| How to Plan an Escape Room Posted: 09 Jun 2018 01:00 AM PDT An escape room is a unique activity for friends and family to have fun and solve puzzles as a team. There are limitless ways to design and decorate the room to make the game exciting and make sure each player enjoys the experience. EditCreating an Outline - Choose a room in your home in which to hold the game. Pick a room that is large enough for the players to move around comfortably while they are looking for clues and working together. Also, make sure your props and clues will be able to fit.
- To make your game longer and more difficult, use two or more rooms that are next to each other and have guests "unlock" the doors between them as they progress through the game.
- Choose an interesting setting for the room to add to the story. Choosing an interesting setting will help you come up with themed challenges. It will also make it easier for the escape room to feel like a complete experience.[1]
- You could choose to place the room in Italy during the Renaissance or in New York during the roaring 1920s.
- If you want to have even more control over the setting, choose a time in the future where the possibilities are limitless!
- Pick a theme that fits the setting. Think of a theme your guests would be interested and intrigued by. For instance try to pick a theme that resembles a book or movie the group already likes. Make sure you will able to purchase and find props and decorations that fit the theme you choose.
- For example, if the setting is based in England during the late 1800s, use a Sherlock Holmes theme.
- If your guests like horror movies and Halloween, choose a zombie or haunted house theme.
- You could also create a prison escape theme in almost any time-period you like!
- Set a 30 minute time limit if this is your first escape room. Aiming for 30 minutes will help keep you from being too overwhelmed or having to come up with too many challenges. This way, you can focus on making high-quality puzzles and keep your guests entertained throughout.[2]
- If you have made several escape room, and your guests have completed a few in the past, lengthening the time past 30 minutes will give your guests the challenge they need to stay interested.
EditSetting Up a Storyline - Create a storyline that fits the theme and setting. A storyline will help ensure there's a purpose to the escape room. Maybe your players have to get out of the room in order to deliver top secret intel - or they might have to break into a room in order to successfully "diffuse a bomb." Whatever the storyline, make sure it's easily digestible to the guests.[3]
- Break the storyline up into digestible pieces. Whether your main storyline is simple or complex, you want to make sure each piece will be doable. Try writing one sentence for each part of the storyline to ensure it doesn't get too complicated.
- For example, for the beginning of a story you could write, "The players wake up in a room. They see a big poster in front of them with letters and numbers. They solve the puzzle and find out they are in the year 3015."
- Make a flowchart of the storyline. Use sticky notes and a poster or a powerpoint presentation to outline what the players will be doing at each step of the story. Write your one-sentence descriptions on separate post-its, and organize them somewhere you can see.[4]
- For example, if the players have to unlock a door in order to escape one room, decide how many clues and puzzles they have to solve along the way and how long they will take.
- If the players are supposed to find a key, you could require them to gather clues from around the room to spell out the key's location.
- If you're planning an exceptionally large escape room, or will have many guests, you could have a flowchart that forks at one point -- as long as everything comes together nicely at the end.
- Double check that each part of the story flows into the next one. After the players solve each puzzle, make sure there are instructions or another clue left that leads them to the next piece of the story.
- If the players successfully unlock a box, place clues and information inside the box that will lead them to the next challenge and puzzle.
- Keep in mind the plot of the story, tying together the beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.
EditMaking the Challenges - Think of challenges the guests will encounter throughout the story. Challenges are parts of the story guests figure out along the way. If your guests are new to escape rooms, stick to only 3 or 4 challenges. If you think they would like a more difficult escape room, think of 5 or more challenges.
- Challenges for a zombie escape room could be to figure out who the first person was to become infected, what the cure for the zombies is, and finding the location of the cure.
- For a futuristic theme, you could require the players to determine what year they are in, how they got there, and how to get back to the present.
- Set up more or simultaneous challenges if you have a large group. If you're creating an escape room for more than 6 people, consider breaking them into two teams, or setting up challenges that can be solved simultaneously. That way, everyone who is participating will be entertained.
- Create a puzzle for each challenge in the storyline. Make sure each challenge is solvable in the amount of time you'er giving the players. Once they solve the challenge or puzzle, it should then lead them on to answer or unlock something.[5]
- For example, if the challenge is to unlock a door, you could choose to have the players decrypt messages, open a combination lock, or search for items in odd places in order to find the key.
