Brooklyn can't be beat for indoor play spaces. While Manhattan and Queens have about a dozen drop-in indoor playgrounds apiece, Brooklyn boasts nearly twice that number, and 2016 brought a slew of exciting newcomers to the scene, from the Brooklyn Children's Museum's outpost, Spark, to Busy Bodies in Clinton Hill, Curiosity on Court, and more.
While we've included a couple of the more mellow tot spots with crafts or storytelling, this best of Brooklyn list is focused on active play spaces, where toddlers, preschoolers, and even bigger kids can conquer multilevel mazes, swoosh down slides, climb up rock walls or just turn around in circles until they fall down exhausted, ready for a nap.
Read on for nearly two dozen drop-in indoor romper rooms for kids in Brooklyn. Find play spots in our Indoor Family Fun Guide.
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Note: Be sure to call ahead to confirm hours and prices, as both change frequently. Also, many smaller spaces reach capacity quickly on bad-weather days, so go early or make a reservation in advance.
BounceU – Dyker Heights
6722 Fort Hamilton Parkway, at 68th Street
Hours and prices vary.
Ages 3-adult
Let your kids bounce off the walls, literally, at this inflatable fun spot. There are plenty of open-bounce hours, when kids of all ages can jump around. There are also family nights and preschool sessions for the under-8 set in case you're worried about your little ones getting trampled. Advance reservations required.
Brooklyn Arts Exchange – Park Slope
421 Fifth Avenue, between Seventh and Eighth Streets
Drop-in play Mondays and Friday mornings through early May; visit the website for current hours.
$10 per family, discounts available for multisession packs
Ages 1-4
Known as the BAX Playspace, this under-the-radar gem is a favorite of local families. Toddlers and preschoolers navigate hoops and tunnels, color, play with balls, and read books.
Busy Bodies – Clinton Hill
1004 Fulton Street
Drop-in play daily; visit the website for current schedule.
Ages 0-4 years
$20 per child; discounts for multiplay sessions available
This bright, airy space was a welcome addition to the Clinton Hill neighborhood upon opening last summer. In addition to two indoor romping spots, there's a seasonal backyard for play. We loved it when we visited last summer. The spot hosts play groups, music classes, and more.
Congregation Beth Elohim – Park Slope
274 Garfield Place, near Eighth Avenue
Drop-in play Tuesday-Friday mornings between October and April; visit the website for current hours.
$12 for one child; $18 for two; discounts available for siblings and multisession packs
Ages 0-2
This is another popular Park Slope tot spot, where little ones can tumble and play with educational toys.
Curiosity on Court – Cobble Hill
278 Court Street, between Douglass and Butler Streets
Drop-in play daily; visit the website for current hours.
$25 for one child; $45 for two; $60 for three; discounts available for multisession packs
Ages 1-10
Kids can try the climbing wall, race through a massive multilevel climber, or enjoy quieter creative tasks at this 2,300-square-foot play space. Options include a subway turnstile, play kitchen, and a magnetic tube wall. A dedicated toddler area keeps crawlers and tots safe. Look for kid classes here, including after-school care, birthday party options, and even date-night drop off. Read our full review of Curiosity, which includes plenty of pictures.
Giocare Play Spot – South Slope
655 Sixth Avenue, at 18th Street
Drop-in play daily; visit the website for current hours.
$10 per child with discounts for multisession punch cards
Ages 0-5
This toddler- and preschooler-focused drop-in playroom offers loads of art activities, but also toys, musical instruments, blocks and a play kitchen. It's the perfect quiet spot to spend a rainy or chilly afternoon. Kids can play with anything on hand, and Giocare hosts story times, music and art classes, and other structured activities during open play. Additional paid classes such as Toddler Time are available. Read our full review of this new play spot here.
Juguemos a Cantar Drop-In Play Space – Park Slope
511 Fifth Avenue, at 13th Street
Drop-in play offered weekdays only; visit the website for current schedule.
$12 per child; $3 for additional siblings; discounts available for multisession packs, and membership options are available.
Ages 6 months to 4 years
A longtime neighborhood staple, this Spanish immersion program has recently relocated its play space, which it opens to the public at designated hours on weekdays. Toddlers and preschoolers can play with instruments, trains, blocks, doll houses, a pretend kitchen, puppets, soft toys, a ball pit, and more.
Kids 'N Action – Borough Park
1149 McDonald Avenue, near Avenue I
Drop-in play daily; visit the website for current hours.
