Header photo by Tarik Heitmann
We don’t yet have a release date for the second half of Star Trek: Prodigy’s first season, but while “sometime in 2022” is all we have to work with for now, the show has also made its way over to Nickelodeon, where it airs on Friday nights here in the United States.
My kids have been asking a LOT of questions about Star Trek: Prodigy lately.
“Mommm, when is more Prodigy gonna be on?”
“I don’t know, honey, hopefully soon.”
“How long was Rok-Tahk alone?”
“Too long, honey.”
“There should be an episode where Murf saves the day.”
“Yes, there should.”
That last one isn’t a question, but you get the idea. They are ready for more adventures with Janeway, Dal, Gwyn, and the rest of the Protostar crew — and as they wait for the show to return, there is now another unique way to get a Prodigy fix while waiting for new episodes, thanks to a special kids experience which just debuted in New York City.
The people at CAMP, a shop/play hybrid experience company, have teamed up with Nickelodeon to celebrate the release of Star Trek: Prodigy on that network. The CAMP Star Trek: Prodigy experience is an interactive exhibit designed for children reminiscent of the type of exhibits you might find in a children’s museum: full of things to touch and games to play all designed around a theme — in this case, our USS Protostar and its crew.
I took my three kids, ages 12, 10, and 8 to CAMP in Brooklyn, NY to check it out last week — and at first, CAMP looks like just a regular, unassuming toy store. You have to make your way through this toy store part before you can get to the exhibit itself (I had to say no to a couple of “I wants” along the way!). In the back of the store is a wall full of candy jars, which turned out to be the “secret passageway” to the exhibit. (Secret password to open the magic door? “Live long and prosper,” of course.)
Beyond the door was the launchpad to an incredibly immersive experience in a space and Prodigy-themed environment. The Prodigy experience is a redress of their Cosmic CAMP experience, which was just generally space-science themed. The new Prodigy “mission” is actually a really good fit for this type of overlay — what is Star Trek, if not a good mix of science fiction and science fact?
Each activity in the exhibit has been updated to include some great Prodigy details. The space shuttle you can go in to explore was updated with controls that included various LCARS labels straight from our hero ship. Cutouts of our Protostar crew are on hand around the exhibit to guide you through, and my kids loved finding their favorite characters to get their pictures taken with them. Music from the show added to the ambiance of the adventure.
One of the coolest Trek features is the use of devices they called tricorders, which everyone got to wear on their wrist inside the experience. They contain sensors that allow you to “collect” projected coins scattered around the exhibit. My kids loved the video-game-writ-large feel to this and quickly started competing to see who could collect the most. Even the coins had a Prodigy touch, as they featured the likenesses of our ship and crew.
There’s something for everyone. Feeling tech-y? Try your hand at the remote control rovers over near Jankom Pog. Feeling sporty? Chuck some dodge balls through the wall of “black holes”. Feeling crafty? Make a Murf slime! The Murf slime was included with admission and was honestly one of the best slime recipes I’ve seen. With Murf colors and sparkles and even little stars, it’s lasted several days without drying up.
There’s even a live trivia game — full of space facts and jokes — and even this has been updated to include some Star Trek touches. It was great to see how many kids buzzed in to name what type of engine makes the USS Protostar go. (I was the only one, however, who knew where Captain Kirk goes to rent a car!) This trivia game really felt in the spirit of Star Trek, because it wasn’t a competition. Instead, there were three rounds designed for the kids to show that they all had what it takes together to be members of the USS Protostar crew: “brains, creativity, and bravery.” Hell ya.
Two of my kids favorite part was the lava planet, named Nibiru (nice deep cut there!), which was an obstacle course where you had to strategically step on rocks to avoid falling in lava. My other child really liked being inside the space shuttle where there was a video game where you could pretend you were controlling the planet rover. I think it was just a coincidence, but the planet did bear a passing resemblance to Murder Planet.
The Star Trek: Prodigy experience at CAMP is easily worth the price of admission. The experience is accessible is all age groups. Even my two older children, who have aged out of a lot of these type of exhibits, had a wonderful time. If you have really little ones, there was enough there to keep them entertained as well: blocks and balls and things to climb. The whole family could wile away an entire rainy (or scorching hot) afternoon here easily.
When it was time to leave, I had to drag my kids away. I’m not sure how much of our enjoyment was facilitated by our affinity for the subject, but I can also see how a visit here would get kids interested in seeking out Prodigy if they haven’t already. Mission success!
The CAMP Star Trek: Prodigy Experience is open to the public now, with timed reservation tickets available here. The Brooklyn-based event runs through August 31.