ELF MISSION:SAVE CHRISTMAS

ELF MISSION: SAVE CHRISTMAS!

Escape Room

by Mrs Helen

Yesterday, a naughty Krampus-like Kalikantzaros came in Santa's workshop. He played a trick and mixed up all the gears of the Great Toy-Making Machine. He also hid the Master Activation Key somewhere...But where??? Without the key, the Toy Machine will not start. If the machine does not start, Santa cannot fill the sleigh!

It is 17:15 on Christmas Eve! The sleigh must take off at 18:00 to deliver all the presents on time! You are the Elite Elf Squad and you are inside Santa’s workshop. You have 45 minutes to follow the clues left by the Kalikantzaros, solve the nine puzzles, find the Master Activation Key, and start the Toy Machine again!

If you fail...Christmas will be cancelled... FOREVER!!! Your time starts now!

1. The christmas reading challenge

Let's start, little elves! The Kalikantzaros left a special note for you. But the note has holes! Some words are missing! Put the words in the correct place to get the first clue about the whereabouts of the Master Activation Key! This is your test of reading and focus!

good luck And Godspeed!

puzzle unlocked!

We have the secret message!!!

THE MASTER ACTIVATION KEY IS IN YOUR SCHOOL!!!

2. The messy workshop

Santa's workshop is very quiet...Red ribbons, half-made toys and wrapping paper everywhere! The naughty Kalikantzaros made a mess of the place and left very fast! He dropped a small map that gives clues on where the Master Activation Key is. Find the clues!

good luck!

00:59

Find and CLICK ON: Snowflake Broken compass Golden bell Red glove Folded map

Congratulations!

Good job Elf Squad! We found something... Remember to write it down!

"Go to the..."

3.toy trouble Mission

Oh, no! The Kalikantzaros mixed-up Santa's toy pictures! Look carefully and choose! Write down the number of each correct picture. The 5-letter code unlocks the next clue!

good luck!

Let's hope you didn't forget to write down the 5-digit code... But if you have, click on Melina for help!

next

Password Protected!

Enter the password

4. The Christmas Duo

Time is moving fast, little elves!!! The naughty Kalikantzaros loves to put things in pairs. He made a list of six Christmas Duos. But he mixed them up! If you want another clue, you'll need to match each character with the object that gives them their magic, like a carrot to the snowman...

good luck!

00:59

Match each object with its character.

Congratulations!

The Kalikantzaros can't stop you! Look what we have found! Write it down!

"The key is..."

5. unlock christmas traditions

Little elves! Time is ticking! Watch the video to unlock the next clue! Santa Claus is counting on you!

good luck!

Congratulations!

The Kalikantzaros dropped this clue! Write is down! You are getting close!

"...in the..."

Oops, that's not the correct answer!!!

WHERE CAN THE KEY BE? Try again for the clue little elves!!!

back

6. The 12 days of christmas code

Listen carefully, Elves! Time is running out! The Kalikantzaros loves music, but he left a trap in this famous Christmas song. You need to use the numbers from the song to make a secret 4-digit code to unlock the next clue!

good luck!

How many birds were in the FIRST gift? How many RINGS were a gift? How many were the CALLING birds? How many LADIES were dancing?

Congratulations!

You are one step closer to saving Christmas!!! Write down the next clue!

"...last..."

7. The Christmas spelling Challenge

Great job, little elves! The Kalikantzaros loves riddles and he is trying to stop you! You must solve this simple winter rhyme to get the next clue! Focus, read the screen, and tell me: ''What is the word?"

good luck!

I swing on a ribbon or hang by the door,You shake me at Christmas and ask me for more. I'm made of shiny metal and make a clear ring, But I have no mouth, so I never can sing. When Santa is coming, my sound gives a clue,What am I?

We got it!

Drag the circles into the space and form the answer to the previous riddle.

This page is password protected

Enter the password little elves!

