Brooklyn Game Lab
- Park Slope
310 7th Avenue
See Map | Get Directions - brooklyngamelab.com
Reviews (34)
Review from the 2024 Summer Camp Survey
Game Lab-Outdoor Location: Park Slope REVIEW: My son liked this camp quite a bit. He's generally not that into being outdoors, but he enjoyed this and I think we will send him back next year. I liked that they had the indoor location available in case of rain. CHANGES: DETAILS: Age of child; 7 … Weeks attended: 1Review from the 2024 Summer Camp Survey
Game Lab - Indoor Location: Park Slope REVIEW: My son liked this camp. I thought he'd get bored doing board games all day but most days he was mid-game and not that eager to get home when I picked him up (even when doing extended day). He does game lab indoor for after school so he knows the drill there and the teachers do a great job with him, and he can be a bit of a difficult kid. CHANGES: DETAILS: Age of child; 7 … Weeks attended: 1Review from the 2024 Summer Camp Survey
Location: Central Slope REVIEW: Love love love it . CHANGES: DETAILS: Age of child; 6 … Weeks attended: 1Review from the 2024 Summer Camp Survey
Location: South Slope REVIEW: My son has been going here for 1-2 weeks every summer for years. He simply loves going. The counselors really love being there and playing games with the kids which adds to the experience. And at the end of summer we have a list of games he loves that we are able to buy as holiday gifts! CHANGES: NOTHING - I love this camp! DETAILS: Age of child; 12 … Weeks attended: 1Review from the Fall 2023 & Spring 2024 Afterschool Survey
REVIEW: Our child really enjoys Game Lab! They do a great job awarding merits and with the overarching Immortal Games. Age of child: 7Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: Center Slope How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 9 Review: Game Lab is incredibly well run. The staff is enthusiastic. Communication is great. Safety is a big consideration. My child did the indoor camp, but the camp still goes to the park for an hour or two every day.Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 7th ave How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 7 Review: fun games; good mix of outdoor and indoorHellfire Club
Brooklyn Game Lab also does D&D Friday and Saturday night. My child never did D&D there, but he did attend their after school program. They're very good at what they do.Review from the 2022 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 7th Avenue and 8th Street How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 6 Review: My son is really loving camp at Brooklyn Game Lab. They play lots of strategy games which he enjoys and then more imaginative games at the park. He comes home dirty and happy! What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? I am tired of them asking silly questions at drop off about covid exposure but happy to comply with whatever they need to do to stay open.Chess Class for 7-Year-Old
I also think Brooklyn Game Lab offers chess. I'm not sure about their chess program, but our son loves BGL.School recs for kid with mild autism/ Asperger's
This isn't about school but my son sounds similar to your description. He's in high school now and one thing that really helped him with conversation was his time at Brooklyn Game Lab. If your child is interested in games, they have an after school board game program. My son was able to practice conversation with kids (he usually preferred talking to adults) without the pressure of initiating or directing the conversation. The fact that games involve taking turns meant that he had to learn to avoid lecturing and practice responding to others. It was a big part of his social life for many years.ISO: Mid-August Camp
I'm constantly recommending Brooklyn Game Lab (either the indoor or the outdoor option; be warned the latter does sometimes get cancelled for rain) because my son has loved it over the years, so I'll recommend that again. They tend to have availability (or are able to expand their groups relatively easily to meet demand), and they run about 8:45/9 to 3.Review from the 2021 Summer Camp Survey
Name of camp: Game Lab (outdoor) Location: Prospect Park How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 7 and 9 Review: The camp did a great job of keeping the kids engaged outside all day. They also were very committed to outdoor programming (though there was the option to go remote in inclement weather). On days when other camps might have opted to go remote, Game Lab kept things outside and the kids did great. Both of my kids enjoyed the various games each day, and came home nice and dirty and tired. It seems that the counselors for each group changed on a daily basis; some days my kids loved the counselors, and others less so. More consistency might have been nice, but on the other hand if there was days when the kids had their not favorite counselor, they always knew tomorrow could be different. (And from what I could tell all counselors were fine, some just preferred to others). What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? N/A Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? COVID policies seemed solid, and I appreciate that everything was outdoors which felt like minimal risk.Review from the 2021 Summer Camp Survey
Name of camp: Brooklyn Game Lab - Outdoor Camp Location: Prospect Park How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 6, 8 Review: My kids loved Brooklyn Game Lab's outdoor camp. They came home happy, sweaty and excited to tell us about the new games they learned. Group size seemed appropriate, and camp staff seemed professional and friendly. I thought it was really high quality for the cost, and will definitely sign my kids up for more sessions in the future!SUMMARY: 321 After School that picks up?