- If the players have to decode a message sent by villain, they may need to find written clues in books, newspapers, and pictures.
- Use locks to guard information. Purchase pad locks, bike locks, or a small safe. Create a puzzle where the answer is the combination to open the lock. Once the lock is opened, make sure you provide the next clue.
- For example, you could hide the combination of the lock under a book.
- For a tricky challenge, put the key to the lock in a a separate box they have to unlock first.
- Put items in plain site that have hidden information. Write a code on the bottom of objects in the room that help players opening a lock or provide more information.[6]
- You could place several dice through the room with numbers missing. The players would then try piecing together the missing numbers to open a lock.
- Open a newspaper and underline certain words to make a sentence the players must piece together.
- Create a cipher by providing players with something to unscramble. Give players a list or sentence of words to have them match to a pattern.[7]
- You could make an acrostic where the first letter of each word creates a sentence or name.
- Color code the words and match the colors to a pattern somewhere else in the room.
- Display a sentence where the number of letters in each word correspond to the numbers of a lock or safe.
EditPlaying the Game - Choose props to make your escape room more authentic (optional). Visit a crafts or thrift store to find decorations and costumes that fit your theme.[8]
- Use candles to add to a historical or spooky theme. For a safer option, use electric or batter operated candles instead of real candles.
- Put glow sticks in clear containers around the room to create a futuristic vibe.
- Branches, rocks, and dirt can create the feeling of a forest or cave.
- Set the mood with music. Look up playlists online that fit the setting of the room. Set out speakers or your cell phone so the players can hear the music. Keep the volume at an audible level but soft enough so the players can hear each other.
- Pick out costumes to help the players feel like part of the story (optional). Help immerse your players in the story by giving them costumes that fit the theme. Keep in mind that even one or two pieces of a costume can go a long way!
- For a cheap option, get costumes from a thrift store or ask if you can borrow clothing items from friends.
- Set up the room with your props and decorations. Make sure your clues are set and ready for the players to find. Double check that your locks are locked, your keys are hidden, and your props are set for clues (where applicable).
- If you are using candles, make sure they are out of reach and won't get knocked over when the players are moving around.
- Do a run through of the game to make sure it works. Set up the room just like the players will see it and go through the challenges and puzzles. Check to see all of the clues and puzzles make sense and that they will lead the players through the story.
- You could also have someone else or two people run through the game to test how long it takes. After all, you already know the answers to all of the puzzles!
- Explain the rules to the players. Give a short speech at the beginning explaining the story and what they players are and are not allowed to do. You might also try printing the rules down on a sheet of paper so they have them with them for the duration of the game.
- For example, explain that the players are not allowed to use their phones for help. While you can't force anyone not to use their phones, it's best to set a ground rule that it would be cheating if they used it to help them solve a puzzle.
- Explain and point out pieces of furniture and other objects they should not lift or try to move.
- Choose how many hints the players are allowed to get. Sometimes groups get stumped by a challenge or puzzle. Allow them 3 or more hints to help them along through the game. Be prepared to provide hints at any point in the game. Tell the players before they start how many hints they can use. Make your hints helpful but don't give the answer away.[9]
- If some or all of the players are children, allow them to have more than 3, or even unlimited, hints so that they don't get discouraged.
- Pick out a prize to give to the players if they complete the escape room. Choose a prize that will motivate the players to the finish the escape room. Let them know before they start the escape room what they will get if they finish![10]
- For a cheap option, you could take a team photo with props and costumes and send the team digital or physical prints.
- If the players are adults, you could give them a cash prize or gift card.
- Print out instructions and rules for the players to reference during the game. After you explain the rules verbally, give each player a copy of the rules so they don't forget while they're playing.
- Set out food and drinks that fit the theme of the room so your guests have something to snack on while they're solving the puzzles.
- Make sure your room is lit adequately enough so the players can clearly read the instructions and clues.
