5 Ways an Escape Room is Perfect for a Family Reunion
Posted on December 18, 2018
Depending on who you ask, family reunions can be crazy, tame, and everything in between. Every family is completely unique, which is why your next reunion should be unique, too. Whether you're planning a first-ever reunion, or trying to breathe life into a yearly tradition, we have the perfect solution.
Sure, you could invite everyone to a BBQ or make a reservation at a restaurant. But what if you wanted to do something totally original? What if you wanted to take your family reunion to the deck of a haunted pirate ship or the office of a Private Investigator? Not literally, of course - we're talking about the escape room experience. Here are five ways an escape room is perfect for a family reunion:
1. Nobody Gets Left Out (And There's No Better Ice Breaker!)
When you schedule a family reunion at a home or a restaurant, a familiar pattern can emerge. Those who already know each other can sometimes wind up congregating together instead of branching out to strengthen relationships with other family members. Occasionally, this results in some people feeling left out - or not being quite sure how to relate to everyone else. For shy individuals, reunions can be a tough time.
In an escape room experience, nobody is left out - because everyone's input is absolutely essential. Together, you and your team have to solve a series of intertwined puzzles that stretch your mind and creativity to the absolute limit. With time limits and complicated twists and turns, escape rooms are designed to utilize every single person in the room. So if you're looking for a way to strike up conversation with a cousin you've hardly said two words to over the years - this could be a perfect opportunity to break the ice, get the laughter going, and conquer shyness.
2. You'll Create Lasting Memories
There's something about trying to get off a haunted pirate ship - before being doomed to walk the deck for eternity - that is truly unforgettable.
Seriously, though, an escape room experience can quickly become a family legend. You'll laugh about that one time your aunt miraculously discovered the missing piece of the puzzle at the last moment. You'll reminisce about the realistic and lifelike feel of the experience. By the end of the day, your family will have new memories, hilarious inside jokes, and a great story to tell.
Most family reunions, while pleasant, take place in very similar settings: restaurants or hotels. After time, all these experiences start to blend together. Break the mold with your next family reunion by planning an entirely different experience. Don't forget to take a big group photo before and after you visit the escape room. You'll definitely want pictures to go along with this unique, original, and unforgettable experience.
3. Experience a Sense of Achievement & Pride as a Family
Are you the family that loves accomplishing things? Have you competed (and won) at laser tag, rock climbing, mini-golfing, and paintball? Are you ready to get another accomplishment under your belt? Successfully solving a timed escape room is an amazing experience, and will definitely give you a sense of pride and accomplishment as a family.
If your family hasn't historically tried to achieve something like this before as a group, then an escape group is an amazing place to start. It will highlight how well you all can work in a collaborative setting - but also draw out individual talents as well. By the end of the day, you'll feel pride for your family as a whole, and possibly quite amazed as what your family members can accomplish.
4. Escape Family Feuds in the Escape Room
We'll just say it: family reunions can be crazy and hectic.
It's not all that uncommon for an excess of energy to lead to some arguments or tension. By re-focusing that energy into a collaborative, fun process, you can channel that energy into something productive.
When you strategically plan your family reunion in an escape room, you're providing a distracting and all-consuming experience. Nobody has time to pick a silly fight when they're scoping out every nook and cranny of a room for hidden objects. Arguments become less common when all your attention is focused on a variety of tasks like deciphering clues, unlocking secret locks, and stretching your mathematical skills to the limit. Harness all that family energy into the escape room - and escape all those little family feuds at the same time!
5. Think You Know Everything About Your Family? Think Again!
Sometimes we think we know everything about our families. After all, we've spent most of our lives around them. We've probably even formed opinions and generalizations about family members we're not so close with.
An escape room lets you break out of those stereotypes. You might find that your mom has an incredible head for unscrambling written puzzles. Or maybe you'll find that your uncle is way more organized that he's ever given you reason to believe. Staging a family reunion in an escape room allows everyone to show themselves off at their absolute best: curious, fun-loving, collaborative, and quick-witted.
Escape rooms give you an opportunity to learn new things about each other, challenge some of those long-held expectations, and see the people you care about from an entirely new perspective
How to Plan Your Escape Room Family Reunion
A family reunion in an escape room is obviously a great idea for providing a fun and unique experience for your family members. However, we know how challenging it can be to get everyone in the same place at the same time. Here's some tips:
Broach the Subject of the Escape Room
Though some of your family members have doubtless heard of escape rooms, some of them might be a bit puzzled by the idea. If you've been asked to help your family plan events for the reunion, educate your family on what an escape room actually is. Tell them that the best escape rooms feature live actors, an immersive experience, and offer an incredible experience for all. Start planning ahead of time so you can fit the escape room experience into your schedule.
Consider the Logistics
Once everyone's in agreement, you just have to keep some logistics in mind as you continue to plan:
- Schedule ahead. For a special event like a family reunion, you'll definitely want to call ahead of time to reserve your time in the room.
- Age Limits. Many escape rooms require children under the age of 18 to be accompanied by an adult. Additionally, some require that if there are children under 10 present, the entire room must be booked for that party.
- Time. It's important that everyone shows up on time! Due to the nature of the event, many escape rooms require you to all arrive within five minutes of when originally scheduled.
- Group Size. If you're booking for your family, you might want to book the entire room so that the event remains private. In that case, you can have up to eight people in a room.
- Cell phones. Just remind everyone ahead of time that there is no cell phone use permitted, in order to ensure that everyone has the most immersive experience possible!
Escape Room in Orem, UT
Family reunions can be a crazy time. Take advantage of all the excitement, energy, and novelty of the get-together by trying out an escape room. Believe us: it's a memory none of you will soon forget. If your group will be meeting near Orem, Utah, for your family reunion, reach out to us at Escape Gate today, and schedule your most unforgettable reunion yet!