Cindy Crushes Programming: Mario Themed Escape Room, by Teen Librarian Cindy Shutts

Mario is more popular than ever since the Super Mario Bros. movie came out in 2023. It’s always been popular with teens but the movie put it back on their radar.  One of my coworkers and I are doing a variety of Mario related programs like video games and crafts this month. 

Escape Room Plot: Can you save Princess Peach or will she be at a different castle? Come play our escape room.

Supplies:

• Breakout edu Kit 
• Random other decor ( I left old clues to other escape rooms in the room which made a perfect red herring)
• Map of Mario World
• Morse Code Guide and word in morse code
• Mario Decor and posters
• Decor
• Pencil

Directional Lock: West, North, South, East I will use a map  

Skyland, Dark land, Desert land, Giant land

Four Digit Lock: 

Find the Question: what year did the game release? Tik tok sound  “I wish I could be my dad in….?

1985

Three Digit Lock:

Beads

Green 4

Red 1

Pink 3

312

To get hints: 

What Country did the game start? Write in morse code

.— .- .–. .- -.

I also had them write “Princess Peach” in morse to earn them an extra hit

Key lock hides the key in perler bead box.

Put map in a box.

Final thoughts: Well My color lock broke so I will need a new one. That did make the event easier with one less lock. I think it was fine without but would have been cool to have it in the game. The teens who came had a great time. I now like the idea of using non lock clues to give the teens extra hints. I loved how the teens had trouble find the key in the perler bead box. That made it hard for them. I promised I would make the next month’s escape room harder. Some felt it was a little easy. 

TPiB: Locked in the Library! Hosting an escape room program at your library

Filed under: Cindy Crushes Programming, Escape Rooms