Escape room: The Case of the Missing Cake
A gentle birthday escape room for kids 4–8: a colour clue, a balloon count and a riddle lead to the missing cake. Play online or print the free kit.
The story
The party is ready, the balloons are up, everyone is waiting… but the cake has vanished! Solve the clues to find out where it went.
3 story stations · online you can pick a level that adds more locks.
Run it at home or in class
What to prepare
- 3 candles or notes: red, blue and yellow
- 7 balloons (2 red, 4 blue, 1 green)
- Printed clue notes
- A cake or a surprise in the fridge
Tips for the facilitator
- Stick the first clue on the party table next to the candles.
- For children who can’t read yet, a grown-up reads the clues aloud.
- Put a “You found it!” note inside the fridge so the ending feels like a real discovery.
Difficulty level for “The Case of the Missing Cake”
The story clues stay the same on every level; harder levels add more locks in between. You can ask for a hint at every stage.
🎂 The Case of the Missing Cake
The party is ready, the balloons are up, everyone is waiting… but the cake has vanished! Solve the clues to find out where it went.
0 of 6 stages solved
Stage 1: The clue on the table
1/6On the table stand three candles: red, blue and yellow. A note says: “Pick the candle that is the colour of the sun in your drawings.”
Facilitator guide: 🎂 The Case of the Missing Cake
What the room practises
Colours, counting and a first riddle.
The 3 stations (without the answers)
- The clue on the table: Which colour should you pick?
- The balloon code: What is the code?
- The kitchen door: Where is the cake?
Preparing and printing
On the easy level the printed kit has 7 pages: a facilitator sheet with the opening story, the setup list and every answer, plus an A4 card for each of the 6 stages. Besides printing, get ready: 3 candles or notes: red, blue and yellow and a cake or a surprise in the fridge.
Most important: Stick the first clue on the party table next to the candles.
Age and group size
Up to 6 children with a grown-up who reads the stations aloud. With more children, use two grown-ups and two teams playing side by side.
Giving hints in this room
Online the hints open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit in the facilitator table next to each answer. Give the first hint after a couple of minutes of silence, not at the first wrong guess.
Frequently asked questions
What age is “The Case of the Missing Cake” for, and how long does it take?
It was written for kids 4–8, at easy difficulty, and usually takes 10–15 minutes. It has 3 story stations, and online you can choose between three difficulty levels that add more locks.
What do I need to run “The Case of the Missing Cake”?
A printer and these props: 3 candles or notes: red, blue and yellow; 7 balloons (2 red, 4 blue, 1 green); Printed clue notes; A cake or a surprise in the fridge. The printable kit includes a facilitator sheet with every answer and a card for each stage.
What if the players get stuck?
Every stage has graded hints. Online they open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit next to each answer on the facilitator sheet. The first hint never gives the answer away.
Rooms like The Case of the Missing Cake
The Locker Room Before the Final
Shirt numbers, the coach’s formation and a door code to crack before the whistle.
Kids and tweens · also for birthdays
The Stranded Space Station
Accurate space facts about the Sun and the planets restart the station’s navigation.
Kids and tweens · also for birthdays, families
The Secret Movie Premiere
Find out who runs the set, count the popcorn and open the projection safe on time.
Kids and tweens · also for birthdays, families
The Number Vault
Four thinking stations, each giving one digit of a four-digit vault code.
Kids and tweens · also for families
The Pirate’s Treasure Chest
Count palm trees, guess a colour and a shape, and open a chest of chocolate coins.
Kids 4–8 · also for birthdays, families
The Dinosaur Egg
Count footprints, find a colour and a pattern, and help a baby dinosaur hatch.
Kids 4–8 · also for birthdays, families