Research Context
Play fighting generates central social learning experiences which support children as they
practice controlled and motivated competitive and cooperative behaviour among peers.6
Understandably, this form of play is controversial. Carlsson-Paige suggest that war play
is detrimental to child development due to its imitative nature rather than the creation of
novel play experiences.12 Nevertheless, research supports dramatic and sociodramtic play
as important to child development2,5 with two key elements of sociodramatic play being
imitation and make-believe.