$8-18 per child depending on activities; see website for details
Ages 0-12
An indoor amusement center a la Chuck E Cheese's, this activity zone has attractions for all ages, from soft play tunnels, mazes, and a ball pit for preschoolers to a roller coaster, train ride, go-karts, and video games for older children. The upside: If you have kids of varying ages you can satisfy them all here. The downside? The more activities you try, the more you pay. Party packages are offered.
RELATED: 14 Brooklyn Gym Birthday Party Spots for Kids
Ms. J's offers drop-in fun as well as traditional classes for budding gymnasts.
Ms. J's Gymnastics & Dance – Williamsburg
43 South First Street, at Kent Avenue
Drop-in family fun hours daily; visit the website for current hours.
$15 per child; discounted rates for members. Register online before attending Family Fun hours.
As the name implies, this center offers traditional gymnastics and dance classes for children, but it opens up the tumble mats for drop-in fun during weekday and weekend hours, as well as during school breaks and other holidays. Kids can hop around, swing from rings and ropes, balance on the beam, dangle from the bars and play with friends. Check its Facebook page for updates on weekend hours and other special events.
Party Gym – Sheepshead Bay
1130 Avenue Z, at East 12th Street
Drop-in hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays; visit the website for current hours.
$10 per child
Ages 0-8
Founded in 1993, this party place has open-play hours on weekdays. The multilevel maze—complete with twisty tunnels and slides—is good for elementary-schoolers, plus there's a ball pit. As the name implies, party packages are available.
PLAY – Greenpoint
33 Nassau Avenue, between Guernsey and Dobbin Streets
Drop-in hours daily; visit the website for current hours.
Ages 0-5
$22 for first child, $11 for siblings; discounts available for multisession packs, and memberships are also available.
This play space has undergone a lot of changes (including two sets of new owners) since we reviewed it in 2010, which is why we went back in 2014. It's still standing and offering open-play sessions. Preschoolers can hit the play sets, activity stations, including a food market and laundry set, and romp around the tumbling gym. There's also a separate baby area, where infants can safely crawl and explore.
Play Days & Parties – Bay Ridge
6632 Third Avenue, between 67th Street and Wakeman Place
Drop-in hours Tuesdays through Fridays; visit the website for current hours.
$10 per two-hour session, $5 on Tuesdays
Ages 0-5
The only traditional play space in Bay Ridge, this family-run spot resembles a cozy rec room full of toddler and baby toys, from soft blocks to shape sorters. In addition, there is plastic play equipment, including a slide, seesaw, and rock climbing wall. In addition to open play, classes, play groups, and party packages are offered. For more info, check out our full review.
Powerplay – Gowanus
432 Third Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets
Drop-in hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm, Saturday 9am-4pm, and Sunday TBD (call ahead)
$15 per two-hour session per kid (discounts for multipacks)
Ages 0-6
The brightly colored indoor playground at this gymnastics center includes slides, a sandbox, a tree house, a playhouse with ladders and slides, and self-propelled plastic cars perfect for toddlers and up. Roll your stroller indoors and then head up to the second floor to pay. This space also offers all-ages gymnastics classes, rocking climbing (a main wall and a "junior wall"), and two unique open play type of sessions that give kids access to inflatables, trampolines, the climbing wall, obstacle course, and more energy busters. One is for ages 1-6, the other for ages 7-14. Call to register. (Although the website is woefully out of date, we confirmed that this play space continues to offer open play.)
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Little adventurers will delight in the custom-made equipment at Recess d.u.m.b.o.
Recess d.u.m.b.o. – Dumbo
81 Washington Street, between Front and York Streets
Drop-in hours offered daily; visit the website for current schedule.
Ages 6 months-6 years
$30 for first child, $20 for siblings; discounts for multivisit passes and memberships are also available.
Opened by a pair of neighborhood moms in June 2015, this play space features gorgeous, custom-made equipment, including a wooden climbing wall, hidden ladders, and tunnels made from rope netting. Drop-in play is offered seven days a week. Read our full review for more info and pics.
Spark – Dumbo
1 John Street
Drop-in hours offered Tuesday-Sunday; visit the website for current schedule.
Ages 6 months-6 years
$15 per child; Brooklyn Children's Museum Passport-level members and above receive free admission.
