Imam Mahdi (aj) – Idea 20: Escape Room for Younger Children
One mum created this awesome escape room for ages 6-9 years! Check out the overview below – links to the resources have been given throughout to help you recreate it in your own homes, Inshallah!:
- “They all received this special invite:
- In the beginning the kids were sent a very exciting text from our ‘mystery’ person telling them they were specially chosen for this quest and that they have been left clues around the room for them to solve. A knock came to the door and a letter was slipped under. Once they were able to solve this (by spraying it with water! https://youtu.be/DzcUhOjnRBo) they read: “I’m waiting for my 313 – please get ready for me.” They realized the note mentioned the 313.
- This code helped unlock a bag with coins which they kids realized needed to go in the sadaqa box.
- The Sadaqa box had a quote on it from the Quran, chapter 57:10 (And why do you not spend in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth?). The kids then realized these numbers unlock another bag. In that, they found a blank sheet of paper which when coupled with a special flashlight they found in the room revealed a message written in invisible ink: ‘Getting close to the Imam Mahdi (aj) is not without obstacles. Go next door to complete the obstacle challenge’. The message led them to an obstacle course where they had to go through hurdles to complete good deeds, whilst ‘shaitan’ (an adult with the stick below!) was attempting to knock them off their course. They were reminded to keep saying Audhubillahi minashaitaanir Rajeem!
- After completing that, they noticed a bag of chocolates left in the original room. The message told them to give of what they love (3:92) and share these chocolates with the adults (Giving these away was by far their hardest challenge for them😂). The adults in return gave them an encrypted code with they had to break using the decryption wheels they found in the room. One clue said ‘to get close to the Imam get close to the Quran.’ Another clue said ‘Baqarah sixty.’
- The kids quickly found the Quran in the room and found the versewhich talked about taking care of the environment.
- In the meantime the adults, after the eating their chocolates, threw the wrappers on the floor. The kids realized they were to throw the wrappers in the bin where they found a little key that opened the suitcase.
- Once the suitcase was unlocked, they found an iPad with a paper taped to it (Wordle clue printed with Red-Squiggles printed on top of it). They had to use special magnifying glasses (made out of red cellophane) to read a clue asking them to solve the wordle on the IPad (https://mywordle.strivemath.com/?word=boidu) and do what it says under the white bedsheet they found in the suitcase.
- After a few attempts the kids realized the word was Faraj. They got under the sheet using a flashlight like ‘the sun behind the clouds’ and began to recite Dua Faraj.
- When they came out they noticed a final message had slipped through the door again! This message was solved by using a magic pen to color in the cloud (Magic Decoder Set – available online). It said: ‘You have called me and I am here always guiding you like the sun behind the clouds.’
It showed the kids that while they were busy trying to find clues to figure out how they could bring the Imam back, they were actually doing exactly what it takes to bring him back! Charity, going through hurdles and obstacles everyday to fight off Shaytaan while doing good deeds, giving from what you love/being kind to parents, getting close to the Quran, taking care of the earth/recycling etc, using your intellect, reciting Dua Faraj, working together and helping each other. Through these actions they are getting prepared for the Imam so they can be like his 313 and speed up his arrival.
They did so so well mashAllah! I stood back and let them solve the clues themselves, only nudging them in the right direction once. We finished off with a story of Iman Mahdi and some Fatiha.”
