “The gift is waiting for you, but first, unwrap the truth hidden inside. What year are we celebrating?”

Stage 5: The New Year Countdown

• Objective: The final stage is a countdown clock showing the seconds left to New Year’s Eve. Participants must complete a final puzzle that involves completing a programming sequence or finding a hidden keyword.
• Puzzle: The countdown clock may require participants to input the correct code word or set of numbers that will stop the clock at exactly midnight, signaling the completion of the escape.
• Clue: "The year is almost gone. Enter the final code to ring in the new year before time runs out."

Final Reward:

When the participants complete all stages and stop the countdown clock, they receive a "New Year's Codebreaker" certificate and a special prize (such as a digital badge, certificate, or a fun festive item).

This escape room activity can be tailored to involve both digital coding tools (such as micro:bit, Scratch, or Blockly) and physical puzzles, promoting both fun and learning in a festive New Year’s context.

https://canikbilsem.meb.k12.tr/