Youth Programs
Summer camps
Now in our seventh year, Queen & Rook Summer Camps are for the game-loving kid in your life! Each week, campers discover two board game mechanics (the way games work) through interactive play. We also have plenty of time for outside play, trading card and role-playing games and related activities, arts and crafts, improvisation lessons, meeting and talking with guest speakers, and so much more!
Camp runs for 10 weeks, beginning the week of June 15, 2026 and ending the week of August 17, 2026. We accept registrations by the week! We have two camp options - Youth Camp for ages 6 to 12, and Teen Camp for ages 13 to 16. We're happy to accept kids older or younger than these age ranges, please reach out to discuss!
The experts at Queen & Rook Game Cafe have put our collective game expertise and youth development skills together for the most epic youth programming! Each week Adventurers will engage in project based learning, collaborative creation and problem solving while having lots of laughs and a great time.
Board Game and RPG Afterschool Program
Queen & Rook Youth Programs are designed for board game-loving children ages 6-16. We focus on learning through play, building relationships through compassion and empathy, solving conflict equitably and healthily, and having lots of fun. Our programs delve into exploring board game mechanics, learning trading card game strategies, and building cooperative skills through role-playing games like D&D. Q&R Youth Programs include our daily Afterschool program, Full and Half Day Camps, Youth and Teen Summer Camps, and Youth and Teen D&D programs. We follow the School District of Philadelphia schedule. If you are interested in one of our programs, please click on the links below to read more and register. If you have questions, please email Kat at kat@queenandrookcafe.com or call 215-995-0043.
Sign up for Winter and Spring Afterschool 2026
Please note that Afterschool on specific days/dates may be canceled due to low enrollment.
Scholarships are available based on need.
Please let us know if you have any questions – email kat@queenandrookcafe.com or call 215-995-0043.
Full and Half Day Camps
Board game fun when school is closed! Full and Half Day Camps follow the School District of Philadelphia schedule. Full Day Camps run from 9am to 3pm, with drop-off beginning at 8:30. Half Day Camps runfrom school dismissal until 3pm. Aftercare is offered as an additional charge on both types of camp days from 3 to 6pm. We offer walking pickup on half days from Meredith, McCall, Nebinger, St. Peter’s, and Vare-Washington Schools. Similar to Afterschool,we spend our time exploring board games, working on cooperative skills and good sportsmanship, building friendships, and developing creativity. Registrations are open for the whole 2025-2026 school year! Youth must be between the ages of 6 and 14 (if you have a child younger or older than that who is interested, please email us).
Register here for Full/Half Day Camps
Youth and Teen Dungeons and Dragons
A little about Dungeons & Dragons: D&D is a role-playing game (RPG) that was first published in 1974. It is now in its 5th Edition. Players create their own characters to role-play, and groups of characters are called a “party.” The party engages in adventures in fantasy world settings, leveling up and gaining new skills and spells. Party members work together to travel, solve puzzles, battle monsters and foes, and, hopefully, leave their setting better than when they found it. Queen & Rook’s Youth & Teen D&D Programs focus on negotiating as a member of a group, interpersonal communication skills, reading and math skills, fantasy world building, empathy, creativity, collaborative storytelling, and safe risk-taking. D&D campaigns are led by an adult Dungeon Master (DM), who plays all the non-player characters (NPCs) and tells a lot of the story. As DMs in our Youth Program, we choose stories that are child-appropriate and tales that can be solved with negotiation and kindness, in addition to strength.