Dressing up as a super hero, super hero themed parties, thinking they’re really Superman, pretending to fly, pretending to be super heroes during play and getting physical can all be signs of super hero play in young children. Worried this kind of play encourages violence? These tips can help foster creativity in your child’s superhero play, yet keep them safe.
Why children (especially boys) like super hero play
- They can be powerful, when in real life they often feel powerless.
- They can pretend to be people who can solve big problems and be successful.
- Super hero play provides the physical activity young children really need.
Concerns about super hero play
- May help to promote excessively aggressive behavior and glorify violence and the use of weapons.
- Is a symptom of too much exposure to violence—both real-life and fantasy— in the media.
- Discourages creative and open-ended play.
- May result in bullying behavior and unsafe play.
Some Tips
- Set rules for physical play (e.g., no kicking, no pointing weapons).
- Provide enough space for safe play.
- Introduce children to real-life heroes (e.g., firefighters).
- Limit violent media.
- Distinguish between normal rough and tumble play and real fighting.
- Be alert for signs that a child’s play is intentionally hurtful.
Call Pennsylvania’s CONNECT Helpline at 1-800-692-7288 for information about your child’s development and connecting to Early Intervention Services in Pennsylvania.
Get information about the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Project.
Click here to download this information as an infographic: Super Hero Play.