As if Dumbo wasn't family-friendly enough, the Brooklyn Children's Museum thrilled us by opening its offshoot, Spark, in November. The play space boasts plenty of programming and entertainment during open-play hours. The real star of the show is the Imagination Playground blocks, but there are plenty of art and sensory activities for toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy. It's proximity to Brooklyn Bridge Park is icing on the kid-friendly cake.
Sundays@Senesh – Carroll Gardens
342 Smith Street, at Second Street
Sunday mornings November through March; visit the website for current schedule.
Ages 0-5
$5 per person, including adults
Jewish day school Hannah Senesh opens its spacious, sunny gym to neighborhood kids for playtime on Sunday mornings all winter long. Kids race around the gym with pals while parents chat over coffee and bagels. Ride-on toys and mini climbing structures keep everyone busy, but there's also a music session and art-making station.
Superstar Family Fun Center – Sunset Park
736 61st Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Drop-in play offered daily; visit the website for current hours.
$12 per child
Ages 2-12
Bounce the day away at this indoor space, featuring inflatable slides, bouncy houses, a large maze, and other equipment. Drop-in open play is offered on weekends and some school holidays, but it's important to call ahead in case the spot is closed for a private party. No shoes or bare feet are allowed, so don't forget socks.
The Ability Center NYC – Marine Park
3514 Avenue S, at 35th Street
Open-play hours Sunday-Friday; visit website for current schedule.
$10 for the first hour, $5 for additional hours. $75 for 10-session pass, must be used within 6 months of purchase.
Crawlers and older
The Ability Center has been around for years as a physical therapy spot, but its indoor "practice and play" gym lets kids get their play on. Expect to find a clean, well-maintained play area, where kids can safely challenge their growing bodies in an age-appropriate way. Birthday parties are offered, as well as an area for school groups to play.
The Coop – Bay Ridge
9504 4th Avenue
Open play whenever the cafe is open (currently seven days a week and 7am-7pm); visit its Facebook page for updates.
FREE with purchase
Ages 0-6
OK, this spot is actually a cafe, but it has a dedicated play area and even a backyard just for kids to hang in. Our reviewer had a blast when she visited shortly after the opening last year. There are rocking horses, a play kitchen, walkers, blocks, and other toys that rotate regularly and are most appropriate for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The best part? You can just grab a seat and enjoy lunch or breakfast while your kid plays. Find more Brooklyn play cafes in our roundup on this new play space category that we're really digging.
Totally Tots at the Brooklyn Children's Museum – Crown Heights
145 Brooklyn Avenue, between St. Marks Avenue and Prospect Place
Drop-in play offered daily; visit the website for current hours.
$11 for ages 1 and older
Ages 18 months-5
The nation's oldest and greenest children's museum underwent an awesome overhaul in 2008 and is filled with hands-on fun for children of all ages. If you've got a preschooler who needs to get the sillies out, Totally Tots is for you. The Baby Hub features colorful padded structures where infants can crawl, cruise, stand, or just sit. Children ages 18 months to 5 years can romp at a variety of stations, including a water play area, a multilevel climbing structure with instruments to pound and play, a building zone, and a theater.
Tot Town – Crown Heights
636 Classon Avenue
Drop-in hours offered daily; visit the website for current schedule.
Ages 0-5 years
$12 for first child; $6 for siblings; discounts for multivisit passes and memberships are also available.
This little-kid haven opened late last year, impressing us with its bright, airy play spaces. There are separate areas for babies and bigger kids, and plenty of toys, art supplies, and dress-up gear to keep kids entertained. Parents appreciate the comfy seating and free Wi-Fi.
The sizable Twinkle Playspace in Williamsburg includes everything from an ice cream parlor to a firehouse.
Twinkle Playspace – Williamsburg
144 Frost Street, between Graham and Manhattan Avenues
Drop-in play offered daily; visit the website for current hours.
$25 for first-time visit (adult and child), $35 thereafter; discounts for multisession passes and memberships are also available.
Ages 0-6
We raved about this drop-in play space when it opened in 2013. Owned and operated by a longtime local family, this 4,500-square-foot tot spot features creative, custom-designed hands-on activity stations, including a water table, firehouse, salon, general store, and a barnyard. It's a great option for preschoolers who love to pretend. Party packages are offered.
Top photo: Williamsburg's Twinkle Play Space has all the elements for energetic imaginary play. Photos courtesy of the spaces.
A previous version of this post was published in January 2010, but it is regularly updated.
