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Introducing children to gaming
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Warren J. Dew
Sep 7, 2012, 4:22:52 PM9/7/12
to
Now that I've got children old enough to talk, I'm wondering about
introducing them to roleplaying games. Does anyone else have
experience with introducing children to gaming - how old they need to
be, what adjustments might need to be made, etc?
introducing them to roleplaying games. Does anyone else have
experience with introducing children to gaming - how old they need to
be, what adjustments might need to be made, etc?
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Sep 7, 2012, 4:42:59 PM9/7/12
to
On 9/7/12 4:22 PM, Warren J. Dew wrote:> Now that I've got children old
Well, I started them around 8-10. Simpler, clear-cut goals help. The
example of the adults helps too -- if they've grown up seeing it, they
understand something of what you're doing.
--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com Blog:
http://seawasp.livejournal.com
example of the adults helps too -- if they've grown up seeing it, they
understand something of what you're doing.
--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com Blog:
http://seawasp.livejournal.com
Jim Davies
Sep 7, 2012, 6:13:53 PM9/7/12
to
On the grave of "Warren J. Dew" <psych...@aol.com> is inscribed:
Have a dig on the net; there are quite a few stories of people getting
it to work at ages down to 4. There's a really cute Youtube video of
someone teaching his 4-yo daughter.
See this: The Young Person's Adventure League
http://www.theescapist.com/ypal/
There are a few kid's RPGs, such as Kids, Castles and Caves
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/58575/Kids,-Castles-%26-Caves
and things like PF Beginner Box
http://paizo.com/products/btpy8osv?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box
but a lot of it will depend on how old your kids are.
My son (4) is heavily into Lego, who make Lego Heroica. This is
essentially Lego D&D. I've got a couple of sets and will try them out
on him soon. The indoctrination will begin.
http://heroica.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx
And here's something that DriveThruRPG posted last year:
--------- begin
A Few Tips for Roleplaying with Kids
Getting kids involved in tabletop roleplaying games is incredibly
rewarding - not only because you are bringing young people into a
creative, engaging hobby that keeps their minds active, but also
because you are helping the hobby itself thrive among future
generations. But, it's also a bit challenging. Running RPGs for
young people takes a bit of special preparation. Kids don't
necessarily respond to the same sort of roleplaying sessions that
adults do. It's not always easy to keep them interested and
participating in the story. And their parents may have some concerns
about what goes on during your game sessions.
Here are just a few tips and suggestions for anyone who feels that
they are up to the challenge, in three general topics - Preparing an
RPG for kids, changing your GM style to suit younger players, and
keeping parents comfortable with the hobby.
Preparing an RPG for kids
As with adult gamers, it is always a good idea to have a discussion
with your prospective players about what sort of game they'd like to
play. With kids, this will mostly be about genre - fantasy, sci-fi,
superheroes, and so on. Find something that your entire group can
agree on, or come as close as possible. Once you have agreed on a
genre, discuss what types of characters your players would like to
play. (Tip: Pre-teen kids generally like to portray teenaged
characters. If they don't think of it themselves, suggest it.) Do
most of the character creation process yourself (based on their
character concept), rather than letting them make all of the
decisions, at least for the first session you play with them. This
will save a bit of time, and keep interest high as you dive directly
into the action. If some or all of your players show an interest in
making their own characters from scratch, that can be an incentive to
have them back for future games. Make custom character sheets for
your players. Keep information to a minimum, and stick to just the
bits that will be used most often during the game. Leave off skills
that the character doesn't have, for example. Simplicity and
legibility are key here. Have a list of NPC names handy for those
times when the PCs wander off of the story and start talking to
shopkeepers or random passersby. One tool that may help you here is
the Everyone Everywhere List, a comprehensive list of names from
various cultures around the world.
How to change your GM style for kids versus adults
Once you're ready to run your game, you'll want to start thinking
about how running an RPG for kids is different than running one for
adults. Here are some pointers on adjusting your GMing style
accordingly: - Limit your play sessions to around two hours. From my
experience, this is the perfect amount of time to keep their interest,
and leave them wanting more at the end. - Create opportunities for
every character to shine, even if it means creating those
opportunities on the fly. If the party has a rogue, make sure there
are locks to pick and traps to disarm. It may help to have a list of
the characters and their special abilities with you behind your GM
screen. - Make sure every player is involved and having fun. Find
some way to draw them in if they aren't - this is where your
improvisation skills will really be put to the test. Have an NPC
approach them with some vital information, or drop a highly prized
item into their lap - anything to get them into the action. - Ham it
up! Kids love it! Use props (but make sure they're safe), do voices
for every character, make (or buy) actual puzzles for the players (as
their characters) to solve in order to open that locked door or find
another clue for their quest. - Don't allow player-versus-player
combat or conflict, when possible. There are times when you may feel
you have the right group of players to do so - but until then, just
encourage teamwork, and try to avoid any hurt feelings. Kids don't
like to hear "No" when they ask for something. Consider using the
"Yes, but..." style of GMing, in which you answer every request with a
"Yes," but also include some kind of limitation to certain requests.
