Boys bored in their bedroom looking for activities to do.

Is finding fun family activities with teens impossible?

Teenagers.

Masters of technology, hidden in their room and rarely seen in daylight unless scavenging for food and often camouflaged behind a hoodie, ear pods (they call them “air pods” now) and a phone (please add your own Sir David Attenborough impression). Is finding family activities with teens impossible?

Teenage boys staving off boredom with the usual activites with teens. Computer, staring out the window....

Some days it can certainly seem that way, and we can often be left wondering how we became servants rather than someone they wanted to share time with. Where did my adorable, chubby toddler who wanted to hold my hand and share every moment of her day go? And how can I spend some quality, fun time with her before she’s fully grown? I’m here to let you know that at Sneaky Dog Escapes, we have a solution for you and you’re going to love it.

Say hello to my little friend.

Let me introduce VR (virtual reality) escape room adventures as your salvation. How do you get your teenager off tech and spending some time with you and the rest of the family? Make the tech more exciting for them and more accessible for you too. Our virtual reality escape adventures use virtual reality headsets to transport you to a whole new destination. Once there you can move freely, pick up objects and even interact with each other – all in the virtual world. You’ll have a mission to solve – maybe you’ll need to retrieve an artefact from an ancient Egyptian pyramid or fix a spaceship before it hurtles towards the earth. What could be more cool than that?

Will my teens like this? Is really an activity with teens in the audience?

Do you lose your children to Fortnite, Minecraft or even call of duty for what seems like days on end? Imagine if they could bring these worlds to life (but without the danger!) and fully immerse themselves in the gameplay. Compare playing Pong from the 1980s with Mario Kart. Both are fun but one is so much more vibrant and exciting than the other. That’s how immersive VR is. There’s a mission to complete and a whole new world to explore.

But let’s be clear, VR escape rooms are not just for gamers. Definitely not. So will your non-gaming teenager like VR? Yes! We host plenty of tween and teen birthday parties for girls and boys. VR escape adventures are a new experience, they are fun, they take you to new places and in Jungle Quest you can even come face to face with giraffes and elephants. Plus, you do all this with your teammates – this is not a solo activity and that’s one of the reasons it’s one of the best family activities with teens.

Jungle Quest screen shot from Arvi games. A virtual reality escape room. The variety in experiences is what makes VR such a great activity with teens.

Jungle Quest – actual game image

More to the point, will I like VR?

“I don’t like tech and it doesn’t like me”, “I’m not a gamer”, “I’ll just watch”

NO! NON! NOP! We’re here to show you that VR is for ANYONE – there are no rules or prerequisites and no requirement to be techie at all. Here’s a simple question for you – do you have a smartphone? Yes? The virtual reality technology is clever so you don’t have to worry about it. It’s far more intuitive than a smartphone and a lot more fun too. So don’t sit on the sidelines and let the kids play – this is the perfect activity for YOU to play WITH your kids, just like when they were little.

The games are easy to play with lots to explore, plenty of puzzles and lots to do as a team, together. Regardless of whether you are a VR natural or not, our experienced gamesmasters are there to give you any of the support you need, and most importantly to make sure you have FUN and that you ALL enjoy yourselves.

But, what if I’m rubbish?

It’s not a test! The amazing thing about our VR escape adventures is that they are collaborative. Some puzzles you can solve alone, plenty need two or more people. It’s all about being a team. And chances are that no one in your group has played a VR escape adventure before so you all start on a level playing field.

Will everyone enjoy themselves?

In my life as a mum, I have done a lot of things for my kids that I don’t personally find enjoyable but my kids love: taken them to sports lessons and parties at soft play. I’ve even been dragged to a fair few theme parks which are OK but would never make it on my personal top 10 things to do. What I love about our VR escape room adventures is there really is something for everyone to enjoy. This is truly a family activity where mum doesn’t get left holding the coats. The kids and teens love the latest technology and the excitement that it brings. The parents go because they think the kids will enjoy it but end up loving it so much they sneakily book again with their mates. They love that it’s tech that’s easy to use and that the adventures are challenging but fun. Most of all they love the laughter-filled family time that makes spending time together fun (and with a lot less bickering than a game of monopoly)!

If all else fails, shoot them in the bum

And last but not least, if all else fails and your kids (or other half) have really annoyed you…you can shoot them in the bum with a bow and arrow. It may only be in the virtual world, but it is ever so satisfying! Not many activities with teens allow all that.

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Our Latest Review!

Absolutely fabulous experience! The attention to detail was second to none and the puzzles were well considered and varied. Enough room for a group of six to work comfortably and more rooms to explore than any previous escape rooms completed.

The host was brilliant and gave enough subtle hints to keep us moving without giving away too much. Definitely the best in Southampton and possibly the south of England. When you have a 90 minute limit it makes such a pleasant change to actually need the whole time. Was absolutely worth every penny!