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Role Playing Activities for Youth

Twenty years ago, role-playing games were the domain of "geeks," a hobby that garnered more negative attention than positive. Yet with the growing popularity of games like World of Warcraft, role-playing is enjoying a renaissance. From paper tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons to live-action role playing games involving costumes and characters, there are role-playing activities to capture the attention of any young person. To tailor your activities to the kid in your life, follow the guidelines below.

Tabletop Role-Playing Games
- Tabletop role-playing games include 7th Sea, Dungeons and Dragons, Aberrant, Paranoia, Vampire: the Masquerade, and dozens more. Often called "pen and paper" games, these are played with dice, character sheets and three to five other people.
  
  Multi-sided dice can be found at specialty stores and online, and are available in 4-sided, 6-sided, 8-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided, 20-sided and 30-sided. The dice are available in a variety of styles and colors, and can be made of various plastics or metals. Often these dice are described by the letter "d" followed by the number of sides, so a 20-sided die would be a d20.
  
  Character sheets include the details like your character's name, but also include the different qualities your character possesses that create his strengths and weaknesses. Stealth, dexterity and agility are often found on character sheets regardless of the type of game, but there are also qualities specific to each style of game and its creatures.
  
  Tabletop games promote face-to-face interaction and encourage communication within small groups, all while building critical thinking skills. Tabletop games also offer a forum for imagination and creativity to grow.
Live Action Role Playing Games
- Live Action Role-Playing Games, or LARP games, involve even more imagination than tabletop games, because the plot and story line are acted out like a play. Characters are developed, costumes are worn and the players--also known as gamers--improvise interactions between the characters, acting out sword fights and other adventures.
  
  Character development is the same as tabletop games, and involves the assistance of character sheets. The difference here is that where a player makes decisions for her character in a tabletop game to advance the plot, she makes decisions as her character in a LARP game.
  
  Costumes can be simple street clothing to elaborate handmade garb, and players often determine how important costumes are to the game. Weapons are often part of the costuming process, and are rarely the actual versions of themselves--players opt for foam swords and clubs instead of metal swords or wooden clubs, for safety.
Online Role-Playing Activities
- Online role-playing games can encompass tabletop games or can be strictly video games. Gamers have the opportunity, through Web cameras and instant messaging, to play Dungeons and Dragons with companions across the globe. Similar to play-by-mail chess, but with much quicker turnaround, online gaming eliminates some of the face-to-face interaction but broadens the player pool.
  
  Console and computer video games do eliminate some of the face-to-face game play, but offer players the ability to develop critical thinking skills and imagination without being forced into interpersonal communication, a great benefit to people for whom shyness is a problem. Because communication within online games is often limited to chat clients, the level of participation can be tailored to the comfort of the player.

Role Playing Games