1st Grade Halloween Math Activity Fall Themed Digital Escape Room Game

Add, add as fast as you can! You have to capture the Candy Corn Man! This fun math activity will be the hit of any Halloween Party or any math lesson whether it is virtual or in-person. This online breakout is designed with first grade math standards 1.OA.A.1 and 1.NB.B.2 and offers two levels of difficulty for differentiation. The more difficult version would also work for 2nd graders to complete independently, while it could be a teacher-led activity for kindergarten or 1st graders.

This is a great opportunity for younger students to engage with technology in a fun way. While it is highly recommended to do this as a whole-class, teacher led activity, students can follow along on the Google Form™ and enter their answers. This activity DOES NOT require Google Classroom™ or Google™ accounts. Anybody with an internet connection and a device can complete this digital escape room! For distance learning, the teacher can lead the escape room through a virtual meeting or allow more independent students to give the online breakout a try independently!

The pdf that you will receive includes an optional student recording page. Whether you complete this as a whole class (recommended), or allow students to work alone or in small groups, the recording page is a great tool for teachers to check for understanding. Students can draw models, write equations, and show their work on the addition and subtraction problems. Using counting manipulatives and base-ten blocks will also be beneficial to many students!

Skills required to complete the puzzles:

• Solve addition word problems within 10 (Version A)
• Solve addition and subtraction word problems within 20 (Version B)
• Solve addition problems within 10 as well as addition problems involving adding a single-digit number to 10 (Version A)
• Solve addition and subtraction facts within 20 (Version B)
• Write two-digit numbers when given a picture representing tens and ones. (Both Versions)
• Read carefully and solve simple puzzles (for working independently)
• Listen carefully and solve simple puzzles (for teacher-led)

What is included in the PDF?

• Easy to follow instructions
• Details for implementing this product for remote/distance learning (including the option to save a copy of the Google Form™ to your own drive
• Detailed answer key
• Teacher Tips
• Optional recording page for students to show their equations and visual models
• Optional success signs to snap a photo with to celebrate capturing the Candy Corn Man

FAQ

• Do students need to have Gmail™ accounts? NO! Anyone with internet access and a tablet, computer, or even phone can complete the breakout. The escape room is automated by a Google Form™, but does not require the teacher or students to have Google™ accounts.
• How long will this take? That is the hardest question as the answer varies depending on each classroom, student, or group. Some students with a firm grasp on the concepts covered in this escape room will be able to complete the challenge very quickly (20 minutes), others will take longer. The majority of students will take between 35-45 minutes. Requiring students to use the recording form will increase the amount of time required to complete the puzzles. The form will not save student data, so if you are worried about your students not finishing on time, simply have them write their answers on scratch paper. They can then come back and quickly re-enter their answers and pick up where they left off.
• Will students have to search the web to figure out the puzzles? NO! All of the information needed will be provided in the Google Form™. The math in this activity is all standards-based.

More Details about the Puzzles:

The chase begins as students read three word problems and choose an equation to solve each problem and the answer to each problem to form a door code. A combination to a lock is found by using place value knowledge (first grade standard of tens and ones) to find three numbers to unlock a door. Next, students solve a word problem to find their way through a trap door. Figuring out the password to enter the breakroom will be the next challenge as students practice addition facts in version A of the escape room and addition and subtraction within 20 facts for Version B (more challenging version). A simple substitution cipher gives students the answer they will need. Finally, students have to rescue the Candy Corn Man who has managed to get himself into a sticky situation. Another place value challenge is solved, this time using dimes and pennies as the tens and ones. Finally, there is one last word problem to solve to finish the challenge!