Dungeons & Dragons has never really been considered a family game, but that notion has begun to change. Most gamers who once gathered around an actual table have had to adjust during the COVID-19 pandemic to playing remotely, and while some games have thrived thanks to resources like Zoom and Roll20, others have taken the opportunity to introduce a new generation to D&D.

Teaching D&D to children is a great way to foster young imaginations and immerse them in a world of fantasy that will stick with them -- and that's only one of many benefits to playing as a family. In addition to simply being a fun bonding activity, D&D will introduce children to negotiation, diplomacy, problem-solving, communication and, of course, math.

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Foster Creativity

Dungeons and Dragons Performing Bard with Lute

Young minds are incredibly impressionable, soaking in just about everything in their environment. Kids are already creative in ways most adults forget how to be, spending hours each day dreaming up fun scenarios and outlandish adventures while they play. This makes them the perfect, ready-made adventurers -- and they won't hesitate when it comes to exploring the way adult players might.

Encouraging this type of play on a regular basis, and engaging in it with them, inspires the kind of creative imagination and thinking that will last a lifetime. Demonstrating that, as an adult, it's okay to still fantasize and play will stick with them. Additionally, the type of creative thought necessary for D&D will go a long way towards helping them learn important problem solving skills valuable in the long term.

Compassion, Inclusion & Morality

Kids D&D

Dungeons & Dragons is typically set in a diverse world full of different kinds of people, and conflicts often arise surrounding that. Presenting kids with a situation where people are being oppressed or exploited because of their race, heritage or background, and giving them a way to combat that, is a great way to promote inclusivity and the importance of compassion. It offers an opportunity for them to see firsthand how devastating such cruelty can be, how it affects those involved and how to stand up for what they believe in.

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Moral values are often set by example. Kids watch carefully how their parents behave, and go on to demonstrate similar behaviors as they grow. D&D's morality system allows kids to see firsthand how even a subtle shift in morality can change a person's character -- for better or worse.

Teamwork & Sharing

From the moment kids learn the concept of ownership, parents work hard to instill the value of sharing. As a party of adventurers work together on each task, they are often rewarded with treasures beyond their wildest dreams. Divvying up treasure reinforces the importance of sharing, especially since everyone put an effort into obtaining that treasure.

Plus, as they look back over their actions as a group, it will become apparent that, without every party member's valuable skillset, there's a strong possibility that they wouldn't have succeeded. This idea will carry on into their daily life, teaching them that it's okay to rely on their friends for help and, once the goal has been achieved, that the victory belongs not to everyone involved.

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It's Educational

Wizards of the Coast D&D Cartoon

Educational games, while fun, often present themselves to kids as exactly what they are: learning. Those games may still be fun to play, but D&D is educational in a way that's less obvious. First and foremost, it fosters literacy. Learning and understanding the rules means knowing how to read, and while adventuring, it's often important for one or more players to keep track of events in a journal they can later reference.

Basic math skills are also a must because players will have to keep track of their HP and add up the damage their enemies take in combat. Couple that with the basics of probability, and you'll be teaching your kids to calculate the odds of risk versus reward. They won't even realize they're learning math skills that will benefit them all their lives.

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