You can find out more about this style of play from a collection of
Robin Laws' column See Page XX.
How to keep parents comfortable with the hobby
General acceptance of the roleplaying hobby has come pretty far in the
last thirty years or so, but there are still some parents who may have
some bad information on what RPGs are and what really happens at a
gaming session. Others may have a better understanding, but still
have some concerns about the activity. It's up to you to inform them,
and make them more comfortable about what you are hoping to
accomplish. The best way to accomplish this is to have them attend a
game with your regular gaming group. See if they are willing to
participate, and if they are, run a one-shot adventure for them. If
you think you may need help explaining the hobby to them, consider
sending them to www.theescapist.info - this is a site I have set up to
explain the basics of the hobby to newcomers. If they express concerns
about roleplaying based on some of the old misconceptions and urban
legends that have collected over the years, have them look at the
Basic Gaming FAQ at the main Escapist site - it addresses these
legends and explains the true story behind them. Explain the
benefits of the hobby (I have a video on YouTube right here that may
help), and if your gaming group tends to include adult themes, be
certain to explain that these themes will not be a part of any game
that you run for their children. Bear in mind that some parents may
not be comfortable with certain elements of fantasy games, such as
supernatural themes. Always respect their concerns, and let them know
that there are plenty of alternatives. And there you have it - just
enough information to get you started at running adventure games for
kids. You can find more RPG advocacy resources on my website -
theescapist.com - and more tips and advice on running RPGs for kids,
plus an extensive list of suggested RPGs, at The Young Person's
Adventure League. If you have any other advice to share, or would
like to share your experiences with running RPGs with kids, feel free
to email me at RPGad...@gmail.com
--------- end
--
Jim
http://www.aaargh.org
it to work at ages down to 4. There's a really cute Youtube video of
someone teaching his 4-yo daughter.
See this: The Young Person's Adventure League
http://www.theescapist.com/ypal/
There are a few kid's RPGs, such as Kids, Castles and Caves
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/58575/Kids,-Castles-%26-Caves
and things like PF Beginner Box
http://paizo.com/products/btpy8osv?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box
but a lot of it will depend on how old your kids are.
My son (4) is heavily into Lego, who make Lego Heroica. This is
essentially Lego D&D. I've got a couple of sets and will try them out
on him soon. The indoctrination will begin.
http://heroica.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx
And here's something that DriveThruRPG posted last year:
--------- begin
A Few Tips for Roleplaying with Kids
Getting kids involved in tabletop roleplaying games is incredibly
rewarding - not only because you are bringing young people into a
creative, engaging hobby that keeps their minds active, but also
because you are helping the hobby itself thrive among future
generations. But, it's also a bit challenging. Running RPGs for
young people takes a bit of special preparation. Kids don't
necessarily respond to the same sort of roleplaying sessions that
adults do. It's not always easy to keep them interested and
participating in the story. And their parents may have some concerns
about what goes on during your game sessions.
Here are just a few tips and suggestions for anyone who feels that
they are up to the challenge, in three general topics - Preparing an
RPG for kids, changing your GM style to suit younger players, and
keeping parents comfortable with the hobby.
Preparing an RPG for kids
As with adult gamers, it is always a good idea to have a discussion
with your prospective players about what sort of game they'd like to
play. With kids, this will mostly be about genre - fantasy, sci-fi,
superheroes, and so on. Find something that your entire group can
agree on, or come as close as possible. Once you have agreed on a
genre, discuss what types of characters your players would like to
play. (Tip: Pre-teen kids generally like to portray teenaged
characters. If they don't think of it themselves, suggest it.) Do
most of the character creation process yourself (based on their
character concept), rather than letting them make all of the
decisions, at least for the first session you play with them. This
will save a bit of time, and keep interest high as you dive directly
into the action. If some or all of your players show an interest in
making their own characters from scratch, that can be an incentive to
have them back for future games. Make custom character sheets for
your players. Keep information to a minimum, and stick to just the
bits that will be used most often during the game. Leave off skills
that the character doesn't have, for example. Simplicity and
legibility are key here. Have a list of NPC names handy for those
times when the PCs wander off of the story and start talking to
shopkeepers or random passersby. One tool that may help you here is
the Everyone Everywhere List, a comprehensive list of names from
various cultures around the world.
