Escape room: The Safe in the Science Lab
A science escape room for class or home: riddles about the states of water, a thermometer reading and a code that opens the results safe.
The story
A safe in the lab holds the results of an experiment. To open it, you need to work out three simple, accurate science clues.
3 story stations · online you can pick a level that adds more locks.
Run it at home or in class
What to prepare
- A thermometer (real or drawn)
- A glass of water and an ice cube to demonstrate
- A printed lab notebook
- A safe or a locked box
Tips for the facilitator
- Show the kids ice, water and steam from a kettle, carefully and with an adult.
- Draw a thermometer marked at 25 and let the players “raise” it.
- Set the safe to 37.
Difficulty level for “The Safe in the Science Lab”
The story clues stay the same on every level; harder levels add more locks in between. You can ask for a hint at every stage.
🔬 The Safe in the Science Lab
A safe in the lab holds the results of an experiment. To open it, you need to work out three simple, accurate science clues.
0 of 6 stages solved
Stage 1: The boiling kettle
1/6The scientist wrote: “When water boils it turns from a liquid into a gas. You can see it puffing out of the kettle. Its name has five letters.”
Facilitator guide: 🔬 The Safe in the Science Lab
What the room practises
States of matter, reading a thermometer and adding.
The 3 stations (without the answers)
- The boiling kettle: What is the gas that boiling water turns into called?
- The thermometer: What is the temperature now?
- The safe code: What is the code?
Preparing and printing
On the easy level the printed kit has 7 pages: a facilitator sheet with the opening story, the setup list and every answer, plus an A4 card for each of the 6 stages. Besides printing, get ready: a thermometer (real or drawn) and a safe or a locked box.
Most important: Show the kids ice, water and steam from a kettle, carefully and with an adult.
Age and group size
Best with teams of 4–6 players. With more people, split into two teams racing the clock, each with its own kit.
Giving hints in this room
Online the hints open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit in the facilitator table next to each answer. Give the first hint after a couple of minutes of silence, not at the first wrong guess.
Frequently asked questions
What age is “The Safe in the Science Lab” for, and how long does it take?
It was written for ages 8 and up, at medium difficulty, and usually takes 15–25 minutes. It has 3 story stations, and online you can choose between three difficulty levels that add more locks.
What do I need to run “The Safe in the Science Lab”?
A printer and these props: A thermometer (real or drawn); A glass of water and an ice cube to demonstrate; A printed lab notebook; A safe or a locked box. The printable kit includes a facilitator sheet with every answer and a card for each stage.
What if the players get stuck?
Every stage has graded hints. Online they open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit next to each answer on the facilitator sheet. The first hint never gives the answer away.
Rooms like The Safe in the Science Lab
The Number Vault
Four thinking stations, each giving one digit of a four-digit vault code.
Kids and tweens · also for the classroom, families
The Locked Library
ABC order, a book on the shelf, a hidden word and a letter-shift cipher.
Kids, teens and adults · also for the classroom, families
The Lost Travel Map
Compass points, steps on a grid and a quarter turn lead to the journey’s end.
Teens and adults · also for the classroom, families
The Secret Team Challenge
Share the clues, find who tells the truth, order the colours and open the box together.
Classes, teams and adult parties · also for the classroom
The Pirate’s Treasure Chest
Count palm trees, guess a colour and a shape, and open a chest of chocolate coins.
Kids 4–8 · also for families
The Dinosaur Egg
Count footprints, find a colour and a pattern, and help a baby dinosaur hatch.
Kids 4–8 · also for families