"Escape Room" is a clue-finding, puzzle-solving game in which the players are "locked" in a room and have to figure their way out.
The escape room idea has been around for decades in various forms and has become more popular in the 2000's to the point that there are now commercial "Escape Rooms" set up in stores that you can rent for your group.
Below are links to Escape Room resources primarily designed for youth. Some are adaptable for children. Looking through them, you can also see how to use them to develop your OWN Escape Room event for the scriptures you want to teach.
Some of them are simple, and others more complex. Some even include PowerPoint slides. I'm not vouching for the theology in any of these --just for the concept which I'd very likely cherry-pick from and adapt.
1. Dave's Scripture Escape Rooms at Church Youth Ministry dotcom
Several FREE Bible story/passage Escape Room scripts and clue lists, as well as "seasonally themed" Escape Rooms for Christmas, Holy Week, and Pentecost. Comes with downloadable documents for both the participants and the leader, even a powerpoint in some cases. This is a UK ministry.
2. Laurie's Little Monkeys Scripture-based Escape Rooms
Stumbled across this rich Sunday School ideas blog called "Laurie's Little Monkeys" that has a lot of great ideas in it.
In particular, Laurie has written up a number of "Escape Room" events she's created for her Sunday School and youth, including her most popular "Christmas Story Escape Room." They cost about $6 to $8 to download from her Etsy or PayTeachers site. They are for older children and youth.
Includes a Paul and Silas in Jail (Acts 16) Escape Room which caught my eye because I've built a pretend jail to teach that lesson in many times. Laurie writes:
"Read Acts 16:16-40 from the Bible or find a children’s illustrated Bible with the story of Paul and Silas in jail. Talk with the kids/youth about what happened before, during and after – make sure and mention how they SANG praises to God even in their darkest time. Ask questions and let them ask you questions. Then, tell them that they are going to be put in jail just like Paul and Silas. To break out, they will need to decipher various clues that all have to do with praise songs and hymns! Once they open up the final box, it will trigger the earthquake that will set them free J
All of these clues need basic problem-solving skills and one person will need to know how to read basic music. Kids as young as 4th/5th grade could figure it out (perhaps offer them one free “clue” if they get stuck) and you could even use it with adults. They may not take as long as an hour but you could make it more difficult by hiding some of the clues instead of leaving them out in the open like I suggest."
3. Faith in Kids website's "Barabbas Escape Room"
Billed as a family adventure for kids. I didn't download it but it looks interesting and I liked their site. Another UK ministry.
Update: Rotation.org Member, Luanne Payne, has compiled a cheat sheet, for teachers, for Barabbas' Escape Room, it is attached to this post.
Photos from Dave and Laurie's Escape Room pages.
As always, adapt the lessons and theology as needed!