Are Escape Rooms Appropriate for Your Kids?
We put together a checklist of criteria so you can decide.
We’ve worked with thousands of moms and dads, and we know first hand (as parents ourselves) that it can be challenging to find a good escape room for our kids.
Here’s a checklist that you can use to make it a bit easier. Not only do we believe in the importance of these requirements, but we made sure our own space meets all of them as well.
Is the Room Safe?
Safety is primary. Escape rooms, unlike movies, involve a lot of movement and interaction with physical props.
There have been horrible accidents and even deaths in foreign-built escape rooms. Parents deserve to know this. And parents deserve to see what escape rooms look like before letting their children be “locked” inside one of them.
If you’re looking for an escape room for your kids, we strongly recommend that you visit the location and take a tour beforehand. If you encounter businesses who won’t let you tour their facility and see their rooms, it might be a red flag.
Is the Room Scary? Or Does It Contain Subject Matter that is Inappropriate for Minors?
If you are a parent and this is your first time researching the concept of escape rooms, you need to know that many escape rooms contain disturbing or frightening themes that you may not want your children exposed to.
In the Los Angeles area alone, there are many escape rooms that involve things such as:
- Gratuitous violence and gore (including scenes of murder, torture, satanic rituals, and child exploitation.).
- Permissive attitudes toward drug use and degeneracy.
- Pornographic or sexually suggestive imagery and props.
- Strong opinions on politics, religion, or sexuality that are inserted into games.
- Scenes within the games that are intended to cause fright and unease.
Since there is no rating or regulatory system on escape rooms yet, we strongly recommend that parents contact escape room businesses beforehand to determine whether they are age-appropriate.
Do Other Parents Give it a Five Star Rating?
Check online reviews specifically to see whether other parents rated the location five stars. Yelp.com is rigorous in ensuring that accurate reviews are posted, and so it is a good place to start.
HOW TO USE YELP TO SEE WHAT OTHER PARENTS ARE SAYING:
Once you find an escape room business on Yelp, there are two things you should look for.
FIRST: Look for the “Sort by” option on the right. Set it to “Lowest Rated.” This way, you can see the bad as well as the good.
SECOND: After you’ve got a good sense of the business, then type “kids” into the search field. This way, you can see specifically what parents have had to say.
Is the Room Too Difficult?
Who are the Owners and Staff?
What are the Prices?
Will Strangers be Allowed in the Room With Your Kids?
Is There a Space for Birthday Parties and Other Special Occasions?
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