Escape room: The Number Vault
A math escape room for class and home: four stations of addition, sharing into pairs and number patterns build a four-digit vault code.
The story
The class vault is locked with a four-digit code. Only a team that solves the chain of puzzles can open it in time.
Professor Buga stored the end-of-year party cards in the vault. The code was scattered across four thinking stations.
4 story stations · online you can pick a level that adds more locks.
Run it at home or in class
What to prepare
- 4 puzzle cards
- A score sheet
- Pens
- An envelope or safe with the code 5473
Tips for the facilitator
- Print each station on its own sheet and hide them around the classroom.
- You can give every team its own envelope with the same clues.
- For an easier version, leave a calculator or a hundred chart out.
Difficulty level for “The Number Vault”
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 Number Vault
The class vault is locked with a four-digit code. Only a team that solves the chain of puzzles can open it in time.
0 of 6 stages solved
Stage 1: The addition station
1/6Facilitator guide: 🔢 The Number Vault
What the room practises
Addition, sharing into pairs, odd numbers and finding a difference.
The 4 stations (without the answers)
- The addition station: Add 12 + 8 + 5. The ones digit of the answer is the first digit of the code. What is it?
- The pairs station: There are 8 children in the class, and each one needs a dance partner. How many pairs will there be? That is the second digit of the code.
- The pattern station: Which digit is missing in the pattern 1, 3, 5, __, 9? That is the third digit of the code.
- The final station: The fourth digit is the difference between the largest and the smallest digit you have found so far. Write all four digits in station order. What is the code?
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: 4 puzzle cards and an envelope or safe with the code 5473.
Most important: Print each station on its own sheet and hide them around the classroom.
Age and group size
Best with teams of 3–5 children. In a class or a big party, print a kit per team and run the room in parallel.
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 Number Vault” for, and how long does it take?
It was written for kids and tweens, at medium difficulty, and usually takes 20–30 minutes. It has 4 story stations, and online you can choose between three difficulty levels that add more locks.
What do I need to run “The Number Vault”?
A printer and these props: 4 puzzle cards; A score sheet; Pens; An envelope or safe with the code 5473. 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.
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