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Tame a Hedgehog Posted: 08 Jun 2018 05:00 PM PDT Hedgehogs are known for their distinctive snouts, round ears, and prickly quills. They make great pets, but before you can enjoy everything your pet hedgehog has to offer, you'll need to tame it. Taming is the process of training your hedgehog to feel comfortable around you. Fortunately, there are lots of ways you can win your hedgehog's trust and affection, like getting it used to your smell, giving it treats, and avoiding things that will scare it off. EditGetting Your Hedgehog Used to Your Smell - Handle your hedgehog every day so it gets used to your smell. Hedgehogs don't have the best eyesight, so they rely heavily on smell to identify people and other animals. Once your hedgehog gets used to your smell, it will start to recognize you and feel more comfortable in your presence.[1]
- To handle your hedgehog, gently pick it up by scooping your hand under its belly and lifting it up. Then, you can hold your hedgehog in your hands, or sit down and let it rest in your lap.[2]
- Try to handle your hedgehog for at least 30 minutes every day while you're trying to tame it.
- Avoid wearing protective gloves when you hold your hedgehog. Wearing gloves when you handle your hedgehog will make it harder for your hedgehog to smell your hands and get used to you. Even though hedgehogs have pointy quills, they're not sharp enough to hurt you, so you can safely handle them without gloves.[3]
- If you're still worried about getting poked by your hedgehog's quills, try wearing gloves just when you take it out of its cage. Then, take the gloves off and hold your hedgehog with bare hands once it's more relaxed.
- Put an old piece of your clothing in your hedgehog's cage. Any old, unwashed shirt or pair of pants will work. The goal is to introduce your smell into your hedgehog's cage so your hedgehog gets more used to it.[4]
- Make sure the piece of clothing doesn't have any loose zippers, buttons, or strings that your hedgehog could injure itself with.
- Avoid wearing scented products while you're taming your hedgehog. The key to taming your hedgehog is getting it comfortable with your smell, so you don't want to confuse it by wearing a variety of scented products. Avoid any scented body washes, lotions, perfumes, or hair products until your hedgehog is more comfortable around you.[5]
- When you're shopping for hygiene and beauty products, look for ones that say "fragrance-free" on the label.
EditGiving Your Hedgehog Treats - Give your hedgehog treats whenever it uncurls from a ball. When hedgehogs feel scared or threatened, they curl up in a ball. When your hedgehog uncurls from a ball in your hands or on your lap, it means it's feeling safe, so you'll want to reward that behavior by giving it a treat. Over time, your hedgehog will start to associate spending time with you with safety and rewards.[6]
- Keep the treats nearby when you're handling your hedgehog so you're able to quickly reward it.
- Provide treats that hedgehogs love as rewards. One of the best ways to win your hedgehog's trust and affection is to use treats that it will love and want more of. Since hedgehogs are insectivores (insect eaters) in the wild, freeze-dried crickets and mealworms are a great treat to use while you're taming your hedgehog.[7]
- You can find freeze-dried crickets and mealworms online or at your local pet store.
- If you don't want to use crickets and mealworms, you can give your hedgehog small pieces of fruits and vegetables like corn, apples, and carrots.
- Avoid giving your hedgehog too many treats. Hedgehogs are susceptible to obesity, so you'll want to make sure you're not giving your hedgehog too many treats. While you're taming your hedgehog, stick with 2-3 treats per handling session.[8]
- If your hedgehog looks like it's gaining a lot of weight, reduce the number of treats you're giving it every day.
- If you can still see your hedgehog's face, ears, or feet when it curls up in a ball, it's a sign that your hedgehog is overweight.[9]
EditAvoiding Scaring Your Hedgehog - Don't cast a shadow over your hedgehog when you pick it up. Since hedgehogs don't have the best eyesight, they're more sensitive to bright lights and shadows. When you're picking up your hedgehog, try not to cast a shadow over it or you could scare it. You want your hedgehog to feel as safe and calm as possible while you're working on taming it.[10]
- To avoid casting a shadow over your hedgehog, be mindful of nearby lights. For example, if there's a lamp next to your hedgehog's cage, avoid standing in front of it when you're picking your hedgehog up.
- Avoid making loud noises when you're handling your hedgehog. Just like with bright lights and shadows, hedgehogs are sensitive to loud noises. You don't want your hedgehog to get scared while you're holding it, so try to stay as calm and quiet as possible.[11]
- Avoid yelling, listening to loud music, slamming cabinets or door, or dropping things while you're holding your hedgehog.