8. The secret message

Great job, Elves! You are very close! He left one more clue for you! Put the green letters in the correct order, to get the next clue! It is something that the Kalikantzaros loves eating during Christmas!

good luck!

We got it!

In the evening the family has Christmas dinner. They eat roast turkey or beef with fried potatoes and Brussels sprouts. For dessert, they often have sweet mince pies or Christmas _ _ _ _ _ _ _. At Christmas dinner, they put Christmas crackers on each plate. In the crackers, there is usually a party hat, a riddle and a toy.

PASSWORD PLEASE!

Enter the password

9. The kalikantzaros helper

Only four elves were working near the Toy Machine. One of them must have helped the Kalikantzaros... Now everyone swears they are innocent... but one of them is lying. Read what the elves say and find who helped the Kalikantzaros...

Let's see!

melina 'the careful one'

Javi "The distracted observer"

Bruno "The Machine technician"

clues

Nilo "The security guard"

Use this face from the card to give more information about a topic. Focus on a concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.

• Melina and Bruno do not agree.
• Nilo hears a weird noise just when Bruno was “checking” the machine.
• Javi sees Bruno with a hoop and links it to the noise.
• Only Bruno had direct access to the machine at that moment.

“That night I was helping Bruno pack the most fragile gifts. I remember he seemed very nervous, saying the Toy Machine made a strange noise. I went to get tape from the storage and, when I returned, Bruno was no longer there. I didn’t think much of it, I assumed he went to check that noise.”

"I was checking the gift lists by the window. I saw Bruno leave the workshop with a shiny thing in his hand, it looked like a hoop. I thought he was just doing repairs, so I didn’t worry. Then I heard the bang that Nilo mentions. The machine had stopped working."

"That’s not true! Melina makes up stories.I didn’t pack anything, I spent the whole night checking the Toy Machine and searching for the key... No one approached while I was there. If something happened, it was afterwards."

"It was my turn to watch the workshop entrance.I didn’t see anyone enter or leave, but I heard a very loud metallic bang, just when Bruno said he was ‘repairing’ the machine. When I arrived, the lights were off and the Toy Machine had stopped working..."

Ready to solve the case?

melina

Javi

nilo

Bruno

Title

Write a brief description here

After reading carefully the statements of Melina, Bruno, Nilo, and Javi...it seems that one of them helped the Kalikantzaros...

Congratulations!

NOW YOU KNOW WHERE THE MASTER ACTIVATION KEY IS!!!

Go ! Go! GO!!!

"...English Teacher's desk!"

Oh, that is not the correct answer

It seems someone is taking advantage of your confusion to distract you. You failed this time, but the truth is right in front of your eyes...

back

Congratulations!

Mission accomplished, you have found the Master Activation Key, you have saved Christmas and brought joy back to the workshop!

Merry Christmas to all of you! Happy holidays!!! Ms Helen!

The 'ELF MISSION:SAVE CHRISTMAS' escape room was created in December 2025 by Eleni Malliakou (English Language Teacher), as part of the semester assignment for the module "Emerging Web Technologies and Digital Games" of the Postgraduate Program 'Digital Humanities' of the Hellenic Open University's (HOU).

Excellent little elves! You have managed to find all the hidden objects among the workshop's clutter.

let's continue

70683

Oh, NO! Time's UP!

Restart!

Oh, no! Time's up…

Maybe we should review the list to match:- Tree + Christmas ornaments - Reindeer + red nose - Gingerbread cookie + red scarf - Explorer elf + Compass - Santa Claus + Red Sack - Snowman + Carrot

back

Don't forget!

Write down the numbers that accompany each letter in order to obtain your secret code!

keep going little elves!

The evidence is clear: A metallic sound was heard while one of them was “checking” the Toy machine. Two witnesses saw or mentioned it at the scene of the incident. And their version directly contradicts that of another elf.

RESOLVE

Don't forget!

Write your word correctly! You need it to unlock the next clue!!!

keep going little elves!