Most young children enjoy pretend play and love to imitate action heroes.
But many teachers, parents and child care workers say the influence of children's TV shows, which feature exciting fighting scenes, can create havoc when little fans get together. The challenge for parents is to control the aggression in such play, while still recognizing that fantasy play meets a developmental need. Action Toys Managing Play Child development expert June Meyer says it is important to differentiate between superhero figurine play and dramatic play, and encourage the latter. By being involved and directing the play, you can make it a creative and fun time for children. By looking at how children organize a drama, and by how they incorporate realistic and open-ended props, we can observe how children need to draw upon their own skills and competencies.