Hit! Have you ever been in a water gun battle? Or a Nerf gun battle? It’s a huge adrenaline rush! Hiding, avoiding being hit… But have you ever wondered if it’s okay to play with fake guns? To pretend you’re at war? Are toy guns a good or bad thing? Let’s see.
The arguments FOR
It’s just a game!
Children play by imitating what they see. It’s been like that forever. A branch becomes a sword. A banana turns into… a revolver. Toy guns aren’t going to change that. Children are able to tell the difference between play and real life.
It’s a great way to let off steam and get moving.
“War” games allow you to let off steam, to express your excess aggression. It’s better to pretend than to be violent for real, right? Plus, it gets you moving.
War can be played safely
The idea of shooting foam projectiles at each other can be scary. Even though it’s a game, it’s a good idea to have safety rules to avoid getting hurt. For example, don’t play with toddlers, don’t aim at the face, and wear goggles to protect your eyes.
The arguments AGAINST
It makes guns fire cool
There are too many guns in circulation, we see it in the news. We should not make toys that imitate an object that, in real life, is used to kill people.
Permission for violent games?
Playing at shooting each other, eliminating each other… Is that okay? And kicking each other, slapping each other? There is a fine line between real and fake violence. It is not always easy to tell when it is no longer really a game. It is risky to allow children to have these kinds of toys. It can get out of hand.
It can be dangerous
There are really powerful water guns now. The spray hurts. And it’s worse for the foam “balls” that are projected at very high speeds. It can be really dangerous if you get them in your eyes. In the United States, it is estimated that over 300,000 children were injured by these types of toys over a period of 25 years.
Caroline Bouffard
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