Math Game Monday: Multiplication Escape to the Circus

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, you have been named the greatest mathematicians on Earth. Your multiplication skills will be put to the test in four challenges, each revealing a mystery word or phrase that you must solve before moving on to the next challenge. Complete all four challenges to escape to the circus. 

This is how I love to celebrate multiplication with my differentiated 3-5 level escape to the circus game.

For each challenge you complete, you will collect a ticket that can be used to play games and earn prizes. 

If you are ready, let's begin. Be the first team to escape to the circus and you will earn an extra ticket to play another game." 

This is how I start my circus escape room. Students go wild over this and work with persistence to solve the puzzles so they can do the carnival-style games. Let me show you a little about the challenges. 

First, I set up the front of my room with a circus background, banner, and a circus tent. At the table, I have prizes and tickets. Sometimes I bring circus peanuts to give each student when they finish and "escape to the circus."

This transformation packs a huge punch with engagement. When students enter the classroom, see the circus (carnival) décor, the games, and hear the circus music, they are ready to get started and ready to learn. 

Once everyone is settled in, I read the opener, pass out the recording booklets and go over the directions. Students are then put into teams. I love that I can easily differentiate by level because this activity comes in three different grade levels for 3rd, 4th, and 5th, making it easy to bump a student up or give them a more simplistic version of the game.

I cut apart each activity and place them in an envelope or baggie for each group. In the first challenge, students complete a multiplication puzzle. Once the puzzle is complete, the students will be able to write down the letters in order inside their booklet. Once they put the letters on the spaces, they will see the secret word. When they find the secret word, they show me and I check them. If they are right, they receive a ticket and challenge two.

For challenge two, students receive a paper with multiplication equations. The one shown is the third grade level. Students look at the equation and figure out if it is true or false. Once they figure that out, they find the ducks with the same numbers as their true answers. They line those ducks up in order from least to greatest and the letters on the ducks reveal their next secret word. 

I have played this with little rubber ducks or duck cards. Either way is fun, but the rubber ducks are my favorite because you can have them floating in a small bowl or tub of water to act as a pond. The water just adds a bit more excitement. As before, when students complete the challenge, they show me, get their ticket, and go on to challenge 3. 

  

Challenge three gives students a set of circus train cards. They must find the answer to each card and then place the cards in order to reveal their next code. Again they will earn a ticket upon showing me and receive their fourth and final clue. 

In this last challenge, students play a game of memory match. Once they match all the cards, they will line up the cards with their matching answers in numeric order to reveal their winning code. Whichever team completes this challenge first, earns an extra ticket for each team member and of course their regular ticket too. Once a team has escaped to the circus, they can use their tickets to play carnival-style games. Each ticket allows them to play one game. If they beat the game, they can earn a small prize. 

This is a look at my prize table one of the years. I try to have some candy items, but also other prizes students can choose from as well. 

My carnival games are usually whatever I have on hand, but here's some that are especially easy and good to use for this multiplication escape room.

• Ring Toss
• Basketball Throw
• Bowling
• Darts
• Nerf Gun with Target
• Cornhole

The games don't matter so much. Kids will just be super excited to play. And they have a chance to win up to four prizes (or five if they were the first team). 

If you want to bring this circus/carnival escape room game to your class, you can find it right here.  

You can also find a matching set of basic fact multiplication center games that are all with the same carnival theme right here.  This is great as a follow-up to let students continue to practice their basic facts in a fun way as a review and to keep them sharp.