Using Amazing Tales

Therapeutically
By Lilly Smith
Using Amazing Tales Therapeutically | 1
Using Amazing Tales therapeutically
Role Playing Games can be used to great
effect to encourage the development of a
wide range of skills – from higher level
thinking, social problem solving and
impulse control, to maths, writing and
fine motor skills. The best part is that
kids love it, are fully engaged, and often
report that it feels like fun, not like work
or therapy.
However, playing Amazing Tales
therapeutically is different from playing
‘just for fun’ - and often spending some
screen-free time connecting with your
child just for fun is the best thing you
could do! Some of the ideas below will
change the feel of your game, by making it
slower or including deliberately negative
experiences, so bear that in mind and
decide ahead of time what your purpose
for playing is. Also remember that if your
child is really struggling with any of
these areas, they may need to be working
on their skills under the guidance of a
professional.
This chapter details a number of skills
or areas you could choose to work on in
a game. Before you start playing, take
some time to identify one that you want
to target. Then jot down some challenges,
encounter ideas or questions you can drop
into the story to make sure that skill is
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being targeted.
Teamwork
Õ Play with two or more children together.
When it’s time for action, ask them to
discuss and agree on a group decision,
rather than taking turns and deciding
individually.
Õ Set up some encounters where the
children will be unable to succeed
unless they work together – maybe the
opponent is just too strong, or maybe
the environment blocks them unless
they can join forces
Õ Encourage them to consider their
character’s personal strengths and
weaknesses compared to the other
characters – would different tasks
suit different characters? Would one
character lead best in this scenario,
where the other would do better in the
next?
Bear in mind that these strategies will
slow the action down, so don’t overuse
them! As long as they are engaged in
the thinking and problem solving that’s
sprinkled through the game, they’re not
too likely to get bored, although you as the
adult may have to sit on your hands to let
them find their own way to an answer!
Example: Teamwork - While exploring an
underground cave you reach a solid rock
wall too tall for any of you to climb alone.
High above the torchlight illuminates the
path continuing into the darkness, and you
hear a faint cry for help. If you squint you
can just make out the ends of what looks like
a rope coiled up at the top, out of reach. How
are you going to work together to climb up?
If they choose a physical solution eg standing
on each other’s shoulders, whose character
would be best on the bottom/top and why?
Social Problem Solving
Õ Encourage children to brainstorm
different options at each encounter. If
they can’t decide on the best option,
or disagree, how can they unstick
themselves? See if they can come up
with their own solution; if they can’t
you could suggest Rock Paper Scissors,
or can one persuade the others verbally,
or try making a table of the various pros
and cons – or any other ideas you can
think of to move past the block. Bonus
points for remaining in character!
Õ Make sure you give them time to see if
they can solve it alone.
Õ Use in-game opportunities for this too
– create an opponent where physical
force won’t help (a ghost? A monster
who is way too strong?) and see if they
can figure out some verbal strategies to
get past (negotiate, compromise, trade,
persuade, use humour, teamwork for a
diversion etc)
Example: Social Problem Solving - In a mag-
ical game, an exit is blocked by an unusually
tall, thin sorceress who refuses to let them
pass. If any players try to use physical force
on her it doesn’t work, and she immediately
gains whatever they used against her. One
child tries to use a magic wand to make her
move, but the sorceress instantly gains an
extra arm holding a magic wand; anoth-
er player tries hitting her with a sword, it
bounces right off her and a replica sword
instantly appears on her belt.
Try to hang back and see if they can figure
out the problem, and then come up with a
creative solution
Impulse Control
In-game consequences are really good
for letting a child experience the full
force of their choices in a safe way – their
character can be put out of action, or their
mission could fail, or they could let down
or disappoint an in-game character. It can
be really helpful to make sure the children
understand that you won’t protect their
Using Amazing Tales Therapeutically | 3
characters if they make poor choices, and
then have the freedom to let situations
play out.
Some examples: impulsive characters
who charge in without thinking could fall
into traps or ambushes, be taken prisoner
and so miss a turn until their teammates
can save them; or take damage and be
incapacitated until their teammates revive
them. You could try Pandora’s Boxes that
shouldn’t be opened, buttons or levers
that release monsters or poison gas, or
more complex moral situations eg getting
caught stealing something temptingly
