The Roleplay Workshop

The program is super engaging and creative. Becky and staff enrich the creative minds of the lucky youth who attend the program. Not only are the kids engaged, but they learn collaborative problem solving and critical thinking skills. An amazing antidote to screen and boredom.

My 14yo has been playing this for two years and he loves it! He gets more excited about this than video games, and that it really saying something, since this is about the only thing he’s into that doesn’t involve a screen. Abantey involves math, writing, and lots of creativity. It’s also a great way to make friends and build social skills. There are always day camps during school breaks and if that doesn’t match with your schedule, Becky will even organize something for kids on their own holidays.

My 16 year-​old twins have been loving Abantey for 4 years now. Becky and Steve are great with the kids and the game is very exciting. If your child (age 12 and up) loves fantasy, adventure, and roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons, then they will probably love Abantey. Abantey is an interactive storytelling game that: a) teaches students math, science, and problem solving skills, b) allows youth to work through complicated mysteries to create their own story, c) teaches youth personal responsibility both in the game and in real world using fantasy scenarios, d) allows youth to experiment, succeed, fail, and learn in a safe environment that teaches about real life consequences, and e) is *completely* computer and technology free with a focus on interaction between players and making new friends,.Abantey was created by a classroom educator, but my kids think it’s just plain fun.

My son loved Abantey. Really immersed in the game –couldn’t stop talking about it when I picked him up from camp!

My bright 11 year old twin boys love The Role Play Workshop. It is highly educational as well as multidisciplinary but they just think it is fun.

The workshop is an amazing place for children to be creative while learning school skills like math and having fun. They learn life skills of working with others and strategizing. Again all while having fun. They don’t even realize they are learning anything. My son went on weekends and summers for 4 years and still talks about it fondly. Two years after his last sessions at Abantey, he has taken up drawing to make figures for a Roleplay game, has worked with friends to develop a whiole Roleplay game and has started a Roleplay club at his high school to continue developing his game. I can’t thank Becky, the owner, enough for nurturing him and his creativity. She and her staff are exceptional. We are trying to figure out how to squeeze a week or two into his summer schedule to attend; we will figure it out.
We can’t recommend this more highly.

As an alum, I couldn’t be happier. I learned a lot… especially with regards to math/​statistics, problem solving, and increasing social skills. We’re not running around killing bad guys, we’re facing problems where fighting might not be the best option. Plus it’s in a really cool location and we got to play ultimate frisbee during our lunch breaks. Love this place.

I grew up attending The Roleplay Workshop and I can’t possibly express how positive an impact it had on me. Becky and the others immediately made me (a very shy 11 year old at the time) feel not only comfortable, but welcome.
I looked forward to every session during the summer; getting to game every morning and play frisbee in the park every afternoon left me with some of the best memories I have. The confidence and social skills I built up at The Roleplay Workshop have served me for the last 12 years (it I’m getting old).

I spent several years at The Roleplay Workshop when I was about 10 and they were first getting started. It had a profoundly positive impact on my life. It taught me a great deal of social skills and provided a fantastic creative outlet. Much love to Becky and Steve for creating such a safe and encouraging environment for budding young minds.

My son has attended The Role Play Workshop (Abantey) for the last 2 ½ years, since he was 10, and absolutely LOVES it. He goes as many weeks in the summer as he can and also on Saturdays and holidays during the school year. It is a truly a unique and creative camnp — which is not captured by the rather serious name of «Role Play Workshop» and I just feel so fortunate that it is practically in our backyard. If your child likes imaginative play, and/​or likes to make up games s/​he will really like this. The kids create their own characters and go on missions in a wholly created, very imaginative world. And it’s all done with an aim to emphasizing positive values and problem solving. Math and other skills are slipped in too. I agree with another reviewer that Becky, the long-​time director, is brilliant with kids and teenagers. The kids love and respect her. I can’t say enough good things about this camp. During the summer, the kids also go to the park at lunch and play ultimate frisbee so there is also time for running around.

My son is going back for his second time this summer and can’t wait. He loves The Roleplay Workshop — including all the math, detailed «world» rules and information he learns and the game itself. Each game lasts one week, and each table has one game team. It’s similar, I think, to D&D, with heavy science and math and a lot of fun too.
His creativity, critical thinking and sense of adventure are all activated during the camp. He’s also getting better at frisbee (they take the kids out once a day for a long break to work up a sweat at a local park).
I will be signing my kid up for extra weeks this summer. Just fantastic.
One note, it’s mostly boys. Seems to not be as exciting to girls, but when girls sign up, they get the best characters. And of course, rule the board since they are natural strategists.

The Roleplay Workshop has been the perfect extra-​curricular activity for my 17 year-​old as he has a very creative intellect and he is not particularly into team sports.
This program provides the socialization and teamwork you get from team sports, while building on problem-​solving/​mathematic skills and allowing the kids to be creative. My son has been attending for 6 years… even though we moved from Oakland to the suburbs a couple years ago, my son still wanted to continue, going two Saturdays a month and summer camps.
Only negative I can come up with is that parking can be difficult on Piedmont Ave…
Becky and her crew are terrific. They are dedicated to providing a safe, fun atmosphere to help kids mature outside of a school environment. I know some people perceive role playing games as some bizarre thing that nerdy kids do but when done well, as this outfit does it, it can be a very valuable experience. Do your kids a favor and get them off the computer and over to the Roleplay Workshop!

My son, Alex, has attended Roleplay Workshop since he was in elementary school. He loved it then and still loves it as a senior in high school. He can’t wait to go and comes home from every session bubbling over with enthusiasm. He can’t wait to share his day.
Becky Thomas, the director, is brilliant with kids and teenagers both. She’s a unique influence in their lives — not mom, not a teacher, and certainly not there to take any nonsense — but the kids love her and the game she so beautifully crafted. The game itself is a terrific one because it has all of the complexities of role-​playing games without being on a computer. The kids interact and enjoy themselves over a table and not a screen. They even sneak out to play ultimate frisbee in the park.
Seriously, you have to check this out. Your kids will love you forever!