GMing for first time gamers

I’ve managed to convince some friends who have never gamed before to let me run a one off game for them. My plan is for it to be so good that they consider playing on a more regular basis (or at least agree to a second game).
 
As they’re first game (and they’re pretty cynical about the whole thing) I want it to be really engaging. I’ve come up with a basic idea but I would really appreciate any thoughts/ideas/opinions that anyone else has.
 
Rough idea:
 
A simple dungeon layout with a number of rooms in a rough circle around a central (much larger) room. There are a number of ways to enter the central room. In each (or most) non-central room are challenges be they puzzles, traps or monsters which grant magic items/weapons/potions to the adventurers. Unbeknownst to the adventurers, defeating each challenge will best equip them to defeat the beast lurking in the central room guarding the… whatever it is they’re after but it is up to them which doors they take and when.
 
My challenge is coming up with enough puzzles and traps etc to fill the rooms. Also I would like them to be things which take them away from the gaming table or give the players themselves the opportunity to shine. Current ideas (and very rough ideas) are as follows:
 

  • A room that looks exactly like a room in my house with a timer ticking down to find something (they need to search the room in my house)
  • A riddle from a mischievous parrot
  • A collection of potions with each giving a clue about which potion must be drunk
  • Flat out fight with a monster of some sort
  • A booby trapped room which requires some form of knowledge (a la the last crusade)


Anyone ideas please let me know on the ICE Forum.
 
– Colin