We love escape rooms in our family. We tend to get a little competitive with them, but it is all in good fun. So when we had the chance to check out an at home escape room game for kids, we jumped at the chance! And we paired it with some fun new pirate books for kids too!

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. We received a Blimey Box kit in exchange for our honest review. We also received copies of the books separately. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Blimey Box is an at home escape room game and treasure hunt that encourages kids to have fun while learning. There are 3 levels of gameplay. The Scallywag Kit for ages 5-6, the Privateer kit for ages 6-8, and the Buccaneer Kit for ages 7-9. Each game bundle includes the lockbox set and 45 printable games that parents can easily set up. The lockbox set contains a plastic tackle box, a small wooden treasure chest, a lockable zipper pouch, and an assortment of combination locks. Thanks to the printable puzzles, the Blimey Box can be used over and over again.

The creators behind the Blimey Box are Whitney and Jason Ebert, a mom and dad team that started creating these puzzles for their kids. As an elementary school teacher, Whitney created puzzles that gave her kids practice in academic skills they were working on. The tasks in the kit are fun and easy for kids to do, making it enjoyable for them to practice these skills.

Rewards & Screen Time

The game kit also includes printable reward coupons, plus blank coupons you can fill in yourself. One of the coupons includes 15 minutes on the iPad, which has become a big part of our screen time routine. Since receiving the box, I have started setting up the puzzles with the screen time coupon hidden inside. Little Bookworm knows that if she solves the puzzles, she will earn 15 minutes of screen time. She now runs to the box when there is a new puzzle, and dives in. This is a great way to monitor her screen time, while also encouraging her to practice important skills.

Related Post: Books about Balancing Screen Time

Benefits of the Blimey Box

There are so many benefits to using the Blimey Box with your kids. Not only does it provide kids with a fun challenge that encourages them to practice important skills, but it helps them to develop problem solving skills. The company offers tons of printable games, meaning that the box can grow along with them, and help them practice and develop new skills.

Some of the puzzles in each game kit help kids practice:

Scallywag Games:

• Shape Recognition
• Number Order
• Alphabetical Order
• Writing Letters

Privateer Games:

• Counting by 2’s
• Reading a graph
• Sight Words
• Reading simple sentences

Buccaneer Games:

• Algebra
• Telling time
• Spelling patterns
• Phonics

Easy for Parents

One of the nice parts of the Blimey Box is how easy it is for parents to set up. Each printable game only takes about 5-10 minutes to prepare. The locks are easy to use, and there are resources available on the website for parents who need help resetting the locks between games. I highly recommend following their recommendation to immediately reset locks as kids open them during the game. It makes it a lot easier to keep track. Since the box is small and has a handle, it is easy for parents to take these games with them to restaurants, on car rides, or to parties.

Related Post: Back to School Games with the Kindergarrrrten Bus

Pirate Books

The Blimey Box definitely got us in a pirate-y mood, which paired perfectly with these pirate books for kids!

The Word Pirates

Written by Susan Cooper and illustrated by Steven Kellogg

This book follows Captain Rottingbones and his pirate crew as they steal words from the pages of writers, and eat them. When they hear of a magical Word Wizard in New Zealand, they set sail to steal her words. But she soon teaches them that the pen is literally mightier than the sword, and introduces them to the magic of words on the page. The story is a tribute to the New Zealand author Margaret Mahy, and the power of stories and words. The illustrations are full of hilarious pirates drawn in Kellogg’s signature illustration style.

Pirate Chicken: All Hens on Deck

Written by Brian Yanish and illustrated by Jess Pauwels

This silly story follows a unique chicken named Lily. As a reader, she dreams of life outside of the farm. When a band of pirates invades her farm, she jumps at the chance to join their crew and see the world. Soon, Lily and the other chickens find themselves in charge of the pirate ship, and Lily lets the power go to her head. In the end, Lily and the other chickens have to find a way to be happy with their new freedoms. The illustrations are hilarious, full of funny chickens doing human things. Kids will love laughing along with the chickens, and will cheer for them to find their own happiness.

How to Be a Pirate

Written by Isaac Fitzgerald and illustrated by Brigette Barrager

This sweet story follows a young girl named CeCe who wants to play pirates with the neighborhood boys. When they tell her that she can’t be a pirate, she goes home to ask her grandfather what it takes to be one. Since he has tattoos like a pirate does, he must know, right? As he shows her each of his tattoos, they explore the important traits that a pirate (or a kid) should have. The illustrations take them to exotic places, inspired by his creative tattoos. Kids and parents alike will love the sweet ending, and the way little CeCe takes the lessons to heart.

What are your favorite pirate books for kids? Have you played an escape room game for kids before? Share your favorites with us!

More Posts You May Enjoy: