Kids Play for Free at Gamer’s Lodge Board Game Cafe

On a rainy weekend, we’re lucky there’s lots to do with the kids in the city. Today, we wanted to try something new and we happened upon the Gamer’s Lodge on Twitter, and read that kids played for free. Perfect for a rainy day, we added to the things to explore, and went on our way.

What’s the Gamer’s Lodge? It’s one of the newest board game cafes in the city, where you can head out and enjoy hours and hours of gaming (or as long as you want to stay) and eat, drink (they’re licensed) or have a great cup of coffee.

The gaming cafe is welcoming, with pop-culture references throughout, like the R2DTuna-melt, and other funny references, and fun decor throughout. We tried the tuna melt, grilled cheese and waffles – the kids requested waffles with berries, then decided they didn’t like berries, so we snacked on their waffles. The better bet would have been the Donkey Kong waffles, that we originally were going to order for them (we’ll get those next time). The berry waffles though? I thought they were yummy, nice and tart, with lots of topping.

There’s a great selection of games for the kids, and though we only stayed for about two hours (we were with a four year old), it was a well spent $10, to switch up the games that we usually played at home, and a great way to pass the time on a rainy day. Due to these short attention spans, we made it through about ten games in that time, with favourites like ‘Splish Splash’ and ‘My First Stone Age‘. The kids had their eye on Dancing Eggs, but the thought of the kids bouncing around eggs and running around the table (part of the game), outside of our house gave me a bit of a panic attack, so I told them we could play it next time. The favourite game for me, was the one we ended with, Spot it! It’s one of those games that went quickly, we could all play and was really, really fun.

Tip: Not sure how to play a game? You can always ask staff members for some help, or even ask them to recommend a game for younger kids – there’s a whole shelf full. For even younger kids, there are games like match and puzzles that can be played, card games and even Lego for the toddlers if you’re trying to amuse them while you find a new favourite for family game night.

Gaming cafes tend to be pretty busy. The Gamer’s Lodge is one of the newest ones in the city, and so not yet packed to the brim, but I would suggest going earlier in the day with the kids, rather than later.

Searching for a game to bring home? There’s a section for that too – so you might just find a new favourite you want to play, at home. I meant to bring home Sushi Go, but the kids were making a Spiderman Sandwich, so I had to deal with that – there’s always next time!

Kids play for free, and adults are $5 – and you can play as long as you like. You can find Gamer’s Lodge at 10459 124 Street with parking on the street nearby.