What is it like to watch your kids grow up while they're playing D&D? And how does the game morph along with them? In this episode, Ryan and Allison are joined by Raenelle, veteran educator who plays "Sophia" on The Kids Table alongside her real-life daughter, to talk about the long-term joys and challenges of being a parent at the table. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table, where we discuss how tabletop RPGs benefit kids and answer your questions about p...
Sep 03, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Follow along for another exciting piece of our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes' story! In this episode, Ballianto's played his trump card: the great green dragon! As the final battle for Crane's Rest continues, can our heroes find a way to neutralize this threat? Or will one of their own turn on them at the last second? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativit...
Aug 27, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 22
When it comes to collaborative storytelling, it doesn't matter how many people are around the table--it can be a whole friend group, or it can be just you and your kid. In this episode, Allison and Ryan interview The Dad and The Daughter from the actual-play podcast Dadventerous (@dadventurous) about what it's like to play one-on-one and how it enhances the relationship between parent and child. You can find Dadventerous on most podcasting services as well as here: https://dadventurous.podbean.c...
Aug 20, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 10
This is it: the final battle for Crane's Rest! Facing the agent of the God of Power from the very beginning, and with Six-tails' father under his control, will our heroes be able to win the day? Or will they too fall to the forces of uncontrolled Power? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the...
Aug 13, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Fred Rogers once said, "Play gives children a chance to practice what they're learning." And in tabletop RPGs, we have an incredible resource to help kids learn while they play. In this episode, Steph, founder of TTRPGkids.com, walks Allison and Ryan through the "beautiful chaos" of adding STEM educational elements to TTRPG games and why any parent--even those with no STEM background!--can do it. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table, where we discuss how table...
Aug 06, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode of our kid-focused Dungeons & Dragons adventure, our heroes sneak under the Steeple of Moriwardaz, racing against time to find a way to stop the plans of the God of Power. Will they find what they need to free their town--or are they walking into a giant trap? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & conf...
Aug 01, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Kids are wiggly, distractable, energetic--and still have the capacity to play a TTRPG with the right scaffolding. In this episode, Allison and Ryan answer your questions about keeping kids engaged at the table, including tips and tricks for redirecting energy and for helping them to think about the others playing with them. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table, where we discuss how tabletop RPGs benefit kids and answer your questions about playing TTRPGs with ...
Jul 23, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Follow along with our kid-focused Dungeons & Dragon's adventure! On the final approach to free the occupied town of Crane's Rest, one hero meets the avatar of the oceans, while another loses a dear friend. Will the team be able slip into town undetected before the agent of the God of Power realizes they've arrived? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, ...
Jul 16, 2024•19 min
Buying a pre-written TTRPG module might be easier than homebrewing everything yourself, but there's a surprising amount of work involved! In this episode, Ryan and Allison pull from their education background to talk about best practices in adapting campaigns--especially to make them accessible for a younger table. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table, where we discuss how tabletop RPGs benefit kids and answer your questions about playing TTRPGs with the kids ...
Jul 09, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes make preparations to return to Crane's Rest and face the agent of the God of Power. But a surprise for Six-tails might change everything. About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the connections you'll build around the table. That's why we produce this origina...
Jul 02, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 18
We say that when kids are able to roll dice, they're able to play D&D--because every kid likes to be part of a story. So what are the first steps that you can be taking at home to begin playing TTRPGs with kids? In this episode, Nicole from @gamemastermom talks with Allison and Ryan about how to know when your kids are ready to play, what you can do to scaffold the experience, and ways to make the initial sessions as fun as possible. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of ...
Jun 26, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Grab a seat at The Kids Table and follow our kid heroes' Dungeons & Dragons adventure! In the aftermath of the disappearance of the Goddess of Knowledge, the team tries to learn as much as they can from the strange room before making a big decision: do they return to Crane's Rest and fight the agent of the God of Power? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativ...
Jun 18, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 17
How do we help our kids and teens learn to look across the table--no matter what table they find themselves sitting at--and work together with people who are different from them? In this episode, veteran educator Kimberly returns to talk with Allison and Ryan about how the very structure of D&D nurtures teamwork, giving kids tools that will help them at school, at the workplace, and beyond. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table, where we discuss how tableto...
Jun 11, 2024•13 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Reunited once again, our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes finally enter the chamber underneath the spire outside Ceppania. What they find inside will change their understanding of their world forever--especially when they lose one of their own. About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the connect...
