A printable escape room addition game can be a super motivator to get your students excited about math and critical thinking! I have a ton of addition and subtraction fun game ideas but this might be my favorite. Today I had my first graders review addition and subtraction strategies within 20 with this super fun printable escape room STEM challenge for the first time.
These printable addition game directions is what gets the kids pumped to have a lot of fun with their challenge.
Why is this Printable Escape Room a Good Addition and Subtraction Game Idea?
Have you ever been to an escape room? They certainly are a great time. If so you know you and your friends, family, or escape team are locked in a room and must solve clues to escape. You also know that these games can be pretty expensive BUT people are willing to pay to play because they are so much FUN!
Addition and subtraction escape room games can make or break a student’s excitement for math.
If you are looking for fantastic addition game ideas or subtraction game ideas then this fun printable escape room is the way to go to experience the awesomeness of an escape room. This printable escape room game is an easy way to get students involved in their own learning and problem solving. Students consider the escape room experience or any game for that fact to be a fun way of learning over using worksheets and workbooks so they tend to put more effort into it.
Using this addition and subtraction games or this printable escape room is a great way to get students’ creativity flowing. Classroom escape rooms also allows for problem-solving skills to be refreshed and gives them a chance to work on team building and communication skills in small groups or larger groups.
Addition games are not only fun but help students work on important life skills.
How To Start This Escape Room Addition Game for Kids
The first set of skills we teach in 1st grade are addition and subtraction strategies. Once students have mastered these skills I want to see if they have learned what I taught them. To read more on how I teach each addition and subtraction strategy read this post.
First, read the problem. This is when students will get really excited when they learn what the game is all about.
This is the perfect printable addition game for fall since it involves a pumpkin patch. The kids are on a field trip and get lost in a corn maze. They have to solve the clues before they miss the bus back to school. What kid doesn’t love to solve a puzzle?!?!
There is a clue check-off page for students to keep their answers organized.
Next, they have to complete all of the clue cards and write the answer on their clue check off page. I check off each box before they got to move on to the STEM challenge. There is a black and white version so that students can play individually or a color version if you want to print a few copies and have them play in groups.
Once they get all of their boxes checked off they get to start on the STEM challenge.
Kids will love it when you take a basic addition game and turn it into an engaging escape room challenge they can solve.
Turning Basic Addition games into a STEM Challenge
I wanted to combine the escape room with a STEM challenge to further motivate them. If they get all of their boxes checked by me, they get to create a pumpkin patch marble maze. This was also a great way to encourage them to work fast. If they did not get all of their boxes complete and checked they ran out of time to work on the STEM challenge portion.
For the STEM challenge they will create a maze with obstacles and have to roll their “pumpkin” from start to finish. To begin they will mark a start and finish on a paper plate and then draw the path their marble will travel. They get to use pumpkin-shaped candy for obstacles. We also used green construction paper and pipe cleaners. If they complete this challenge, they escaped the pumpkin patch and got a completion badge!
Basic addition games can easily be turned into a STEM challenge!
My class LOVED this and it was such a fun thing to do on a Friday afternoon. If you think your class would enjoy this and other escape room activities then check it out for FREE in my TPT shop!
If you want another free math game that is differentiated and covers 1st grade word problems I’ve got you covered!
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