Around Town: Kids find screen-free fun at local Junior D&D Club

HOLLAND TWP. — Parents today often lament the rise of screen-time, both in-school and out. In our day, they say, there weren't tablets and televisions and smartphones to distract from reality.

One group of kids is finding a screen-free way to escape reality once a week at Herrick District Library's North Branch. Last summer, the Junior D&D Club formed after a mix of home-schooled kids, community theatre participants and community members started playing together.

The group has grown to include more than a dozen children aged 6-12.

D&D is a fantasy role-playing, table-top game, played with "minis" (miniature depictions of creatures, characters and settings) and a variety of 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 20-sided dice. Each campaign has a "dungeon master," who is responsible for guiding players through their adventure.

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Creating a campaign often involves diving through guidebooks, written to help players develop their characters and dungeon masters develop their stories.

— Contact photographer Cody Scanlan at cody.scanlan@hollandsentinel.com. See more of his photography on Instagram @HollandSentinel.