Area of Effect - A TTRPG Show for Parents & Educators

Ep. 17: How to Dungeon Master Parenting (feat. Shelly Mazzanoble)

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Allison chats with Shelly Mazzanoble, author and podcast host, as she discusses her new book and shares a humorous take on parenting from a Dungeons & Dragons perspective. Learn "How to Dungeon Master Parenting" and level up your parenting skills in this entertaining episode of Area of Effect! Find Shelly's writing projects at ⁠https://shellymazzanoble.com/

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

About us: When kids are at the table, everyone wins! Playing TTRPGs with all ages helps develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, & confidence - while building connections around the table. That's why we offer an original, all-ages-inclusive Dungeons & Dragons show, advice for playing D&D with beginner players, and our own campaigns to help you bring the adventures to your own table!

For Our Family Adventures & More: ⁠⁠www.thekidstablednd.com⁠⁠ To Support Our Work: ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ Follow Us: ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠, ⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠

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Ep. 16: The Secret to Starting Family D&D (feat. @FamilyFantasyRPG)

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Allison chats with Colin of Family Fantasy RPG about the difficulties parents face in playing D&D with kids. These road bumps led him to create his own wildly popular kids' TTRPGs: Fairies of the Mistglade and Dino Riderz, available on DriveThruRPG.com!

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 15: Should D&D Be At Schools? (feat. Lucas Maxwell)

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

What if our schools could be places that helped kids not only learn how to read, write, and become good citizens, but also how to work together in community? In this week's episode, Allison interviews Lucas Maxwell, librarian and author in London about his experience of bringing D&D and TTRPGs into his school's library--and how kids have been flourishing ever since.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 14: How D&D Changes as You Grow Up (feat. D&D & Daughters)

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Imagine playing Dungeons & Dragons as an elementary schooler, then a middle schooler, then a high schooler. Imagine how different the experience would be at each stage, and imagine how the game would change along with you. For the girls of Dungeons & Dragons & Daughters, they don't have to imagine it--they've lived it! In this episode, Allison speaks with Sam & Bertie, two of the sixteen-year-olds on Dungeons & Dragons & Daughters, and their father the DM Curt, about what it's been like to play the game since they first started their podcast seven years ago, and how their experience of the game has changed over the years.

You can find Dungeons & Dragons & Daughters on YouTube @dungeonsdragonsdaughtersyo955, on PodBean at ⁠https://dungeonsdragonsdaughters.podbean.com/⁠ and wherever else you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 13: How D&D Is Leveling Up Therapy (feat. Ready for Anything Counseling)

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Strengthening your mental wellness can be hard, so why not make it fun with D&D? In this episode, our guest Rachel Gilmore of Ready for Anything Counseling chats with Allison about her work as a licensed therapist who incorporates Dungeons & Dragons into her therapy work with college students & other adults. The mental health benefits of D&D--both in and out of the therapy setting - have only recently been studied, and include developing emotional intelligence, social skills, resilience, coping habits, & more. When you bring kids to the table, their mental wellness gets a boost!

If you or a loved one is facing a mental health crisis, we urge you to seek professional support. Therapy is widely available online (ex: www.betterhelp.com), in your local area, and, for those in the US, via the 988 national suicide & crisis hotline. Help is available. You are valuable. You are not alone.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 12: The Kids Table Season 1 Cast Interview (feat. Season 1 cast)

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

The first season of The Kids Table is complete! Filmed back in 2022, this amateur actual-play campaign premiered in short episode form in December 2023, publishing kid-friendly episodes every other week until the finale this month--and we've been overwhelmed by the support from the community. In this special episode of Area of Effect, the cast answers fan questions and reflects on the filming process, what it's been like for now-nine year olds Beckett and Khloe to watch their six year old selves play, and what they're excited about for the upcoming season two.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 11: Growing as Kids and Parents through TTRPGs (feat. Raenelle)

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

What is it like to watch your kids grow up while they're playing D&D? And how does the game morph along with them? In this episode, Ryan and Allison are joined by Raenelle, veteran educator who plays "Sophia" on The Kids Table alongside her real-life daughter, to talk about the long-term joys and challenges of being a parent at the table.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 10: Playing One-on-One TTRPGs with Kids (feat. @Dadventurous)

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

When it comes to collaborative storytelling, it doesn't matter how many people are around the table--it can be a whole friend group, or it can be just you and your kid. In this episode, Allison and Ryan interview The Dad and The Daughter from the actual-play podcast Dadventerous (@dadventurous) about what it's like to play one-on-one and how it enhances the relationship between parent and child. You can find Dadventerous on most podcasting services as well as here: ⁠https://dadventurous.podbean.com

