How Do I Get Kids Started With Miniatures Gaming?

Getting kids started is easy. Getting them started in a controlled, cost-effective, focused manner takes some forethought. Depending on how old your child is, getting them started may be as easy as letting them play with miniatures or letting them roll dice for you. Older kids can understand the rules enough to play their own armies. Here are a few tips to get them going:

• Go down to your local game store and talk to the proprietor/manager and find out what they're like, what kind of gaming events are held, and whether they hold events targeted at younger kids. Also find out if they hold related events like painting classes or terrain building workshops since that is a core part of the hobby too. Be up front and ask them which armies or game would be most suitable for your child. After all, both of you have a vested interest in growing a committed gamer.

• Just as important, you need to talk to some of the gamers there. Bring your kids and watch how they interact with the store regulars. Do they act like your kids are bothers or do they take the time to answer questions. Do they seem willing to allow beginners to control a unit or two of their army and show them the ropes. These are the people that your kids will be spending the most time with, so if it doesn't look like they're good fits, you might want to look for another store.

• Set some limits. You may not want them to play certain armies (demons, undead, etc), but there are still lots of options. Talk this over with your local game store and get some input on what might be appropriate.

• Make them finish one unit before they are allowed to buy the rest. Their eyes will be bigger than your wallet. If you don't impose some discipline, it's easy for them to buy a random mix of figures that don't really go together. Sit down with them and maybe your local game store manager and figure out what sized force they need to get started and work on that. Finish 500 points in one color scheme and play it a bit before you sit down again and work out what will be added next.

• Like it or not, you should develop at least a passing familiarity with basic game terminology and their armies. It's helpful to know the difference between a warjack and a dreadnaught or the difference between a Space Marine and an Ork, or even an Ork and an Orc. I have to laugh every time I see a mom in the hobby store, on the phone with her kid, looking for a miniature that all she knows is that, it has "Bastard" in the name.

• Lastly, get involved. You might not have the same passion for painting, but taking the time to look at their work and help them with small improvements or working with them to build a piece of terrain goes a long ways. Who knows, maybe you'll get hooked too.

And with that, happy gaming.

Part 1: Intro?
Part 2: What do kids get out of tabletop gaming?

Notes

Last updated	7/1/08
Author	Michael Kan with input from thechaplain, Exarch Thomo, Chimera_Calvin, and Dr. Paris as well as a bunch of other posters from DakkaDakka, Librarium-Online, and Warseer.
Pre-requisites	None
Related Articles	So You Want to Paint Miniatures? Starting a New Warhammer or Warmachine Army