It’s no secret that we like to tout the mental health benefits of Dungeons & Dragons around here: we’ve talked about how it can be helpful for kids with social anxiety and depression, as well as boosting social-emotional and leadership skills. But why should you take our word for it? After all, we’re trying to convince you to enroll your child or teen in our online D&D games.

Fortunately, we’re not the only people getting interested in the mental health benefits of D&D: therapists and educators are taking notice, too. And research is starting to come in to back up the idea that tabletop roleplaying games have a lot to offer when it comes to emotional wellbeing.

Since the pandemic, the rates of childhood depression have doubled: worldwide, 1 in 4 teens report having “clinically significant” symptoms. We know that the disruption in routines, missed milestones, and isolation of the pandemic had a huge impact on kids’ mental health, and we’ll probably see after effects for years to come.

Our company, Young Dragonslayers, was founded in 2020 as a direct response to the huge wave of depression that swept through the lives of kids and teens in my therapy practice. I was looking for a way to help kids stay connected to something meaningful during that chaotic and lonely time. D&D is predictable, socially supportive, and lets kids experience “wins” every time they play. It’s a wonderful option for kids struggling with depression, and today I’d like to talk about why.

Dungeons and Dragons is a creative, immersive game that has captured the imagination of tweens and teens everywhere. In addition to being a fun and fulfilling hobby, D&D bosts an array of social-emotional benefits.

Playing as a character in a collaborative, imaginative story gives kids a chance to build skills like teamwork, empathy, and compassion. But there’s another benefit to D&D that you may not have considered: its potential to develop confident leaders.

In a game fueled by boundless imagination, music and ambience can take your Dungeons & Dragons campaign to the next level. As such, you’ll need to be prepared with only the best sounds, ambience, and music. Get ready, for I shall guide you through a quest to create the greatest D&D Playlist of them all!

It’s hard to meet new people when you aren’t putting yourself out there, and kids with social anxiety may quickly feel isolated from their peers. They need to find ways to meet new peers that feel safe and nonjudgmental, so they can gradually face their fears. If your socially anxious child has geeky interests, I’ve got some great news: D&D is an amazing tool for helping kids overcome social anxiety.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the ways that social anxiety affects kids, and the specific aspects of D&D that can help kids learn to navigate their social life with less fear.

Attention, Stranger Things enthusiasts! Throughout the beloved series, the nods to Dungeons & Dragons are unmistakable. Keen fans have astutely observed disparities between the show's depiction of D&D and the actual game. Today, we discern the truths and fallacies, exploring what Stranger Things got right – and what it got wrong  – about the monsters and villains of D&D.

We’ll compare 3 of Stranger Things’ most legendary creatures with their in-game counterparts. We’ll take a look at where the Duffer Brothers took some artistic liberties, as well as point out aspects of the characters that are true to the game. In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether the game or the show handled the character best.

The collaborative, immersive nature of D&D makes it an amazing vehicle for social and emotional learning. You’re literally putting yourself in another person (or elf, or gnome, or giant talking cat’s) shoes. How you interact with others has a huge influence on the success or failure of your game. You almost can’t help but improve your people skills!

But what exactly are social-emotional skills, and how do they get used in the game? Therapists are sometimes guilty of dropping buzzwords like “SEL skills” without really unpacking what they mean. So today, let’s get into it! We’re going on a deep dive into the social-emotional skills we see kids use over the course of a standard D&D campaign. You’ll learn what SEL skills are, why they’re important, and how they play out in D&D.

Dungeons & Dragons is a very creative game that builds friendships and provides hours of imaginative fun to millions across the world. In this blog post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know as a beginner to get started playing the game. If you want to join in the fun, you’re definitely in the right place.

Howdy, partner! Welcome to the wild west of Dungeons and Dragons. To best get you going on your tabletop game, you’ll be needing some fine dice. There are all different colors, styles, shapes, and sizes, so you’ve got a lot of options to choose from.

We’ve compiled the information you need on everything dice-related. We’ll tell you what dice you need, cool specialty dice options you might not have heard of, and where you can find them. We’ll also share our top 10 recommendations for online stores that sell dice and other D&D supplies.

We’re all excited to see Honor Among Thieves, but did you know that before this D&D movie, there was...another? Back in the year 2000, Dungeons & Dragons, the movie, was born. Learn the strange tale of this film which unbelievably stars Jeremy Irons, and see if you should watch it, too.

It’s time to pull back the curtain that your sneaky DM hides behind and uncover the secrets of how monsters work in Dungeons & Dragons. As a bonus, you’ll even learn how to create your own monster!

It looks like the fine art of magic has caught your attention! Join us at our own school of witchraft and wizardry in this guide to all things spell-related from Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition.

Join us, adventurers, on a deep dive into the world of DND ability scores. We’ll earn what the 6 types of scores are, what makes a “good” score, and how to calculate them to build your character. Let’s go!

When you play D&D, you’re getting hands-on education on subjects like music, literacy, math, and emotional intelligence. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Amazingly, we have actual research that shows role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons can help you become a smarter, kinder human being.

We never want someone to get scared away from D&D just because they aren’t familiar with all the vocabulary words. So without further ado, here’s our glossary of 40 common Dungeons & Dragons terms we think every beginner should know.

Ready to design the Studio Ghibli-D&D mashup of your dreams? Check out this video to learn how you can incorporate elements from movies like Spirited Away, Ponyo, and Howl’s Moving Castle into your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

Wondering if D&D is something that you (or your child) would be into? Trying to figure out the difference between a bard and a barbarian? Just finished binge watching the latest season of Stranger Things, and you’re ready to join a Hellfire Club of your own? Say no more. You’ve come to the right place.