- Let your hedgehog get comfortable with you on its own time. Trying to rush the taming process with your hedgehog will only make it take longer. Don't force your hedgehog to give you attention or it will feel scared and threatened. Instead, give your hedgehog plenty of time to get used to your smell and company. Eventually, it will feel safe around you!
- When your hedgehog's quills are flat against its body, it's a sign that it feels comfortable and relaxed.[12]
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Grow Lotus Flower Posted: 08 Jun 2018 09:00 AM PDT Sacred to Hindus and Buddhists, the Lotus is the national flower of India. This hardy aquatic plant is native to southern Asia and Australia, but they can be grown in nearly any temperate climate under the right conditions. You can grow lotus from seeds or from tubers. If you grow lotus from seeds, they typically will not flower in their first year.[1] EditGrowing from Seed - Scrape the seed with a file. Using a standard metal file, scrape the hard seed casing to reveal the cream-colored core. Do not file any of the core away or else your lotus will not grow. Filing away the outer casing allows water to reach the core.[2]
- If you don't have a metal file handy, you can use any sharp knife or even rub the seed against concrete. Just be careful not to scrape away too much of the seed.
- Place your seeds in warm water. Use a glass or transparent plastic container so that you can see when the seeds start to sprout. Fill the container with dechlorinated water between .[3]
- After a day of soaking, the seeds will sink to the bottom and swell to nearly twice their original size. Seeds that float are almost always infertile. Remove them or they will cloud up the water.
- Change the water daily, even after the seeds have started to sprout. When you remove the seedlings to change the water, treat the sprouts with care – they are very delicate.
- Fill a container with of deep soil. This size typically provides enough room for a young lotus to grow. A black plastic bucket will retain heat to better warm the seedlings.[4]
- Ideally, your soil should be 2 parts clay and 1 part river sand. If you use commercial potting soil to topsoil for houseplants, it will float to the surface once you submerge your tub in water.[5]
- Make sure the container you choose does not have any drainage holes. The plant may gravitate toward the drainage hole and begin growing outside of it, causing the plant to underperform.
- Remove seedlings from water once they are long. Your seeds should start to sprout after 4 or 5 days of soaking. However, if you transfer them to the potting container to early, they will likely fail.[6]
- If you wait too long, your seedlings will start to grow leaves. You can still plant them – just take care to keep the leaves free of the soil.[7]
- Press the sprouted seeds into the soil about apart. You don't have to bury the seeds in the soil. Set them just on top, then brush a light layer of soil over them to secure them. They will take root on their own.[8]
- It can be a good idea to wrap a small amount of modeling clay around the bottom of each seed to anchor it with a little weight. When you lower your container into the pond, an unanchored seed may find its way out of the soil and float up to the surface of the water.
- Lower the pot into your pond. Lotus are aquatic plants, so the soil should always have at least of water above it. If you have taller plants, the water can be up to deep. Dwarf lotus need water between deep.[9]
- The water should be at least . If you live in an area with a relatively cooler climate, shallower water will provide extra warmth for your lotus.
- Lotus grown from seed rarely bloom in their first year. You should also keep fertilizer to a minimum during this first year. Allow your lotus to acclimate to its environment.
EditGrowing from Tuber - Purchase tubers in early spring. You can buy lotus tubers online, or at a local nursery or garden center. Because of difficulty shipping, they are typically not available after they break dormancy in late spring. However, you may be able to buy some that have been grown locally.[10]
- For rarer hybrids, you may have to shop online. If there is a water gardening society with a chapter near you, ask them for recommendations. Some societies also sell plants themselves.[11]
- Float the tuber in a bowl in water between . Place your tuber gently on the surface of the water. Place your bowl near a warm, sunny window, but out of direct sunlight.[12]
- If you're planning on moving the lotus to a pond, use water from the pond (as long as it's warm enough). Change the water every 3 to 7 days, or if it starts to appear cloudy.
- Choose a round container in diameter. If set loose, a lotus will grow as large as the area in which it is planted. Your container reins the lotus in and keeps it from taking over your whole pond.[13]
- A deep container will decrease the chance that your lotus spills over the top and spreads across the pond. Round containers keep your lotus from getting jammed up in a corner, which can stunt or kill the plant.
