Scrabble & Beyond: 6 Hot Spots for Board Game Fun

Low-tech can be big fun for the whole family. From Chutes & Ladders to Sorry, Boggle to Magic the Gathering, here's where to get back to basics.

By Yuliya Geikhman April 15, 2015

Put down your phones, console controllers, and other digital devices: it’s time for some face-to-face gaming time. Dig out that old board game gathering dust in the depths of the closet and get the family together. Or better yet, visit any of these fantastic spots around NYC where you can sit down and play a game together. Click on through to see where to get your game on.

The Kid’s Club: Brooklyn Game Lab

There’s playing board games and then there’s analyzing board games. The Brooklyn Game Lab is a different kind of board game spot, offering 2.5 hour long “Labs” that mix playing with learning. Kids ages 7 - 13 can take part in the labs, which consist of playing games, analyzing and discussing the strategies and design behind them, and even designing their own games.

The game-based learning at the Brooklyn Game Lab introduces kids to new ideas and concepts in a number of areas, from communication to mathematics.

The space has options for scheduled after-school programs, or spur of the moment Friday night dropoffs. It’s also available to rent out for board game parties where up to 12 kids learn to play a new game then have a blast playing it (as well as some more physical games to get that energy out).

A few things to note: The Labs here are not free and range in price from $60 (for Friday night drop-offs) to over $500 for the parties. Parents are also not a part of the labs - you drop off your kids and go. So while this is not a family board game experience, it’s a great chance for the kids to have some fun while the parents to take a breather.

Brooklyn Game Lab
353 7th Ave.
Park Slope
718-788-1122
Online: brooklyngamelab.com

Photo: via Brooklyn Game Lab

Do you have a favorite spot to play games as a family? Let us know about it in the comments!

—Yuliya Geikhman