The Kids Table D&D | Dungeons & Dragons for the Whole Family

In this episode of our family-friendly Dungeons & Dragons actual play: After the battle with the mysterious pirate crew, our heroes' ship is sinking fast! Will our crew get the ship back in shape to continue their journey, or will they be forced into an emergency landing in an unexpected place?

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our family-friendly D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

Shoutout to our incredible partners:

#dungeonsanddragons #actualplay #familyfriendly

What does it really look like to utilize TTRPGs in a traditional classroom setting? In this episode, Allison interviews Chris Broussard, teacher and founder of Not Your Typical Teacher on his methods for incorporating TTRPGs in his English classroom in Guatemala and how he inspires teachers around the world to implement creative learning strategies through classroom gaming experiences.

Links to Great Things:

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our family-friendly D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

#dungeonsanddragons #education #childdevelopment #educationalgames

In this episode of our family-friendly Dungeons & Dragons actual play: It's time for the exciting conclusion of the pirate battle! Our heroes are in hot water after both their ship and the enemy's ship are set aflame. Will they be able to work together to scare off the mysterious pirates' onslaught?

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our family-friendly D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

Shoutout to our incredible partners:

0:00 Episode 3 recap

0:15 Skip intro

4:21 Bubble breath

7:10 Ouch!

12:14 Lightning bolt

19:38 Ghost ship

21:27 Next time on The Kids Table...

#dungeonsanddragons #actualplay #familyfriendly

In this episode of our family-friendly Dungeons & Dragons series: Our heroes have been attacked by unknown enemies and drawn into battle at sea. When the bombs and fireballs start flying and the ships are caught in flame, the stakes grow even higher. With no help to be found, do our heroes face certain doom? 

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our family-friendly D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

Shoutout to our incredible partners:

0:00 Episode 2 recap

0:14 The battle continues

2:25 Attacked by a toaster?

5:46 One down, four to go

10:20 Baby's first fireball

15:30 Pew, pew, pew!

18:47 Save the ship!

20:17 Next time on The Kids Table...

#dungeonsanddragons #actualplay #familyfriendly

Part 2 of our SXSW Edu performance: if you're a parent or educator interested in Dungeons & Dragons and similar games, this is for you! Following a D&D actual play, educators Ryan, Raenelle, and Allison break down some of the many benefits students can experience through playing Tabletop Roleplaying Games. The Kids Table LIVE dungeons & dragons actual play is a recording of a SXSW Edu 2026 performance by

. "What if kids could level up their Social-Emotional Learning skills while playing a tabletop roleplaying game? Our cast of kids & grownups will perform for you a live, improvised, likely chaotic game of Dungeons & Dragons. Afterwards, our adult speakers will break down how the game you just saw fosters outcomes like empathy, communication, and confidence, and why this type of support is so critical now. You'll come away with ideas for how to integrate D&D and other TTRPGs into classroom, library, after school, or home environments."

To follow along with our recommended questions to consider, open https://www.thekidstablednd.com/sxswedu26 in a new tab. This SXSW Edu performance was recorded at Antone's Nightclub in Austin, Texas on March 9th, 2026 and is posted with permission of @SXSWEDU .

0:00 Part 2: Applying D&D for Learning

1:06 Introducing Presenters

4:04 Social-Emotional Learning in D&D

6:19 D&D is Just as Good as Sports (if not better!)

10:23 Exercising Creativity & Exploring Identity 1

2:49 Cycles of Inquiry

16:37 Developing Empathy & Collaboration

18:55 Classroom Example: Gold Rush

21:15 Live Game Breakdown (cut short)

23:00 Q: As a DM, how much do you prompt kid players?

26:13 Q: What tips do you have for playing with kindergarteners?

31:42 Q: How do you manage a large middle school D&D club?

35:04 Visit for more!

