Escape room activities are a fantastic way to make learning more engaging, challenge students, and enhance your ESL classroom. In this guest post, Adam Riddy the creator of ESL Escape Room shares why he created ESL Escape Room, how the escape room activities work, and tips for using them at different language levels.
Disclaimer: This blog post contains an affiliate discount code. This means that I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using my code – at no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to provide free content to teachers. Thank you!
How ESL Escape Room Was Created
When people ask me why I started building games for the classroom, the short answer is: because they work. But the longer answer goes all the way back to my own childhood.
Growing up, my world was filled with games. Not just the PlayStation classics like Worms Armageddon, but also the physical, often chaotic games we played in the street, around the house, and in the playground. Kerbsy, hide and seek, card games, board games—you name it. If it had rules, an objective, and a bit of friendly competition, I was all in.
What I didn’t realise at the time—but now understand very clearly as a teacher—is that play is essential to our development. It’s how we naturally learn. It’s how we problem-solve, take risks, collaborate, and communicate. So when I found myself standing in front of my first ESL class in Xi’an, China, armed with little more than a textbook and blind optimism, it wasn’t long before I turned back to what I knew best: games.
A Game-Based Approach That Grew With Me
Fast-forward a decade, and I’ve taught students in classrooms across China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Spain, and now the Basque Country—kids, teens, adults, beginners, and near-fluent learners. Different ages, different backgrounds, different needs. But one thing has always stayed the same: if you want a sure-fire way to engage a classroom full of students, if you want the language to stick, you’ve got to make it feel alive. And for me, that meant games.
That’s what eventually led me to develop ESL Escape Room—a classroom game designed to be fun, flexible, and deeply effective for both teachers and learners.
Pros of Game-Based Learning
Before we dive into how the ESL Escape Room works, let’s talk about why game-based learning (especially in language classrooms) is so important.
- Games build emotional engagement. They generate excitement, anticipation, and even a bit of healthy tension. These emotions make the learning experience more memorable.
- Games foster collaboration and communication. Students naturally talk to each other more when solving puzzles or competing in teams. That kind of organic speaking practice is gold in an ESL environment.
- Games reduce the fear of failure. A wrong answer in a textbook exercise can feel embarrassing. But in a game? It’s part of the process. Students feel safer to take risks, which helps them grow.
- Games keep energy levels up. Especially when used at the right time—towards the end of a term, after a heavy grammar unit, or as a reward for good behaviour—they can lift a class out of a slump.
And best of all? Games work. I’ve seen shy students light up, unmotivated students lean in, and chaotic classes come together with focus and teamwork. That’s not magic—that’s teaching strategy disguised as fun.
ESL Escape Room Can Be Used Year Round
One thing that’s worth clarifying, is that the ESL Escape Room isn’t just a first-day-of-term icebreaker. Sure, it works great on that day—it helps reactivate prior knowledge, eases students back into English after a long break, and builds a positive class dynamic.
But the real value of the game is in its year-round versatility.
You can use it:
- Weekly or monthly as a way to review recent vocabulary and grammar.
- At the end of each unit to consolidate understanding before moving on.
- At the end of the term as both a review and a reward for effort.
- As a behaviour incentive—something fun to work toward.
- For fast finishers or split-group activities.
- Or even just to inject some life into a sleepy Wednesday morning class.
It’s not a one-off event. It’s a toolkit. And like any good toolkit, it’s designed to adapt to your classroom, not the other way around.
How Does ESL Escape Room Work?
If you’ve never used an escape room-style activity in your classroom before, here’s a quick look at how it works in practice:
Step 1: Prep (But Not Too Much)
Before the class, you pick 5–8 puzzles from the pack (there are over 270 total across all levels that cover common vocabulary and grammar topics found in common ESL textbooks), print them (you might consider laminating for repeat use), and note the single-digit answers to each. These digits make up a code students will have to crack.
Clipboards, scrap paper, and some dramatic music in the background really help set the tone!
Step 2: Setup
Stick the puzzles on the walls around the classroom in any order. Each puzzle reveals a single digit of a 5–8 digit code, but students can complete them in any order—they just have to crack the full code to win.
Step 3: Game On
Split the class into pairs or teams, hand out clipboards, and set the scene. Maybe they’re spies trying to disarm a bomb. Maybe they’re archaeologists trapped in a tomb. A little imagination goes a long way.
