Park’s bustling with families, lounging on plaid mats with their picnic baskets, are now but a mere throwback. Warm sunny days at the park no longer witness the gibberish of kids and tiny tots covered in dirt. We have manoeuvred ourselves into a future that constantly requires us to put on medically approved face masks, socially distance ourselves from others, and travel equipped with a bottle of sanitizer.
Treading on this new path of being cautious for our own well being has also introduced us to the concept of setting up make-shift offices and working from home. The whole idea of working from home is undoubtedly debatable. While working from home brings the comfort of a custom work environment and cozy clothes, it also includes missing important calls because you were preparing a meal in the kitchen or adding additional naps to your kid’s schedule so that you can work in silence. Locking out your children while you attend a Zoom Call Meeting because Peppa Pig or Paw Patrol is too loud is a hard-hearted step that many parents seldom want to take.
But if we flip the coin and take a look at the other side, heavy work schedules and long hours of being glued on screens have taken a toll on the amount of time parents devote to their kids. Children have exhausted their colouring books and constructed elaborate Lego cities while sitting in a corner alone. They are definitely being deprived of the intimate time a child needs with their parents in order to develop into an emotionally healthy human being.
While striking the right balance between time spent at work and time spent with family is tough, it is not impossible. The same technology that has powered us to work comfortably at our homes and attend meetings can also empower us to rescue our children from the pit of isolation.
Although we cannot step outside with our children without risking our health, there are some fun, stress-free, and unique activities that working moms can revel in with their children to spend quality time and bond with them. We understand that you are tired of your kid tugging your finger and asking you to play something with them.
So, to give you a break from the same-old board games, smelly play doughs and paints that ruin your home and create a huge mess, we bring you an idea that will brighten your and your kid’s day!
A) Combining fun and learning
Ever since escape rooms were introduced, they weren’t just viewed as a form of entertainment but the concept was also appreciated for the different layers it encapsulated. In addition to the adrenaline rush and the thrill of escaping from a room using clues and solving tricky puzzles, escape rooms are known for other elements that can help an individual be a better version of themselves:
Let Imagination Run Wild
The elaborate plots of the escape rooms describe everything from the setting and the era to the character of the player and their mission. This helps the players immerse themselves in the story.
Develop Problem Solving Skills
Escape brands have worked hard over the years to design themes and puzzles that can extend the joy of escaping to players of every age. Age-appropriate puzzles and riddles help a child brainstorm and think outside the box, in addition to applying problem-solving skills.
Fine-tune Communication
A big part of growing up and then subsequently forming an integral part of the larger society involves social skills and having ardent communication skills. Since escape rooms involve collaboration, children learn how to communicate with their peers so that the ultimate goal is achieved.
Be a Team Player
Upholding team-spirit and working alongside other players, forms an essential part of being successful in an escape room. Therefore, individuals and young children also learn how to be better team players and develop a habit of paying attention to the ideas and suggestions of their teammates.
Importance of Time
The time-bound escape rooms teach children the importance of time and they subsequently learn how to manage their time better.
While only five benefits have been listed above, the scope of learning skills that can be applied to the real-life, through an escape game played physically or virtually is endless.
B) When and why: Digital escape rooms explained?
To keep up with the evolving lifestyle and morph to the new normal, escape room brands are now going virtual. Harnessing the ever-growing technology, escape room brands have managed to make the thrill of an escape room accessible from the screen that you thought could only give you stress.
You can choose a brand that provides a first-hand experience of the game by sending their volunteers who you can command and control. Or, you can choose a brand that simply provides you with prompts and riddles as you progress further in the game.
A virtual escape room, in all respects, is the perfect activity to do at a time when all of us are struggling to find a break from the incessant monotony. Furthermore, being at our homes is the best we can do to evade contagion as we continue to live happily.
Picking and playing
Since virtual escape rooms are offered by a multitude of escape brands that offer an array of diverse themes, it is nothing but a task to select a theme that both you and your kids can enjoy. If you’re struggling to swim in the ocean of choices before you, we are here as your lifeboats and have handpicked themes you could focus on for a kid-friendly and fun-filled experience.
C) HISTORY: Remembering the Glorious Chronicles
Playing a game set in an ancient time and based on a true historical event teaches children about our glorified past, and they begin to grasp such stories quickly and develop a curiosity for them. Since these themes are dramatic and immersive, even adults find it irresistible to not get engrossed in the plot. So, whether you choose to fight valiantly in the Napoleonic war or reign over the kingdom of Persia, unlimited fun is guaranteed!
Embark on an adventure
Escape from the enchanted forest or hike on the mountain to find a precious gem hidden on the peak! All the while sitting comfortably behind a screen! Virtual Escape games with an adventure theme will give you and your kid the much-needed break from the humdrum routine!
Stepping is the shoes of Sherlock
Choosing a mystery escape game will help stimulate divergent thinking. Children will learn how to put two and two together and solve problems. Moms can help their children think in different ways to accomplish the escape mission.
Assist Sherlock and play Watson or choose your own detective name, the mystery of the plot will still manage to enthral you!
Entering the world of fantasy
Let your children’s creativity and imagination run azure as they witness talking trees and mystical creatures that lend them a helping hand for a successful escape. A fantasy themed escape room will not only captivate the kids but their life-like representations will also leave you open-mouthed! Are you ready to be surprised?
Discovering the mini-genius
Be it finding the cure of a virus or putting together a time machine, sci-fi themed games encourage children to solve linear puzzle and put on their thinking cap. Even adults find the puzzles head-scratching as they assist their kids!
D) In the world of bedtime classics
Choose a theme where your children can follow Alice into her Wonderland! Or be friends with Huckleberry Fin and go on an adventure! A multitude of escape games based on children’s stories are available online. Pick your kid’s all-time favorite and help them transport themselves into the word of their beloved character!
Virtual Escape Rooms are not an untapped form of entertainment and education anymore. While they are still evolving into better and more immersive versions every day, people are turning towards this unique concept to bring flavour to their plain-vanilla lives. Since trips to the museum or the park can no longer be the advised form of recreation for children as well as adults, there is a need to focus on the boon of technology so that we can successfully replace the grey-haired ideas of leisure.
Therefore, if you’re on your way towards making sense of the oxymoron- a new normal– you might as well introduce yourself and your kids to the novel idea of virtual escape rooms that will make your work life and family time be the best of friends with each other.