#sxswedu #dndactualplay #liveshow

The Kids Table LIVE dungeons & dragons actual play is a recording of a SXSW Edu 2026 performance by @thekidstablednd . "What if students could level up their Social-Emotional Learning skills while playing a tabletop roleplaying game? Our cast of kids & grownups will perform for you a live, improvised, likely chaotic game of Dungeons & Dragons. Afterwards, our adult speakers will break down how the game you just saw fosters outcomes like empathy, communication, and confidence, and why this type of support is so critical now. You'll come away with ideas for how to integrate D&D and other TTRPGs into classroom, library, after school, or home environments."

For the educational presentation following this live-play, please check out Episode 35 on our podcast channel "Area of Effect".

To follow along with our recommended questions to consider, open https://www.thekidstablednd.com/sxswedu26 in a new tab. This SXSW Edu performance was recorded at Antone's Nightclub in Austin, Texas on March 9th, 2026 and is posted with permission of @SXSWEDU .

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our family-friendly D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

Shoutout to our incredible partners:

0:00 What this Show is About

01:38 What is D&D?

02:28 Setting Expectations: Three Big Rules

03:51 Player Introductions & YOU!

06:30 The Adventure Begins

08:51 Why We Roll Dice

32:33 Why We Include Puzzles

43:01 Why We Play Battles

55:16 It's Not Over

55:48 Credits

#sxswedu #dndactualplay #liveshow

In this episode of our family-friendly Dungeons & Dragons series: After days of sailing toward a looming thunderstorm, our heroes are ambushed by an unknown ship hiding in the mists! How will our adventuring landlubbers adapt to their very first battle at sea?

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our family-friendly D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

Shoutout to our incredible partners:

0:00 recap

0:14 the battle begins!

7:14 a mysterious figure

10:54 sophia & the god of the ocean

16:50 tempest cleric wields the storm

18:59 the god of power says hi

#dungeonsanddragons #actualplay #familyfriendly

A new chapter begins in our family-friendly Dungeons & Dragons campaign. After the Battle of the Arches, our heroes have been tasked with finding Ismiene in the hopes of ultimately defeating the evil Fuldmagt. There's only one problem - she's hidden on an unknown island amid a sea of pirates!

Links to Awesome Adventure Games for Families:

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our family-friendly D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

Shoutout to our incredible partners:

0:34 Skip Intro

4:54 The Great Ship Debate

13:57 Arugon is Still Being Arugon

16:54 An Emotional Farewell

27:50 Six Weeks to Save the World

33:11 A Ship in the Mist

34:08 Next Time on The Kids Table...

#dungeonsanddragons #actualplay #familyfriendly

Allison and Ryan share tips for helping kids navigate difficult topics. Being a parent caught between hearing terrible things in the news while daily life and caretaking duties carry on can feel like emotional whiplash. Believe it or not, playing Dungeons & Dragons together can be one tool in your parenting toolbox that helps to support kids as they process and cope - and we'll share exactly how.

Links to Great Things:

• Kids' Book Recommendations from Allison: "Fair Shares" by Pippa Goodhart, "Brick By Brick" by Giuliano Ferri, "All Are Welcome" by Alexandra Penfold
• Books to Raise Inclusive Leaders by @MaiStoryBook: book list

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our kid-inclusive D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

• Our Kids' Adventures: Our Website

#dungeonsanddragons #parenting #copingstrategies #minnesota

Allison and Becca Bix of Women Play D&D chat about the history of inclusion (and, sadly, exclusion) in Dungeons & Dragons and how the pop culture phenomenon Stranger Things has prompted forward progress!

You can find Becca and her fabulous work at https://www.womenplaydnd.co or on Instagram and Threads @womenplaydnd

"Wyrmlings: An All Ages TTRPG" can be found at https://bit.ly/WyrmlingsTKT

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 at your table!

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs levels up kids' critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence. That's why we create our kid-inclusive D&D show, tips for playing with kids, and campaigns to bring the adventures home!

• Our Kids' Adventures: Our Website

#dungeonsanddragons #inclusion #strangerthings