The Great Escape (with the kids)
The Great Escape: A themed escape room based on Harry Potter made for a fantastic hour with the kids
Alex Galbinski is a Jewish News journalist
Being locked in a room with your children (or indeed with anyone) might not be for everyone, writes Alex Galbinski, but at Kidz Escape, the aim is to break out of themed escape rooms.
Located in North Finchley, the venue also plays host to many activities for children. Its tagline is ‘Sing, Dance, Create’ and there is plenty of scope to do all three.
There are two dedicated escape rooms – one is the school of wizardry based on Harry Potter and the other is the Magic Lamp room themed on Aladdin. Both are suitable for ages eight plus (with an adult present) or age 13 on their own. The minimum number of escapees is three, the maximum eight.
However, with Harry Potter-obsessed children, we chose the former and spent an hour locked in a room, attempting to solve the mental and physical puzzles that had been set for us by a senior wizard while the clock counted down. It was so much fun but, sadly, we can’t tell you too much about it as we’d give away spoilers. We can reveal that there were padlocks with combination codes that we had to open with clues – and some real surprises.
Lest you worry about getting stuck in the room forever, there’s someone watching via CCTV to give you clues if you need them (we did). Luckily they can’t hear talking in the room otherwise they would have heard us arguing over who wanted to open which lock and hold the – oops, we can’t say!
Kidz Escape opened in December and the classes it offers are varied: singing, flower arranging (creating your own with silk), drama dance, and discos on the first Sunday of every month.
There are karaoke rooms, indoor crazy golf and a heap of creative arts activities – including ceramic, T-shirt and canvas painting; make a bear; pencil case decoration, suncatcher colouring; silicone modelling; and sand art.
They host all sorts of parties, both with one theme or a combination, the rooms are available for hire and there is a café on-site.
My kids were buzzing afterwards and have already asked if we can return. “Would you recommend it?” I asked them. “Of course,”
they replied incredulously. “It’s amazing!”
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