The Stolen Museum Skeleton: a printable dinosaur escape game
Who stole Rex’s head?
On the morning of the grand opening of the Great Dinosaur Gallery, the skull of Rex, star T. rex of Rockvale Museum, has vanished! Professor Beaker and Whiskers hand the case to your children. There are four colourful suspects: a night guard who is scared of the dark, a countess in pink feathers, a grumpy palaeontologist and a museum director with a film star smile. To clear them one by one, players dig through a real block of fossils, make giant shadows talk, weigh crates with a coat hanger, shake a jar of mud and train their detective noses. At the end they accuse the culprit by locker number… then everyone makes Rex roar with a paper cup.
Ages 6 to 10 · 32 A4 pages · instant download
A real detective game, at home
- 7 envelopes that open with codes you crack using science
- 4 suspect files, an investigation sheet and a final accusation by locker number
- 5 experiments with things from the kitchen: dig, shadows, scales, soil layers, smells
- The Museum Terminal, which also spots the most common mistakes
- 18 hint cards on 3 levels, so nobody ever gets stuck
- A grown-up’s guide with the answers, a certificate, a door poster and badges
Key features
2 to 6 players, ages 6 to 10
4 suspects, 1 culprit
3 video messages from the characters
Works for a birthday party of up to 8
How does it work?
Order
The PDF arrives straight away, by email and in your account. You can play the same day.
Prepare
The day before, 20 minutes: the salt dough fossil block. On the day, 15 minutes.
Play
Start the 45-minute timer and track down Rex’s missing skull!
A great gift for curious kids
No screens, no batteries: just a printer, a few things from the kitchen cupboard and a family ready to think like scientists.
Discover our science kits and experiments to keep the fun going all year round.
Frequently asked questions
Is it suitable for a 6 year old?
Yes. The guide includes an easier version (a 60-minute timer, first hint given straight away) and a challenge version for 9 and 10 year olds. The codes are found by doing things, not by doing sums.
What do I need?
Plain flour, salt, cocoa powder, a torch, a coat hanger, three yoghurt pots, a jar, a little gravel, sand and soil, vanilla extract, mint toothpaste, ground coffee and some paper cups. Nothing to order online. No garden? Lentils, semolina and flour work instead of gravel, sand and soil.
Is it safe?
Yes: no flames, nothing sharp for children and nothing to eat. A grown-up makes the holes in the cups and handles the scissors.
Can we play it at a birthday party?
Yes, with up to 8 children: the guide explains how to play in pairs, one envelope each, before everyone gets together for the accusation and the roaring finale.
What are the video messages?
Three short videos in which the characters talk to the players, to watch on a phone or tablet by scanning the QR codes printed on three of the letters. They are optional: everything is also written on paper.
How do I receive the game?
Straight after payment: the download link is in your confirmation email and in your customer account. You can download the PDF up to 5 times within 30 days.
Do I need a colour printer?
Colour looks best for the suspect files and the smell chart, but the whole game works in black and white on a home printer.
Lab protocol
What we guarantee with this order
- 01Returns accepted30 days
- 02Free deliveryover £45
- 03Tracking numberincluded
- 04Secure paymentCard, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- 05Any questionsby email
Carefully packed to arrive in one piece.
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