D&D 4E D&D 4e level 2/3 Adventures for Kids (dungeon-crawl style)

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=6761720]petrburkholder[/MENTION]
The number one thing I'd do if running D&D4e for kids (or anyone new to the game really) is create customized simplified character sheets. To facilitate this, focus on using Essentials style characters which often (though not always) have less to keep track of. 4e in particular benefits from graphically strong clear character sheets to help players understand how they run their PCs.

For example, look at how the monsters are presented in 4e: stats, traits, standard actions, move actions, minor actions, then triggered actions. You might organize a PC sheet in a similar way. Also, you'd want to draw attention to any fiddle bonuses, or better yet minimize/eliminate diddly modifiers by using essentials classes and judicious feat selection.

With all the things I've done on the DM side to speed up combat, redoing the sheets is IMHO a much more effective step.

 

[Unwise]

I strongly recommend the Chaos Scar adventures from D&D Insider.

Overview: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/duad/chaosscar

Better List of adventures: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?608720-Chaos-Scar-Adventure-Path

The adventures take you from level 1 to 10. With a disproportionate amount of really low level adventures. What I love about it is that each adventure is discrete with little to no ongoing plot. Each adventure is very quick and can just be picked and run without even reading for more than 5 minutes.

What will make these kids in different groups really excited is being able to talk to each other about different adventures and compare stories. I would make the kids groups different adventuring parties inside the same adventurers guild as each other. Let each group choose a name for their team. Each week send out a list of rumours, which relate to each of the 4-5 adventures you have read up on. Each team dibs the one they want to do. You of course decide in the case of multiple groups wanting to do the same one.

(You could have a 'premier group' whichever group is in the lead for doing the most good works for the local populace is the most beloved. Get them to compete for being the best guys, not just the most powerful adventurers. This group gets to choose the adventure in the case of a tie.)

At the end of the weeks adventures. Send an adventurers guild memo out to people. Tell them in very brief terms what happened at each table that week. Maybe add in an NPC rival group and and NPC friendly group as well, they will feel alive if you give updates on them just like the real players.

Depending on the group, get the kids use to the idea that characters die by knocking off some NPCs. Make a big deal about the legacy and memorials of the fallen, so that the player can feel they have kind of won if they live and die well. The adventurers guild setting lends itself very well to kids who change characters a lot, it is no so disruptive and makes sense plot wise for them to try out a new character for a while. If a lot of kids from one group can't make it one week, those remaining kids can just join another group for a week without stuffing up plot.

As with all games with kids, keep it light, avoid shades of grey and imagine that a fretful mother is watching. You don't want the kids going home and over-excitedly telling mother about how they impaled a whole village of bandits on pikes. Hell, half the parents likely already think you are running a murder-cult, don't give them an excuse. I know you know this of course, it is just a reminder that not every kid is well adjusted and not every parent is sane.