available. Again, make sure you allow time
for discussions, choices, feedback between
players, and maybe even conversations
afterwards to make the most of these
learning opportunities.
Example: Impulse control - In the deep
forest your players come across a beautiful
clearing lit with golden sunlight; near the far
edge, a wooden box lies seemingly aban-
doned. It is intricately carved and the lid is
propped open, inside you can see something
gleaming, it looks like treasure. There’s no
one around.
If anyone approaches and opens the lid to
look inside, they see a small jewelled crown
and inside the lid is a sign saying ‘PROPERTY
OF THE FROG PRINCE, DO NOT TOUCH’. If
someone removes the crown, a wire is tripped
and a net suddenly springs up and captures
them suspended from the tree, unable to
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escape alone and in dire need of help from
a teammate. If the players show caution or
discuss their options first, celebrate this by
having the Frog Prince appear, explain and
generously reward them for not falling into
the trap
Creative Ideas
If developing a character from scratch is
too much, try creating a few for them to
choose from and add to, encourage them
to flesh out a back story instead.
Try asking open ended questions about
the child’s character, the world or the
story; if this is too much, you can narrow
it down to a selection between 2 or 3
choices; if this is still too much, you can
feed a line that still allows them some
room to expand/follow on. For example:
Õ There’s a fallen tree blocking the path,
what do you do? (open ended)
Õ Do you want to try to climb over it, or
find a way around it? (choice of options)
Õ OK so what skills are you going to use
to climb over the tree? (spoon feed, but
allow them to expand)
Perspective Taking
If an encounter presents any kind of
ethical dilemma, try to encourage the
child to consider things from various
different character and non-player
character’s perspectives; do this by asking
questions eg ‘do you think they would
prefer option a) or b)? How would they be
feeling right now?’
If you can, try to incorporate ‘grey area
thinking’ into the storylines, in which
the situations and characters the heroes
encounter aren’t just black and white,
good or bad. Maybe a villain was only
acting in a certain way because they were
being held hostage, maybe an apparently
helpful creature only helped because there
was a financial reward. If there’s more
than one child playing, this could lead
to interesting group discussions about
whether to attack or rescue a villain, for
example.
Try introducing non-player characters
that personify the skill you want to work
on, either positively where they model the
behaviour you’re aiming for, or negatively,
where their behaviour needs improving
– exaggerate this comically, to keep it
fun! See what reactions this brings out in
the child, and what instructions or advice
they offer the character. You could ask
questions directly after the game if you
build in some kind of debrief at the end,
eg ‘what did you like about this character?
What didn’t you like? What makes them
easy/hard to be friends/work together
with?’
Example: Perspective Taking / Sharing - the
heroes are in space, and the spaceship’s life
support has malfunctioned. The fixer-bot
makes its way onto the command deck, but
although it can diagnose the problem and
has the tools to fix it, it refuses to help or
lend the heroes the things they need. What
can the heroes say to the robot to try and
persuade it?
Example: Perspective Taking / Managing
anxiety, empathy - In a magical world, a
curse has been placed on a boy to make him
so worried he can’t leave his room. The play-
ers have to reassure him using everything
they know about managing worries. The
spell will only be broken if he voluntarily
leaves his room; if they make a wrong move
he becomes too scared and runs and hides
under the bedclothes, time rewinds and the
players find themselves back at the door,
ready to try again.
Guide the players if necessary -Ask ‘how is
the boy feeling when he opens the door to
you? Do you think you should arrive in all
your armour with your weapons, or change
the way you look? What should your voice be
like? Does it help to tell him not to be scared?
What do you do to feel calm?’
Fine Motor Skills
Õ Encourage the child to draw out their
own character sheets, and contribute to
the map
Using Amazing Tales Therapeutically | 5
Õ Write back stories for the characters,
turn games into written stories/comics
for handwriting practice, write spin-
offs etc

Õ Make a set of minifigures to represent

each character on the map - little
drawings on card in a bulldog-clip stand
work well, no need to be fancy!

In Closing
In all of this, remember that it needs to
stay fun. Growth happens best when there
is a sparkle in the child’s eye, and they
are motivated, engaged and connected
with you, and you are working together
on the things they find tough, as equal
play partners rather than a superior adult
instructing a child. If you have doubts, or
if it starts to feel too much like hard work,
stop and go back to playing together for
the joy of it!

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