67 days to Christmas

Santa's Workshop escape room is almost here: take a peek

Santa's Workshop Christmas Escape Room cover: the title over the printed pages (blueprint maze, Secret Telegram, Decoder Wheel, Santa's letter) with Head Elf Pip; ages 7-10, 6 puzzles, 45-60 minutes, instant download

Six puzzles, one secret word and a jammed Toy Machine. Can your elves save Christmas before midnight?

The story

CLANK! CLUNK! It's Christmas Eve and the giant Toy Machine at Santa's Workshop has jammed! Head Elf Pip locked the restart lever with a secret word and hid six clues around the workshop. Can your young elves solve every puzzle, crack the secret word and save Christmas before midnight?

Every clue is a real object from Santa's Workshop: a letter from Santa, a secret blueprint, a telegram you crack with a cut-out Decoder Wheel, the elves' toy clipboard, Mrs. Claus's recipe card, the workshop job board and an ornament box. Print it at home, hide the clue envelopes and let the adventure begin: on Christmas Eve, at a holiday party, on family game night or in a classroom celebration.

Six puzzles, six secret letters

  1. Find the Lost Reindeer: a maze on a top-secret workshop blueprint
  2. The Secret Telegram: crack the code with the cut-out Decoder Wheel
  3. Toy Inventory: a word search with a twist, on the elves' clipboard
  4. Cookie Count: picture math on Mrs. Claus's recipe card
  5. Who Built What?: a logic puzzle on the workshop job board
  6. Ornament Sudoku: a picture sudoku in an ornament box

Then the six letters go into the Toy Machine's control panel, Pip's Magic Picture appears, and every player gets a Master Elf Diploma.

The Host Guide shows you how to set it up like a real escape room: a hiding-spot plan, printable envelope labels (with an "Open last" envelope), the order to hand things out and an optional locked-box finale. It also has a timing guide, three levels of hints for every puzzle and a full answer key with solved pictures. No answers appear on the player pages.

Good to know

  • Younger kids can play with a grown-up helping. Play solo, in teams or as a whole class.
  • Every puzzle is checked by our own puzzle software, so each one has exactly one solution.
  • This is a digital download: nothing is shipped. Print at 100% or "fit to page", single-sided (the Decoder Wheel page is cut out). Colors may vary slightly between printers and screens.
  • For personal use at home or in your own classroom. Please don't share, sell or upload the files.

What’s inside

The real player pages, shown small. Answers stay in the Host Guide.

  • A letter from Santa, to read out loud
    A letter from Santa, to read out loud
  • Clue 1 · Find the Lost Reindeer (maze on a workshop blueprint)
    Clue 1 · Find the Lost Reindeer (maze on a workshop blueprint)
  • The Decoder Wheel: cut out and join with a paper fastener
    The Decoder Wheel: cut out and join with a paper fastener
  • Master Elf Diploma for every player
    Master Elf Diploma for every player
  • +12 more pages in the kit, plus the Host Guide & Answer Key

The files you get

  • Player pages, US Letter16 pages: Santa's letter, How to Play, 6 puzzle pages, the Decoder Wheel and a no-cut Decoder Table, the Toy Machine, Pip's Magic Picture, a Master Elf Diploma and 18 fold-over hint cards
  • Player pages, A4The same 16 pages laid out for A4 paper
  • Printer-friendly black & white version16 ink-saving pages
  • Host Guide & Answer Key13 pages for the grown-up: a hiding-spot plan, printable envelope labels, the order to hand things out, an optional locked-box finale, a timing guide, three levels of hints per puzzle and solved pictures
  • Start Here print guide1 page on how to print

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Print and prepare

    Print the pages, cut apart the hint cards (and the Decoder Wheel, if you like) and hide the clue envelopes (about 20 minutes).

  2. Step 2

    Read Santa's letter

    Read Santa's letter out loud and start the timer.

  3. Step 3

    Solve the clues

    Kids solve the clues in any order. Each puzzle gives one secret letter. Stuck? Open a hint card, Hint 1 first.

  4. Step 4

    Unlock the Toy Machine

    Write the letters into the Toy Machine and say the secret word. Then color Pip's Magic Picture and hand out the diplomas!

Perfect for

  • Christmas Eve
  • Holiday parties
  • Classroom celebrations
  • Family game night

What you need

  • A printer and paper (US Letter or A4)
  • Pencils and an eraser
  • Scissors, optional: a no-cut Decoder Table is included (a grown-up cuts the hint cards, or reads them aloud)
  • A split pin or a pencil, only if you build the Decoder Wheel
  • A timer

Questions about this kit

How long does it take?

About 45-60 minutes of play, plus about 20 minutes to print, cut apart the hint cards and hide the envelopes. The Host Guide has a timing guide and three levels of hints for every puzzle, so you can keep the game moving.

Can younger kids play?

The kit is made for ages 7-10. Younger kids can join in with a grown-up helping, for example by reading the clues out loud. For ages 4-6 we are making a picture-only edition.

How many kids can play?

1-6 players: solo, in teams or as a whole class.

What if the kids get stuck?

Every clue has three fold-over hint cards: a small nudge, a strong hint and an almost-there hint. None of them gives the letter away. The grown-up Game Master has the same hints in the Host Guide.

Do I have to hide the clues?

Hiding the clue envelopes makes it feel like a real escape room: the Host Guide has a hiding-spot plan and printable envelope labels, including an "Open last" envelope. If you prefer, you can simply hand the clues out at the table.

Do I need scissors?

Not for the puzzles: a no-cut Decoder Table is included. If you like crafts, cut out the Decoder Wheel and join it with a paper fastener. A grown-up cuts apart the hint cards, or keeps the page and reads the hints aloud.

Where are the answers?

In the separate Host Guide & Answer Key for the grown-up, with solved pictures. No answers appear on the player pages.

Which paper size do I print?

Both US Letter and A4 versions are included, plus a printer-friendly black & white version that saves ink. Print single-sided, because the hint cards fold over.

Can I print it again next year?

Yes. Print it as often as you need for your own family or your own class. Please don't share, sell or upload the files.

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Made by Honey Hollow Kids

We design every printable ourselves, and our puzzles are generated and checked with our own puzzle software. The illustrations are created with AI image tools from our own prompts and art direction, then edited and laid out by us.

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