How to play
tutorials & Tips to boost that first game confidence
D&D School: How to Play D&D with Kids Video Playlist
DM Tips: Playlist of Shorts Sharing Tips & Tricks for Playing D&D with Kids
D&D starter set: Your cheat code to adventure!
Skip the thick tome of rules and simply embark on an adventure! One player acts as the Game Master - the narrator and keeper of lore - and the rest of the players instantly transform into a party of hopeful heroes on a shared quest. The learn-as-you-go adventure book will introduce gameplay rules only when they become relevant to the story.
The Adventure Guide: Secrets of Enduril is designed for kids, families, and new players. The set contains everything you need to start adventuring together right away!
Written by The Kids Table Games and published by Emberglow Gaming, with art by Sarah Turner.
Currently on Kickstarter June-July 2026!
LEARN MORE
watch D&D actual plays!
One of the best ways to learn is by watching or listening to other kids and grownups playing the game together! You’d be surprised how easily you pick up rules and lore while enjoying a show. Here are some D&D actual plays with kids at the table:
The Kids Table DnD, of course!! :)
Dadventurous - A Dad & Daughter Dungeons & Dragons Actual Play podcast for all ages! Join us on a journey through fantastical worlds, meet silly characters, and embark on epic quests. New episodes every Monday!
Dungeons & Dragons & Daughters - A 5th edition D&D actual play podcast of a dad playing Dungeons & Dragons with his daughters for the last eight years. The podcast started when the girls were eight-years-old, and now they’re teenagers!
Dad’s Dungeon Dudes - What happens when a Dad leads his three sons into the wilds of the Multiverse? Total chaos—and a lot of fun. Dad’s Dungeon Dudes is an actual-play D&D podcast following a father and his three boys (all under 12) plus their friend through an adventure!
Gungeons & Dragons - A six-episode video series by What Now media. These four heroes must rescue their world by stopping whatever force is sending grey slime to sap the joy and color of their hometown, Spektropolis.
Why play?
Area of Effect is a podcast on how tabletop role-playing games benefit kids.
But, you don’t have to take our word for it! enjoy some nerdy research articles from the pros on the benefits of D&D:
“Dungeons & Dragons, Long Played for Fun, is Being Explored for Therapeutic Potential” - 2026 NPR Article & Soundbite
“Dungeons & Dragons May Improve Mental Health” - 2024 Study by James Cook University
“Study Finds Dungeons & Dragons Boosts Mental Health” - 2024 Study by University College Cork
“Tabletop Therapy: How Dungeons & Dragons Can Improve Mental Health” - 2023 Johns Hopkins University Article
“How Oklahoma Therapists Use Dungeons & Dragons to Improve Mental Health” - 2024 Article by KOSU (NPR Member Station)
“Playing Dungeons & Dragons is Great for Social Development” - 2024 Forbes Article
“Parents Can Learn a Lot from the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game” - 2024 CNN Article
“How to Run D&D for Kids” - 2025 Roll & Play Press Article
“Using TTRPGs to Get Kids Reading” - 2023 TTRPG Kids Article
“Using TTRPGs to Teach Kids Resilience” - 2023 TTRPG Kids Article
“Using TTRPGs to Learn and Teach Math” - 2024 TTRPG Kids Article
“Teaching Kids Core Life Skills with TTRPGs” - MC3 2023 Talk Recording
“Ludology” - A Podcast on the Hows & Whys of TTRPGs
What to play
yes! There are TTRPG Games designed with kids in mind and DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE content. check these out:
*The Adventure Guide - A Learn-As-You-Play Starter Set for Families & Beginners by The Kids Table (Watch our playthrough.)
*15 Minute D&D Series - D&D Light Adventure for Ages 3-8, by The Kids Table (Watch our ad.)
*Gemstone Mysteries Series - D&D 5e Adventure for Ages 8+ by The Kids Table
*One Shot Wonders - 100+ Easy One Shots (10% off with affiliate link, Watch our playthrough.)
*DnD Adventure Club - Kids’ D&D Adventure Book Subscription (10% off code: KIDSTABLE10, Watch our playthrough.)
*Obojima - D&D Setting Inspired by Studio Ghibli & Legends of Zelda (Watch our playthrough.)
*Master of Fables - Non-Violent d6 System for Kids (Watch our playthrough.Watch our review.)
*Wilds of Amaranth - Campaign Setting for Kids Who Love Animals (Watch our review.)
*Adventuring Family - Designed for Neurodivergent Kids & Families (Watch our review.)
Storyguider - Social-Emotional Learning Game for Preschoolers (Listen to our ad.)
Fairies of the Mistglade & Dino Riderz - Age Scaling Kids’ TTRPG Adventures (Listen to our creator interview.)
Yeld Stuff- 8+ TTRPG System with Dark Humor (Watch our review.)
One Shot in the Dark - Rules-Lite Old School Style Game for 1-4 Players (Listen to our creator interview.)
Land of Eem - “Lord of the Rings Meets the Muppets” Campaign Setting (Listen to our creator interview.)
Furhaven - Beginner RPG with Adorable Animals in a Fantasy Setting (Listen to our interview.Watch our review.)
D12 Trials of the Mad Mage - Kid-Friendly Old School Solo Gamebook (Listen to our creator interview. - COMING SOON)
Nomventure - Neurospicy-Inclusive Dinosaur-Based Kids’ RPG
Tales of Aetheria - Little Kids’ TTRPG Adventure & Storybook (Watch our one-shot.Listen to our creator interview.)
Daunting Denizens - TTRPG About Overcoming Life’s Challenges
Young Minds Inspired - Classroom D&D Resources for Educators
RPG Classroom - Lego & Educational Adventures, Character Sheets
*We have playtested & reviewed these games with kids!
For more, visit TTRPG Kids for a huge database of kids’ TTRPGs & reviews!
Where to play
try your local school, game store, or library! many public spaces offer Kid-friendly D&D groups.
OR check out these virtual game hosts for kids. use parental discretion to determine if these hosts are right for your young hero:
Heroes Wanted Kids - D&D and Minecraft Classes for Ages 8-17
Young Adventurer's League - D&D Campaigns, School Break Camps, & Birthday Parties for Ages 9-17
Young Dragon Slayers - D&D for Ages 10-17 and How to DM Courses for Teens & Adults
Role to Play Games - D&D One-Shots and Campaigns for Ages 8-17
The Undiscovered Lands - Weekly D&D Campaigns for Ages 9+
StartPlaying.Games - D&D Kid Games on the Largest Online D&D Host Site