The Dungeons & Dragons classroom activity program gets an update that centers on puzzles, mazes, and mysteries designed for Grade 4 to Grade 8 students.
With the live-action film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves bringing mainstream attention to the tabletop roleplaying game, Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro are releasing more tie-ins. But not every tie-in is for profit, such as the D&D educator resources. As previously reported, WotC provides free Dungeons & Dragons material designed for young learners and students.
The Puzzles, Mazes, and Mysteries kits have been released through the Young Minds Inspired (YMI) website. It joins the previous activity kits from Wizards of the Coast which act as educational tools for teachers, instructors, and social workers that can be used for learning institutions and organizations.
They aren't called "math rocks" for nothing! 🎲
Working with Young Minds Inspired, we're bringing a Dungeons & Dragons inspired curriculum to educators, librarians and parents as a fun and engaging way to empower students: https://t.co/5cam6J2Xo7 pic.twitter.com/TFVGTSVn2R
— Dungeons & Dragons (@Wizards_DnD) April 10, 2023
The Puzzles, Mazes, and Mysteries update to the Dungeons & Dragons educator resources comes in two versions: A kit for Grades 4 to 6 and another kit for Grades 6 to 8. Each kit comes with a teacher’s guide, four activity sheets that can be copied, game and character overview handouts, and an educational standards alignment chart. There is also a list of available D&D character classes that participants can choose from as part of the activities.
Understandably, these D&D resources for youthful learners employ a simpler system and mechanics than the standard Fifth Edition and Open Gaming License rules. Moreover, the depiction of violence and artwork are taken down several notches, giving the imagery a more Saturday Morning cartoon feel.
The aim of these D&D classroom activities is to reinforce skills such as critical thinking, mathematics, language and literacy, and teamwork, while also promoting creative expression and for learners to use their imagination. WotC has also been addressing inclusivity concerns with the Dungeons & Dragons brand, including the "inherent racism" in the tabletop roleplaying game by removing half-races like the Half-Elf and Half-Orc.
According to the Young Minds Inspired description of the new Puzzles, Mazes, and Mysteries kits added to the D&D program:
Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to empower your students to become more confident, tackle challenges head-on, and learn perseverance? The NEW Puzzles, Mazes, and Mysteries is a standards-based language arts program with activities that take students through critical-thinking exercises inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game and its characters. Students collaborate to solve problems during imaginary adventures, making real-world connections. The Build an Adventure program engages students in creating their own story-telling adventures. Students and teachers do not need prior knowledge of D&D to use the programs. They just need imagination and a collaborative spirit!
Aside from the YMI partner program, Dungeons & Dragons educator resources can also be directly accessed via the official D&D page of the Wizards of the Coast website and the D&D Beyond app.
Meanwhile, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is currently running in theaters worldwide.
