Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role playing game where the players get to assume the role of a fantasy character and go on adventures and complete quests, they do this by speaking and rolling dice the whole game is over looked by a DM (or Dungeon master) who lets players know if they were successful in their actions. Over the last year we have had two groups playing on a Tuesday. They have been making their way through a dungeon in search of some missing people who had entered the dungeon previously, they are also looking for a druid who has taken control of an ancient tree that grows at the bottom of the dungeon. All the while dealing with goblins dragons and other dangers such as giant rats, pit falls and traps. The young people have enjoyed interacting with the non-playable characters in the campaign and learning more about the game itself!
D&D fits in with the 5 ways to wellbeing as young people are given the space to communicate with each other, they are constantly learning new ways that the game works and having to adapt to what the environment throws at them. DnD gives people an opportunity to forget outside woes and live vicariously through their characters, doing things that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do or to talk to someone when you otherwise may be afraid or anxious to do so, keeping them connected. It offers that space for people to have fun and get creative. DnD has the power to take the unassuming quiet person and allow them the freedom to express them selves in a way they wouldn’t get to in everyday life!