Jun 04, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Curiosity is what drives us to reach up towards the stars and out towards the people around us. When kids are curious about the world around them, they become more empathetic, more merciful, and more loving. In this episode, Ryan and Allison talk about how the structure of D&D gives DMs opportunities to cultivate curiosity around the table, and how that curiosity can snowball into something incredible for both kids and adults. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kid...
May 28, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Come along and join us for our kid-focused Dungeons & Dragons adventure! Six-tails is down, Seren and Rosalie are gravely wounded, and Vee seems nigh unstoppable. Can Sophia and Serena get the collar controlling Vee off of her, or is this where the story ends? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to ...
May 21, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 15
When kids encounter problems in the world, they have two choices: run, or face those problems head-on. In this episode, veteran educator Kimberly discusses with Allison and Ryan how role-playing games like D&D help kids develop tools they can use in real-life situations to solve problems and, ultimately, build community. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table, where we discuss how tabletop RPGs benefit kids and answer your questions about playing TTRPGs with...
May 14, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes continue to fend off the attacks of their former friend Vee, who is now controlled by the God of Power. Can they free her from the collar that binds her? Or will one of them fall before they get the chance? (Parental warning: the ending to this episode is a little sad. But don't worry: everything will turn out alright!) About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps ...
May 07, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Our kids will encounter challenges, and as much as we might want to shelter them, we know that developing resilience is what will help them succeed in an uncertain world. In this episode, Ryan and Allison talk about how tabletop RPGs can help kids gain a better understanding of who they are and what they're good at and, in so doing, develop resilience that will last a lifetime. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table, where we discuss how tabletop RPGs benefit ki...
May 01, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In this episode of our kid-focused Dungeons & Dragons adventure, Vee, the Goliath Barbarian/Druid, returns--but under the control of the God of Power! Can our heroes free her before it's too late? Or will this reunion of friends be their last meeting? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention t...
Apr 23, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Teenagers have a notoriously difficult time connecting with others, and everything in our modern world--from our disappearing public spaces to the fear of identity formation brought on by social media--seems designed to keep them apart as much as possible. In this episode, Allison describes how tabletop RPGs help bridge the gaps between teens, between adults and teens, and--crucially--between teens and their own identities. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from the creators of The Kids Table...
Apr 16, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In this episode of our kid-focused Dungeons & Dragons adventure, after saving the champion of the Goddess of Knowledge, our heroes follow Seren to a mysterious-yet-familiar tower on the beach. What secrets lie inside? And who is that familiar voice on the staircase behind them? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & co...
Apr 09, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 12
It's a brand-new side podcast from the creators of The Kids Table! We want our kids to learn kindness, mercy, and justice so they can change the world and each other. Can TTRPGs be a place they can learn to do that? Spoiler alert: they can! Especially when you realize just how big your personal area of effect really is for the kids in your lives. Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast from The Kids Table where we discuss how tabletop RPGs benefit kids and answer your questions about playing TTRPGs...
Apr 02, 2024•10 min
Our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes meet Seren, champion of the Goddess of Knowledge, and learn more about the gods and goddesses of the world - and that they may not be what they appear. Are our heroes on a divine quest, or something much more complicated? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to menti...
Mar 26, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 11
With Sophia trapped in mud, can our heroes fend off the agent of the God of Secrets? Or is their mission doomed before it even begins? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the connections you'll build around the table. That's why we produce this original, kid-inclusive show along, share tip vi...
Mar 12, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this episode of our kid-focused Dungeons & Dragons adventure, an agent of the God of Secret has attacked our beloved heroes! Can they fight him off in time to find Seren, or are they about to get dragged through the mud? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the connections you'll build ...
Feb 28, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes embark on the quest given to them by Ismiene, the Goddess of Knowledge: find a man named Seren, and stop the evil god Fuldmagt. With the help of the Lady of the Underground, will they find Seren before it's too late? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention th...
Feb 12, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes follow the mysterious turquoise fox to its mistress: the Goddess of Knowledge, Ismiene. Will they accept the quest she gives them: to save their town, their kingdom, their very world from the God of Power, Fuldmagt? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the...
Jan 30, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Join our kids' Dungeons & Dragons actual play story as our heroes courageously journey deeper into the tunnel, pursuing the mysterious turquoise fox. But when they encounter a chasm, how will they manage to make it across? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the connections you'll build a...
Jan 16, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Our kid Dungeons & Dragons heroes leave behind their friends and families, escaping into an unknown, deep, dark cave. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, though - but is it friend or foe? About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing Dungeons & Dragons (and other Tabletop Role-Playing Games) with kids helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - not to mention the connections you'll build around the table. That's why w...
Jan 02, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 5