My daughter did Brooklyn Game Lab outside and they picked up at 321. At least for our group they started doing it in April when the kids went back 5 days. We love them!Review from the 2020 Summer Camp Survey
Age of child: 9 Comment: My son loved the program. The instructors are very engaged with kids and they are making everything so easy. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? They only offer d&d... i hope they can offer something else. Anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it you'd like to add? We tried a couple of different virtual camps and gamelab was the best!Review from the 2020 Summer Camp Survey
Age of child: 6 Comment: Game Lab modified their camp to be all outdoor due to covid and it was very successful. We felt safe and my son loved the experience.Review from the 2020 Summer Camp Survey
Age of child: 12 Comment: This was the "outdoor/no rain date" version of Brooklyn Game Lab's "battle lab" (LARPing) camp. BGL was very careful about safety precautions (see question below), and my son, a BGL regular, had a blast and will probably be continuing into the equivalent afterschool program. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Nothing offhand. Anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it you'd like to add? They did an excellent job of handling COVID: they kept the pods to 9 kids, with masks on except when eating to the best of my knowledge, with appropriate socially distancing, and worked on adapting various games to be playable with social distancing. They had options for both a "no rain date" (i.e., if your kid can't be outside, they go home) and a "rain seat" option (i.e., if it rains, your kid moves to their indoor version for that day only), which was excellent: we were happy to follow the first option since both parents work from home, but the second option would make for a good stopgap for those who really need it (while still being safer than indoor-only, on average).Review from the 2020 Summer Camp Survey
Age of child: 8 Comment: My son loved this camp! The jousting was the favorite but he seemed to enjoy it all. Signed up for afterschool as a result of our positive experience. Very professional, safe and fun!2020 Birthday Party Survey response
Recommended without reviewPokémon cards
Brooklyn Game Lab runs a Pokemon gaming group on Saturdays (2-4); it's free for kids who go to BGL afterschool or camp, but I think there's a fee otherwise - however, it might be a venue for your daughter to get started (BGL also sells Pokemon cards).2018 Summer Camp Reviews
Age of child: 12 Summer 2018 Review: My son loved this camp, especially learning/playing 1-2 new games each day. They also went to Prospect Park for lunch, which let the kids get some fresh air before returning to the game table.Review from the 2017 PSP Summer Camp Survey
My twin 12 year olds have still not aged out of Game Lab and that's because of the new location being added on Windsor Terrace, the other 12+ year olds that are still going back and clearly Game Lab is doing something right b/c my boys want to go back next year. They love Dungeons & Dragons and the reward system there. It's a great respite and a relaxing time after active sleep away and sports camps! Age of child: 12 Based on a Summer 2017 experienceReview from the 2017 PSP Summer Camp Survey
This is a very well-run camp with friendly counselors. I found the whole experience very positive and both my kids (one boy, one girl) loved going. Everyone I interacted with was super helpful and nice. If you could change anything, what would it be? It's a small space so aside from outdoor time, the kids are generally kind of cramped. They did open a new location further south. Also, there are a lot more boy campers than girl campers which they are actively trying to change. Age of child: 6, 8 Based on a Summer 2017 experienceSummer Camp Survey 2016
Age of child: 8 Review: Our son attended Gamelab for 2 weeks this summer and really loved it. They started with chess in the morning and then moved on to learning new games, getting outside time for "battle lab" and doing some creative game design. Our son loved learning new games, and came home describing the games and the strategies he employed (and he has a list of games he wants us to buy for his next birthday). Because of my work schedule, I often dropped him at early drop off and the counselors were very engaging right when he arrived. He now wants to go to Gamelab for every day off of school. What would you change about the program, if anything? I wish the program had a later pick up for working parents. Camp ends at 3pm, though they have extended day through 5pm.Summer Camp Survey 2016