- Fill your container with dense soil. A good potting medium for lotus is a soil mixture about 60 percent clay and 40 percent river sand. Leave about between the top of the soil and the rim of your container.[14]
- You can also use amended soil, with a separate layer of sand deep on top. Make sure there is still sufficient space between the top of the sand layer and the rim of your container.
- Press the tuber into the top of the soil. Embed your tuber slightly in the sand, then carefully weigh it down with rocks so that it won't float up to the surface of the water before it takes root.[15]
- Do not bury the tuber completely in the soil – it will rot. Make sure it's embedded only slightly at the surface.
- Lower your container below the surface of your pond. Choose a sunny spot for your lotus that is away from flowing water and will give your lotus enough room to grow. Once your tuber is secured in place, you can lower it into the location you've chosen to plant your lotus.[16]
- Once seated in the pond, the tuber plants itself by turning downward into the soil mixture and growing roots.
EditCaring for Your Lotus - Maintain a water temperature of at least . Active growth begins when the surface water reaches this temperature. Your lotus needs warm water to grow to its fullest potential. Ideally, the air temperature should be at least as well.[17]
- The lotus will start to send up leaves after a few days in water above . It blooms after 3 to 4 weeks in water above .
- Check your water temperature every other day. If you live in a cooler climate, you may need a heater for your pond to maintain the appropriate temperature.[18]
- Keep your lotus in direct sunlight. Lotus plants thrive in full sun, requiring at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. If your pond is partially shaded, you may want to prune or remove surrounding foliage that blocks out the sun.[19]
- In North America, the lotus typically blooms from mid-June or mid-July through early autumn. The blossoms open early in the morning and start closing mid-afternoon. Individual blossoms last 3 to 5 days, then molt. The process repeats through the remaining months of active growth.
- Prune dying blossoms and yellow or damaged leaves. If your lotus starts to take over your pond, you can also cut away new growth, but keep in mind it will grow again until the lotus is repotted in spring.[20]
- Never cut flower or leaf stems below water level. Roots and tubers use stems for oxygen.[21]
- Use pond tabs to fertilize your lotus. Pond tablets are fertilizer made especially for aquatic plants. Wait until your tuber has developed at least 6 leaves before fertilizing it, and don't place the fertilizer directly against the tuber itself.[22]
- Small lotus varieties only need 2 tablets, while larger varieties may need as many as 4. Add fertilizer once every 3 or 4 weeks, stopping in mid-July. If you continue to fertilize your lotus past this point, it won't be able to prepare for dormancy.
- If you grew your lotus from seed, don't fertilize it during its first year.
- Watch for pests. While pests vary depending on your geographic location, aphids and caterpillars may be attracted to lotus leaves. Applying a small amount of powdered pesticide directly to the leaves will protect your lotus plant from these pests.[23]
- Liquid pesticides, even organic ones, have oils and detergents that can damage your lotus.
- Move your lotus to deeper water in the fall. Lotus plants can spend the winter in ponds as far north as Michigan or Minnesota as long as the pond is deep enough to protect the tubers from ice. The tuber should at least be below the frost line, a depth that varies depending on where you live.[24]
- If your pond is relatively shallow, you can remove the container and leave it in a garage or basement until spring. Mulch around any above-ground pots to keep the tubers warm.
- Repot the tuber every year. In early spring, when you spot the first sign of new growth, give your lotus fresh soil and return it to the original container (unless the container is damaged). Replace it in your pond at the same depth it was before.[25]
- If your lotus took over your pond the previous year, inspect the container for cracks. You may want to get a larger container to better hold the lotus, if it grew over the rim.
- Lotus tubers are very delicate. Handle them with care, and don't break off the pointed tip (the "eye" of the tuber). Your lotus will not grow if the eye is damaged.[26]
- Try organic fertilizers made from sea kelp or fish meal if you want to stay away from chemical fertilizers.
- Lotus flowers, seeds, young leaves, and stems are all edible, though they may cause slight psychedelic effects.[27]
- Lotus seeds can be viable for hundreds – even thousands – of years.[28]
EditSources and Citations
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