Race to Escape: Back to Homeschool Edition

Our kids love a puzzle/logic TV show called Race to Escape on the Discovery Science network.  The show is based on two teams locked in two identical but separate rooms.  Each team has to get themselves unlocked and then solved a series of puzzles in order to be able to get out of the room.  The first team to escape wins the game.

I usually do a fun thing the night before we start back to homeschool in the fall.  This year we decided to do a Race to Escape themed event.  It was a hit!

Of course they had to start locked up in some way.  We decided to handcuff them together and then make them work together to retie their shoelaces.  

Ahh, there I go sneaking a little cooperation and team work into the fun.  We should have made this task a little more challenging though.

Once they both had their shoes retied, a paper airplane came sailing towards them with a clue that led them to the kitchen where they each had to solve a sequence puzzle.  When that puzzle had been solved, a flying pig came at them delivering a piggy message.

They tried to figure out the pig clue but it was a challenge for them at first.

They first looked for HAM in the refridgerator!  Ha ha!  Good guess but nope that's not it!

Finally Nicholas figured out that it referred to ham radio and he checked the ham station where they found the key to their handcuffs as well as the directions for the next challenge.

Nicholas got them both out of their handcuffs and they were off to the next game.

I used an old printer's tray drawer that used to hold alphabet ties for printing presses.  I have it with a great craft in mind but that just hasn't happened yet so I was happy to be able to put it to some good use.  The tray held blue and green cups for Nicholas and red and pink cups for Rachel.  They were each given a jar of pom poms.  They were instructed to stand in place and drop or toss the pom poms into the cups.

It seems easy enough but look at all of the pom poms that didn't make it into the cups!

Once all of the pom poms were gone, they counted up the ones that landed in cups to see which of them got the most in. 

The winner was Rachel so she got her back to school goody bag first.

 

I always give them a little something at the start of the school year.  It usually contains some school items like the timer, Subraction Wrap Ups activity, 100 piece puzzle, and a mini-crystal dig kit.  I also include something for them to fidget with while I read aloud to them.  This year I found this cool Mega Twiddle thingymabob.  I had fun playing with it in the store!  There is usually candy and something just for fun like the cool light up cube.

We start back to school tomorrow and I'm excited.  It's going to be a great school  year!