Set a timer. Watch them come alive.
Step 4: Monitor and Motivate
Circulate, observe, offer hints, and help clarify rules. Some students will charge ahead; others will need a nudge. That’s all part of the process.
Step 5: Celebrate and Reflect
The first team to crack the code wins a small prize (stickers, sweets, bragging rights), but then we review the puzzles together as a class. This step matters—it reinforces the language and gives quieter students a chance to catch up and ask questions.
ESL Escape Room at Every Level
At this stage, it’s all about building confidence and making English feel like something students can do, not just learn about. The Elementary Pack contains 84 puzzles that cover essential vocabulary and grammar, making it perfect for reinforcing foundational knowledge through repetition and play.
It’s especially useful for students who are still hesitant to speak—because in the excitement of the game, they forget to be nervous.
This is where the language starts to get more complex, and maintaining engagement can be a challenge. With 100 puzzles, the Intermediate Pack helps keep things fresh. Students at this level thrive on variety, and the puzzles offer exactly that.
Games also give them a reason to care about mastering past perfect or phrasal verbs—because those details help them win.
If you’re preparing students for exams like the First Certificate (FCE), this level of study can start to feel dry and repetitive. The Upper-Intermediate Pack includes 90 puzzles that challenge students with higher-level grammar and vocabulary while still keeping the energy high.
And the beauty of this pack? Many puzzles sneakily mirror the trickiest parts of the Use of English exam. Imagine it: students firing on all cylinders, using their logic and language skills to crack the code like their lives depend on it. Unbeknownst to them, they’re doing legit exam practice—and they’re actually enjoying it. Thank me later.
What Teachers Are Saying About ESL Escape Room
I designed this game with one very specific teacher in mind: me.
- I wanted something that required minimal prep.
- Something I could use again and again with different classes.
- Something versatile enough to support curriculum alignment.
- And above all, something my students would ask for by name.
That’s what ESL Escape Room became. And now it’s available to you, too. Use the promo code: TEACH365 to get 20% off all levels.
If you’re a busy teacher (and I’ve never met one who isn’t), this is the kind of resource that earns its place in your bag of tricks.
But don’t just take my word for it. Here are some testimonials from teachers around the world who joined the Escape Room family—and haven’t looked back.
This activity is brilliant and my students absolutely loved it! The entire class were engaged and having so much fun they didn’t even realise they were learning. Now I have a game that’s easy to set up and acts as a review for the topics that we’re studying throughout the entire year. Well worth the money! I highly recommend this product and/or the intermediate version depending on the level of your students.
-Sarah P. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Used this as bit of ‘light relief’ for a group of adult students who’ve just finished a round of mid-year exams. They loved it – started with a short version but they demanded more.
-Craig B. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’ve used the elementary and intermediate versions of the Escape Room regularly, so I’m thrilled to now have the B2 version as well! This tool is a perfect way to make learning fun, with engaging puzzles that reinforce key grammar points and vocabulary. It’s excellent for both solo and group work, and I love using it at the end of each unit as a reward and review. My students are always asking for it! Highly recommend it for any ESL teacher looking to energize their lessons!
-Kelsey O. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My students and colleagues are amazed by this resource! We do not use the same curriculum, but our program is so similar! It’s a great way to get weaker competitive students involved in grammar and vocabulary. It even got my bilingual students interested in understanding grammar more!
-MsRockSaysWhat ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
They keep getting better and better. I love how easy it is to use, as a teacher you have everything prepared and laid out for you and your students. It makes preparing the lesson so easy. Students love it and so do I!
-Luis David ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Try Out ESL Escape Room in Your ESL Classroom
If you’re curious and want to try the ESL Escape Room in your own classroom, take this opportunity to use a promo code exclusively for fans of ESL Teacher 365:
Use the promo code: TEACH365 to get 20% off all levels.
Available at https://eslescaperoom.com/
Whether you’re working with kids, teens, or adults—whether you’re in a classroom, a library, or even teaching online—I truly believe this game can add something special to your teaching.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t set out to revolutionize education. I just wanted my students to enjoy learning English, and to remember what they learned after the lesson ended. That’s what led me to build ESL Escape Room. It’s been a joy to watch it grow and help other teachers bring their classrooms to life.
If you’ve read this far—thank you. I hope this post has given you some ideas, some inspiration, and maybe even the nudge you need to try something new. Happy teaching! – Adam
