By Krysten Callina, Founder & CEO of Mastermind Adventures LLC

It’s a digital world. 

Everywhere you look, folks are talking about the metaverse, web 3.0, social media and streaming technologies. It is completely normal to talk about integrating technology with our everyday lives. My own house uses about a dozen smart technologies to help us function, keep us on time and keep track of important reminders. 

The pandemic has accelerated how we all interface with technology and affected the way we connect, work and play. We started weekly game nights with multiple generations of our family. This rekindled our bonds and brought joy to the lives of our grandparents who would have otherwise been completely isolated. For everyone, balancing the way we use technology with our needs as humans takes intention. 

For kids and teens, this is even more important. Kids’ developing brains need to play. It is how they learn and how they develop important skills. They will need practice in both real-world etiquette and technical skills for future success in the hybrid world. 

I’m grateful for the way Mastermind Adventures has been able to connect kids and expand their social relationships using technology during the pandemic. One mom wrote to me and said, “[My kiddo] still loves his D&D crew and Ally. What a lifesaver these past 2 years! 🥰” 

But as our programs become digitized, it’s important to know the most important elements and benefits of tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons and Quest! Adventure Game hold steady – even with the digital interfaces.

We are using important technology as tools to make our programs more accessible to kids across the nation. We have a chance to build three-dimensional worlds using interactive maps, explorable databases and immersive tabletop game interfaces to bring stories to life. These technologies encourage kids to dive into lore beyond the weekly meetup. They encourage creative writing by inviting kids to create journals about their adventure. This allows us to integrate their imaginative stories into the permanent lore of the worlds we are building. It matters.

We are continuing with our virtual programs because without technology, there are kids who would not physically be able to meet us in person because of proximity or special needs. Using tech as a way of bridging the gap to help kids build their social motor skills is top priority for the Mastermind Team. 

It’s important to understand that all “screen time” is not created equal. For example, using a device to see and talk with a loved one across the miles is different for a child’s brain than using a device to watch entertainment videos. Watching an educational video is different for a child’s brain from hours of unboxings on YouTube. There is nothing wrong with using technology for entertainment. But using a device in order to connect and make friends with others, practice communication and critical thinking skills – well, we think this is one of the best uses of all. The benefits of tabletop roleplaying games, in person or through a virtual interface, has lasting benefits for your child and their development.

Here are 5 reasons why your child should be playing a tabletop roleplaying game.

1. Learning & Brain Development

We all want our kids to maximize their ability to learn. There are so many distractions competing for our kids’ attention. Sometimes we have to be a bit strategic to give them a leg up. When kids engage in play with tabletop roleplaying games, it helps them develop new connections in the brain called neural pathways. These connections lead to new brain cells and better thinking skills. Studies have shown that this leads to benefits in better memory, decision making, problem solving and even IQ.

2. Language & Communication Skills

Tabletop Roleplaying Games are collaborative storytelling. You build the story together using information and settings provided by the written adventure. So every time you play, you are practicing language and verbal communication skills. The neural pathways developed by this practice are strengthened, and the skill improves. You can take this to the next level by introducing new vocabulary while you play by using new words yourself and making it part of the story. You can also use “w/h” questions to draw more practice out of your child and help them expand  their vocabulary.

3. Focus & Attention Span

The parts of our brain that are responsible for processing stimuli in our environment are directly affected by playing tabletop roleplaying games. When kids play, their brain releases dopamine and serotonin. When kids play a video game setting, this rush of the same chemicals in the brain can be overwhelming. This can ultimately lead to that dreaded “I’m bored” refrain when they are not in front of a screen. 

Tabletop roleplaying games allow kids to get the benefits of the same brain chemicals in a way that leads to more creativity, imagination and self-regulation. The story may be exciting, intriguing, interesting or challenging. This leads to a feeling of satisfaction and encourages kids’ engagement. The results are better focus and longer attention spans. Kids who play are able to release stress and show better self-control over time.

4. Social Skills & Cooperation

Tabletop roleplaying games are uniquely social. Players gather together to build a story and describe how their character wants to behave within that story. But just like in real life, a player’s actions affect others within the story as well. Whether the player is interacting with a character played by the game master or another participant, what they say and what they do have in-game social consequences.

This allows kids to explore social situations and take risks in a low-stakes environment. It invites them to negotiate, attempt persuasion and even aggression to see what might happen as a result. They get immediate and real-time feedback for their actions and exposure to real facial expressions and body language of the other players. This is important because kids who play video games are so often exposed to simulated faces that they benefit from looking at the faces and responses of real people.

5. Fun & Relationship

It’s a big lonely world out there. Making time for connection with our kids is vitally important to their healthy development and wellbeing (and ours). Likewise, making time for them to connect with others their own age is essential. Players who engage in a tabletop roleplaying game together benefit from all the brain science mentioned above. They make memories together. They learn about each other. They support each other. This is vitally important to combat depression, anxiety and emotional wellbeing. 

_______________________

In so many ways, it feels like we are collectively emerging from the depths of the ocean. The world is a very different place from where it was just two years ago. And for our kids, an even greater percentage of their lives was spent in the void. As I stand at the helm of Mastermind Adventures guiding us into these new waters, I want you to know that we put a lot of thought into how our programs can help your children. Every day, we are thinking about and discussing ways that they can get greater benefits from our programs and how we can use technology to augment their experiences and create accessibility.

We know that tabletop roleplaying games are great for kids. We have seen the impact of this in our own kids and the kids who have grown up playing with us. Whether you want to try a family game together or if you’re seeing if this is a good fit for your child, we’re saving you a seat. 

We can’t wait to meet you!