6 Top Tips for Running Tabletop RPGs with Kids

1. Clear the Clutter—Use Theatre of the Mind

Kids get distracted, so clear the table, leave the minis on the shelves and start with just the gamebook and character sheets. Focus their attention. Keep screens off, snacks to the side, and ask questions: Let their minds build the world. That’s where the real learning happens—visualising, listening, and staying present. Use soundscape music, candles and atmosphere to enhance your quest.

2. Keep It Simple, Always

The quicker you can get to the Start of your quest, the better. If your game has complicated rules and a long character creation process, either find something simpler or use pre-generated characters.

Kids want to get to the story as soon as possible. Hook them with a compelling story hook, then get them asking questions within the game. Try adapting the rules to a simple success or fail based on story and world logic. It’s fatal to stop the game and immersion to have to search through reams of books to find that elusive rule.

3. Go Immersive—They’ll Match Your Energy

In theatre, if you commit to the world, the audience will come with you. Same here. Use voices. Make faces. Build tension. Be silly. Kids don’t care about polish—they care that you’re into it.

Give them a chance to add their own flair. Let them name a town or invent a spell. When they contribute, they buy in. And when they buy in, they learn: vocabulary, confidence, teamwork.

4. Offer Choices, Not Pressure

Ever seen a kid freeze up on stage? It happens at the table, too. When they’re stuck, don’t push—give them options. “You can climb the tree, distract the goblin, or sneak past. What do you want to try?”

Now they’re engaged and learning to make decisions. Over time, they'll surprise you with ideas you never saw coming.

Before I tell you the last two, these tips can be used for any RPG, but if you want to try it with my game, The Storymaster’s Tales, which has been designed to play with kids, you can get 50% off using the code QUESTS50 from my store.

5. Keep Sessions Short and Punchy

In theatre, timing is everything. Lose the pace, lose the crowd. Same with kid games. Shoot for around 45 minutes. This can grow over time. That’s enough for a beginning, middle, and satisfying end.

Maybe they solve the mystery. Maybe they rescue a dragon. Ensure it feels like something happened—even if the big boss is still out there.

6. End on a Cliffhanger

Never let the energy drop at the end. Instead of wrapping everything up, drop a twist:“Just as you high-five… the ground starts to shake.”

Now they need to come back next time. Anticipation fuels imagination.

Final Thought: You Don’t Need to Be a Game Master—Just a Good Host

Think less dungeon master, more storyteller and guide. Your job is to invite them into a world, help them explore it, and cheer them on.

And if you want a ready-made intro adventure to make it even easier, grab the free one I mentioned. It’s built with this exact approach—focused, flexible, and fun.