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 9: The Educational Side of TTRPGs (feat. Steph @TTRPGKids)

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Fred Rogers once said, "Play gives children a chance to practice what they're learning." And in tabletop RPGs, we have an incredible resource to help kids learn while they play. In this episode, Steph, founder of TTRPGkids.com, walks Allison and Ryan through the "beautiful chaos" of adding STEM educational elements to TTRPG games and why any parent--even those with no STEM background!--can do it.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 8: Keeping Kids Engaged at the D&D Table

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Kids are wiggly, distractable, energetic--and still have the capacity to play a TTRPG with the right scaffolding. In this episode, Allison and Ryan answer your questions about keeping kids engaged at the table, including tips and tricks for redirecting energy and for helping them to think about the others playing with them.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 7: Adapting D&D Campaigns for Kids

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Buying a pre-written TTRPG module might be easier than homebrewing everything yourself, but there's a surprising amount of work involved! In this episode, Ryan and Allison pull from their education background to talk about best practices in adapting campaigns--especially to make them accessible for a younger table.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 6: How to Begin Playing D&D with Kids (feat. Nicole @gamemastermom)

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

We say that when kids are able to roll dice, they're able to play D&D--because every kid likes to be part of a story. So what are the first steps that you can be taking at home to begin playing TTRPGs with kids? In this episode, Nicole from @gamemastermom talks with Allison and Ryan about how to know when your kids are ready to play, what you can do to scaffold the experience, and ways to make the initial sessions as fun as possible.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 5: D&D Motivates Good Teamwork (feat. Kimberly)

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

How do we help our kids and teens learn to look across the table--no matter what table they find themselves sitting at--and work together with people who are different from them? In this episode, veteran educator Kimberly returns to talk with Allison and Ryan about how the very structure of D&D nurtures teamwork, giving kids tools that will help them at school, at the workplace, and beyond.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 4: D&D Sparks Kids' Curiosity

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Curiosity is what drives us to reach up towards the stars and out towards the people around us. When kids are curious about the world around them, they become more empathetic, more merciful, and more loving. In this episode, Ryan and Allison talk about how the structure of D&D gives DMs opportunities to cultivate curiosity around the table, and how that curiosity can snowball into something incredible for both kids and adults.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 3: D&D Helps Kids Build Independence (feat. Kimberly)

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

When kids encounter problems in the world, they have two choices: run or face those problems head-on. In this episode, veteran educator Kimberly discusses with Allison and Ryan how role-playing games like D&D help kids develop tools they can use in real-life situations to solve problems and, ultimately, build community.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

For Our Family Adventures & More: ⁠⁠www.thekidstablednd.com⁠⁠

To Support Our Work: ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠

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Ep. 2: D&D Helps Kids Develop Resilience

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Our kids will encounter challenges, and as much as we might want to shelter them, we know that developing resilience is what will help them succeed in an uncertain world. In this episode, Ryan and Allison talk about how tabletop RPGs can help kids gain a better understanding of who they are and what they're good at and, in so doing, develop resilience that will last a lifetime.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast about how TTRPGs benefit the whole family!

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Ep. 0: Welcome to Area of Effect!

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Area of Effect is a podcast where we discuss how tabletop roleplaying games benefit the whole family!

We want our families to practice kindness, mercy, and justice so they can change the world and each other. Can TTRPGs be a place they can learn to do that? Spoiler alert: they can! Especially when you realize just how big your personal area of effect really is.

For Our Family Adventures & More: www.thekidstablednd.com To Support Our Work: Patreon Follow Us: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook

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Ep. 1: D&D Helps Kids Connect

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0000

Teenagers have a notoriously difficult time connecting with others, and everything in our modern world--from our disappearing public spaces to the fear of identity formation brought on by social media--seems designed to keep them apart as much as possible. In this episode, Allison describes how tabletop RPGs help bridge the gaps between teens, between adults and teens, and--crucially--between teens and their own identities.

Welcome to Area of Effect, a podcast where we discuss how tabletop RPGs benefit the whole family!

For Our Family Adventures & More: ⁠www.thekidstablednd.com⁠ To Support Our Work: ⁠Patreon⁠ Follow Us: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, ⁠ Facebook⁠

#dungeonmaster #dmtips #howtoplaydnd

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