Sentence:  As the children continue to shoot one another, I ask them some questions about guns. ... [M]ost revealing to me is that the children fully agree that they are playing a pretend game. The bad guys "really hurt people" and Freddie knows it because he "plays" it. Really hurting in pretend play … the children are not confused by this <WSD>finessing</WSD> of real and pretend. I think it is we adults who are confused by it. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To handle or manage carefully or skilfully; to manipulate in a crafty way. (from mid 18th c.)