How to change your GM style for kids versus adults
Once you're ready to run your game, you'll want to start thinking
about how running an RPG for kids is different than running one for
adults. Here are some pointers on adjusting your GMing style
accordingly: - Limit your play sessions to around two hours. From my
experience, this is the perfect amount of time to keep their interest,
and leave them wanting more at the end. - Create opportunities for
every character to shine, even if it means creating those
opportunities on the fly. If the party has a rogue, make sure there
are locks to pick and traps to disarm. It may help to have a list of
the characters and their special abilities with you behind your GM
screen. - Make sure every player is involved and having fun. Find
some way to draw them in if they aren't - this is where your
improvisation skills will really be put to the test. Have an NPC
approach them with some vital information, or drop a highly prized
item into their lap - anything to get them into the action. - Ham it
up! Kids love it! Use props (but make sure they're safe), do voices
for every character, make (or buy) actual puzzles for the players (as
their characters) to solve in order to open that locked door or find
another clue for their quest. - Don't allow player-versus-player
combat or conflict, when possible. There are times when you may feel
you have the right group of players to do so - but until then, just
encourage teamwork, and try to avoid any hurt feelings. Kids don't
like to hear "No" when they ask for something. Consider using the
"Yes, but..." style of GMing, in which you answer every request with a
"Yes," but also include some kind of limitation to certain requests.
You can find out more about this style of play from a collection of
Robin Laws' column See Page XX.
How to keep parents comfortable with the hobby
General acceptance of the roleplaying hobby has come pretty far in the
last thirty years or so, but there are still some parents who may have
some bad information on what RPGs are and what really happens at a
gaming session. Others may have a better understanding, but still
have some concerns about the activity. It's up to you to inform them,
and make them more comfortable about what you are hoping to
accomplish. The best way to accomplish this is to have them attend a
game with your regular gaming group. See if they are willing to
participate, and if they are, run a one-shot adventure for them. If
you think you may need help explaining the hobby to them, consider
sending them to www.theescapist.info - this is a site I have set up to
explain the basics of the hobby to newcomers. If they express concerns
about roleplaying based on some of the old misconceptions and urban
legends that have collected over the years, have them look at the
Basic Gaming FAQ at the main Escapist site - it addresses these
legends and explains the true story behind them. Explain the
benefits of the hobby (I have a video on YouTube right here that may
help), and if your gaming group tends to include adult themes, be
certain to explain that these themes will not be a part of any game
that you run for their children. Bear in mind that some parents may
not be comfortable with certain elements of fantasy games, such as
supernatural themes. Always respect their concerns, and let them know
that there are plenty of alternatives. And there you have it - just
enough information to get you started at running adventure games for
kids. You can find more RPG advocacy resources on my website -
theescapist.com - and more tips and advice on running RPGs for kids,
plus an extensive list of suggested RPGs, at The Young Person's
Adventure League. If you have any other advice to share, or would
like to share your experiences with running RPGs with kids, feel free
to email me at RPGad...@gmail.com
--------- end
--
Jim
http://www.aaargh.org
Nicole Massey
Sep 7, 2012, 11:39:45 PM9/7/12
to
"Warren J. Dew" <psych...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:b134b28f-fa17-4dd4...@ud9g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...
issue of & (release date is the first week of February) about this very
thing.
tussock
Sep 7, 2012, 9:27:36 PM9/7/12
to
http://critical-hits.com/2011/11/18/teach-kids-to-game-nico-and-rorys-
stories/
The simplest RPGs are about 10+ for running a game, like it says on the
box, though I've seen younger kids sit in with older folk pretty well where
they don't have any responsability for moving things along and can basically
do the same thing all the time and chirp away as they like (and a few adult
players the same).
Talking age? Talk with them. Give them simple binary decisions to work
over, involve them in planning for shopping expeditions and hunting down
pre-packaged food substitutes, let them work with tiny amounts of money for
obtaining their own treats (initially as binary choices). Before you know it
you'll have a kid who can explore complex potential future outcomes in their
imagination.
Dogs are next door, Bison are out west, Lions are in Africa, Dinosaurs
died out millions of years ago, and Dragons are just imaginary, but you can
talk about them all in the same ways, like what to do if they growl at you.
Those choose-your-own-adventure style things are all over the internet
now, for 5+.
--
tussock
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