Age of child: 7 Review: He loves it. He's into chess and D&D. And loved the physical part of it: Battle Lab.Summer Camp Survey 2016
Age of child: 6 1/2 Review: My son absolutely loves Game Lab. It's a great space for him to be with other kids who love "analog"games. Great camper to teacher ratio and they clearly have a good system for keeping the kids engaged all day and all week. I love hearing about the many different games my son has learned during the summer, and he's always eager to return. What would you change about the program, if anything? I fear they are going to move locations because it is very crowded. I think that would be a big mistake, so I hope they read these reviews! The central location in the heart of Center Slope is a big reason why it is so popular, and we hope it will stay in our immediate area for years to come so we can continue to enjoy all they have to offer.Review from 2015 Summer Camp Survey
Age of Child: 9 Likes: She loved all of the different games played in the lab as well as the role-playing game that they played each day in Prospect Park. What would you change? Nothing. Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Highly recommend Do you have any other information to add? The staff is incredibly warm and friendly. They love the games and they love working with the kids.Review from 2015 Summer Camp Survey
Age of Child: 11 Likes: My son loved the sense of camaraderie most -- they do an amazing job making kids feel a part of something, and helping kids feel good about their accomplishments. They also did a great job making sure kids did both indoor and outdoor/active activities. What would you change? There's nothing I'd change about the program. The only thing I might improve is the process getting kids out at the end of the day, but that's a challenge anywhere. Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Highly recommend2014 Summer Camp Review
Program: Age of Child: 9 Likes: Great engagement, just enough instruction but hands off, competition but not competitive and some fun outdoor play. What would you change? Nothing except the price! It's very steep. Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Highly recommend Do you have any other information to add?Brooklyn Game Lab
I second this. We tried it over winter break for two days. Granted, my daughter (4th grader) had a friend in the class but she really enjoyed the exposure to new games and the strategy. I heard from Bob that it's great when they have an abundance of girls so do send them in! On the 2nd day of the week, there were at least five girls in attendance and it was apparently a great time.Brooklyn Game Lab
I second what Lisa is saying. My son LOVES game lab as well. I didn't think that he could love something more than mind craft and Pokemon, but he does!Brooklyn Game Lab
My boys ages 7 & 10 attended the winter break session a couple of weeks ago, very apprehensively (what mom, no VIDEO games?). When they came home, I asked them if they had fun. Their response was "awesome". A day of good ol' fun with board games, strategy and great interaction with lots of other kids. Bob Hewitt (the owner) is great with kids. Wonderful instruction, creative thinking, strategy and overall a fun day! If your kids are looking for something new to do, check out Brooklyn Game Lab. I'm a happy mom! You will be too.shout out to Brooklyn Game Lab!
My daughter just attended the Brooklyn Game Lab afterschool program right on 7th Avenue and 10th Street. She LOVED it! She's usually not nuts about doing much after school- except for swimming- but she raved about Brooklyn Game Lab and wants to continue to go back. She played with a great group of kids on King of Tokyo and said that Bob Hewitt, the teacher, game designer and owner of this wonderful new place, was amazingly patient, kind, fun and respectful. It's really a WONDERFUL new after school option. I saw 3rd graders through 8th graders there, and they all seemed to have a blast at this brain sport.
