In light of the tragic events in Lewiston on Wednesday 10/25/2023, we are offering this list of resources to help teachers and families navigate gun play in early childhood. Should you allow it? What is the purpose of this play? How do I ensure everyone in the classroom feels safe? These are important questions that educators will consider throughout their career. We hope you find the following resources helpful as you navigate how best to respond to gun play in the classroom or home.

• Under Deadman’s Skin: Discovering the Meaning of Children’s Violent Play by Jane Katch

  "‘The five-and six-year-olds in my class have invented a new game they call suicide. I have never seen a game I hate so much in which all the children involved are so happy.’
  
  So begins Under Deadman's Skin, a deceptively simple-and compellingly readable-teachers' tale. Jane Katch, in the tradition of Vivian Paley and Jonathan Kozol, uses her student's own vocabulary and storytelling to set the scene: a class of five-and six-year-olds obsessed with what is to their teacher hatefully violent fantasy play. Katch asks, 'Can I make a place in school for understanding these fantasies, instead of shutting them out?'
  
  Over the course of the year she holds group discussions to determine what kind of play creates or calms turmoil; she illustrates (or rather the children illustrate) the phenomenon of very young children needing to make sense of exceptionally violent imagery; and she consults with older grade-school boys who remember what it was like to be obsessed by violence and tell Katch what she can do to help. Katch's classroom journey-one that leads her to rules and limits that keep children secure-is an enabling blueprint for any teacher or parent disturbed by violent children's play.”

• Gun Play in Early Childhood: Suggestions for Parents and Caregivers by TAMMY KAISER, M.S.J.E.

  "I have had teachers and parents come to me over the years concerned that a little one is engaging in gun-play. Many adults hold an informal causal theory that playing with guns in childhood leads to the use of guns in adulthood. However, there is no real scientific evidence that playing (these) games in childhood leads to real-life aggression (Michael Thompson, PhD, Child Psychologist and author​). Any teacher of young children knows that anything can become a gun to a child - tree branches, blocks, a banana, chicken nuggets. The amazing thing is, children engaging in this type of open-ended play are using their imaginations. This is often a rarity in today’s plugged-in, tech-savvy world. The challenge becomes how we as adults respond to this behavior in the wake of real-life shootings which result in death and injury and threat to topple our foundation of safety.”

• Got Preschoolers "Playing Guns"? by Barb O’Neill

  "I got this question recently from an Instructional Coach and I KNOW she is not alone in wanting help with a situation like this so I wanted to share it in case you have a similar situation or know anyone who does...”

• Beyond Banning War and Superhero Play: Meeting Children’s Needs in Violent Times by Diane E. Levin

  “Four-year-old Jules is particularly obsessed. Telling him no guns or pretend fighting just doesn’t work. When he’s a good guy, like a Power Ranger, or Spiderman, he thinks it’s okay to use whatever force is needed to suppress the bad guy, “because that’s what a superhero does!” And then someone ends up getting hurt. When we try to enforce a ban, the children say it’s not superhero play, it’s some other kind of play. Many children don’t seem to know more positive ways to play, or they play the same thing over and over without having any ideas of their own. I need some new ideas.”

• Children Playing with Toy Guns and Imaginary Assault Weapons in School. Problem? by Teacher's Aide Strategies, Tools, and Tactics for the Challenges Teachers Face (Podcast)

  "Is playing cops and robbers dead? In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, school teachers and administrators are showing heightened concerns about violence of all sorts. But is imaginary gun play among young kids really a threat? Some schools are responding with new zero-tolerance policies on violent play. Should toy guns and gun play really be banned in schools?”

• Kids and Violent Play: An Education World e-Interview With Jane Katch, Author of a Book About Children's Violent Play by Education World

  "Jane Katch, author of Under Dead Man's Skin: Discovering the Meaning of Children's Violent Play, reflects on her students' violent fantasy play and sometimes real violence. She talks about her students' favorite games, such as suicide, and how parents and schools can work together to limit exposure to media that portray violence. Included: Tips for setting rules for recess and for getting parents involved at home with setting rules about media and violence.”

• Is War Play Bad for Kids? by Holly Pevzner

  “The surprising truth: no. Learn why aggressive play helps kids become compassionate adults.”

• Aggressive Play and Weapon Play: What It Means, Why Kids Do It, and How to Manage It by Bright Horizons

  "Almost every parent has wondered how to respond when children act out violent play themes. First, know that there’s a reason why children act out aggressive themes, and you can use these moments to teach healthy skills and attitudes.”

• Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence by Gerard Jones

  "Children choose their heroes more carefully than we think. From Pokemon to the rapper Eminem, pop-culture icons are not simply commercial pied pipers who practice mass hypnosis on our youth. Indeed, argues the author of this lively and persuasive paean to the power of popular culture, even violent and trashy entertainment gives children something they need, something that can help both boys and girls develop in a healthy way. Drawing on a wealth of true stories, many gleaned from the fascinating workshops he conducts, and basing his claims on extensive research, including interviews with psychologists and educators, Gerard Jones explains why validating our children's fantasies teaches them to trust their own emotions, helps them build stronger selves, leaves them less at the mercy of the pop-culture industry, and strengthens parent-child bonds. Jones has written for the Spider-Man, Superman, and X-Men comic books and created the Haunted Man series for the Web. He has also explored the cultural meanings of comic books and sitcoms in two well-received books. In Killing Monsters he presents a fresh look at children's fantasies, the entertainment industry, and violence in the modern imagination. This reassuring book, as entertaining as it is provocative, offers all of us-parents, teachers, policymakers, media critics-new ways to understand the challenges and rewards of explosive material. News From Killing Monsters: Packing a toy gun can be good for your son-or daughter. Contrary to public opinion, research shows that make-believe violence actually helps kids cope with fears. Explosive entertainment should be a family affair. Scary TV shows can have a bad effect when children have no chance to discuss them openly with adults. It's crucial to trust kids' desires. What excites them is usually a sign of what they need emotionally. Violent fantasy is one of the best ways for kids to deal with the violence they see in real life.”

• The value of superhero and gun play by Dr. Sarah Alexander

  “Gun play, superhero and weapon play is something that often children self-initiate.

  As parents and teachers, we need to have an understanding of why children do this, and how to respond to support children’s learning even if such play goes against our personal beliefs.”