So, today I’m going to try to teach 9 4th and 5th graders (mostly around age 9, I think) about fantastical game design. Specifically, without tech in the room, I think I can do RPG and possibly board / card game. We have 8 weekly sessions coming up, each one 60 minutes. Also, it’s right after school, so the kids have been sitting for hours, and will likely be wiggly.
Want to help me design the class? I was thinking we’d start with RPG — I wouldn’t be surprised if none of them have actually played D&D yet. So maybe we play through a quick adventure today, and then next session, they start designing their own characters, shared world, etc., working in groups of 3. I was thinking we do 4 weeks on RPG, and then 4 weeks on card game design, starting with teaching them Magic: the Gathering.
For today’s adventure, I’d serve as DM, and give them pre-rolled characters. Can I have them share a character this first time out, just to keep it manageable? Two kids assigned to the wizard, the fighter, etc.? I can see that being good for them getting to know each other (since they may be in separate classes during the day), and also start collaborating. Or is that a recipe for disaster?
Thoughts? Advice? Anyone here who’s done this kind of thing?
(Mary Anne suddenly realizes that she’s never actually DM-d a game herself, and wonders what she’s gotten herself into…)