ESCAPE ROOMS WITH CHILDREN: WHY IT IS AN IDEAL FAMILY PLAN

Escape games are all the rage, and not only do they begin to be one of the leisure options preferred by families, but several schools in Spain are incorporating them into their classrooms as a way to improve the learning of their students.

And is that this type of activity, where teamwork and decision-making against the clock take on special importance, It has multiple benefits for children. Surely when we tell you all, you will not come up with a better leisure plan to enjoy with your children!

It is an original plan

When we decide to make a family plan, a wide range of possibilities opens up before us: from board games, to practicing sports or cooking. Any plan is great to spend time together, although the escape room (both live and in a board game format) are an especially original alternative.

To the novelty of participating for the first time in this type of games, there is the expectation and excitement of discovering something new that, without any doubt, will catch everyone's attention for its agile and fun dynamics.

In Babies and moreThe 33 best escape rooms to do with children in Spain

Improve concentration and attention

Escape games they test the concentration and attention of the participants from the moment the clock marks the start of the game. Any detail can be crucial to solve an enigma, so we should not overlook anything.

Maybe at the beginning, the child (and the adult!) Feels stunned and does not know where to begin to solve the mystery that arises, but the concentration will help eliminate that mental block and be alert to any indicator that can help The final resolution.

Propitiate the use of critical thinking

The scenario facing the participants of a escape room It is initially confusing and chaotic. There is only one thing clear: the clock plays against. From there, all team members must find clues and solve puzzles Help them escape.

That is why escape games are considered as an excellent way to encourage critical thinking and deductive reasoning, since the child must face situations and clues that he will have to discard or take advantage of, while promoting his cognitive abilities to The resolution of riddles.

Promote creativity and imagination

Before you start playing a escape room It is important to know in what fictional situation are we going to find, what enigmas we must solve and what role we have to adopt. On some occasions we will be detectives or police, in other scientists, in other researchers ... The important thing is to get fully into history!

And once inside the game, even if it has certain rules that we must meet, participants are free to give free rein to their imagination and creativity and freely promote their personality.

In Babies and more 98 percent of five-year-olds are geniuses of the imagination: what ends up killing their innate creativity?

Promote teamwork

Working as a team is one of the essential skills that we should all have, and that more and more schools decide to incorporate into their educational methods.

Escape games They are an excellent way to enhance teamwork, since the dynamics of the activity consists in solving together a series of enigmas that help us to leave the room in which we are locked before time runs out.

Usually the escape room they usually admit between four and six players, although there are also those that have the participation of more numerous groups. But in all of them it is key to listen to your colleagues, collaborate and find together a solution to the enigma that arises.

Strengthens self-esteem and motivation

As we have been saying, the escape room They are collaborative games where all team members must contribute and work together. This makes the child feels integrated into a group and taken into account when expressing your opinion, which will help strengthen your self-esteem.

In addition, the fact of solving clues and riddles will help the child feel proud of the achievements of his team, and especially motivated to continue working in a group and get out of the room before time runs out.

This is explained by Joan Arnedo, professor and director of the University Master's Degree in Videogames Design and Programming at the Universidad Oberta de Catalunya:

"The game, understood as the resolution of a challenge with the sole purpose of satisfaction of having been able to do so, has been a tool to learn forever. A people love solving challenges and see how to find solutions given artificial restrictions "

In Babies and more, seven keys to foster in your children the value and importance of effort

Improve self control

The escape room they are games against the clock, where the team must work together to solve a situation before time runs out. Observation, concentration and consensual and thoughtful decision-making contributes to greater self-control.

And it is that in this type of activities, impulsive behaviors have no place, and it is important not to get carried away by nerves and the pressure of time, and leave stress and anxiety parked.

Promote social skills

Although the development of social skills in children is achieved through observation, imitation and continuous interaction with adults, this type of leisure activities are also an excellent way to promote them, because:

Being a teamwork and cooperation, the child must learn to listen actively opinions of all participants, and to take them into account.
The dynamics of the game encourages children to express themselves and to express your ideas and opinions.
Before the exchange of opinions among all team members, other social skills are reinforced such as empathy, tolerance, respect for the turn of speech, assertiveness, communication ...

This is explained by Amalia Gordóvil, Professor of Psychology at the Universidad Oberta de Catalunya:

"The escape games allow us to observe, guess, anticipate, put oneself in the place of the other, express feelings, launch self-control, emotion management, impulse control and tolerance to frustration"

It helps us discover your skills and talents

During the game the children are shown as they are, and the information they give us is really valuable when it comes to detecting their virtues, abilities and aptitudes. These are some of the skills required when participating in a escape room:

The senses sharpen and everything becomes important, from sounds, to olfactory, tactile sensations and of course visual stimuli.
Sometimes you have to solve puzzles, or try keys and codes that require a large precision and eye-hand coordination.
Memorize codes and solutions is essential.
Some tests may require a certain movement that involves balance and coordination.

Being a team game, each of the members will acquire a certain role according to their abilities, and the calculation of the skills of all the members will help resolve the activity.

Help strengthen bonds

And last but not least, remember that any activity we share and enjoy with our children will help strengthen our bond with them, improve relationships and get to know each other better through emotions and feelings.

Playing as a family is fun and relaxing. It makes us feel good, laugh, enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and improve our mood. And all this thanks to the endorphins, the hormones of happiness that the body secretes from pleasant emotions.