ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

Generally children are adventurous by nature and they learn through exercising adventures. Also children are naturally injudicious (‘Oporinamdorshi’ in Bangla). They are unaware about dangers in play but never willing to be hurt! Then, why should we deprive them from enjoying superhero plays and limit the scope of learning various skills and developing them? It is our role to guide and support children even in a dangerously dangerous play if they like that. We should not stop a man trying to catch a running bus, but support him in learning the balancing skills.

Don't get me started.......
An ongoing controversy, esp. the gun, sword, weapon thing.
It's a hard call, being a synagogue preschool where we promote peace.
I think we can consider the differences btw. imitative play vs. imaginary play.
Kids don't understand "You're dead", thinking you can also come back to life
whenever.
POWER is a big DAP issue, how does it fit in, how do we redirect or guide this in a
positive way.
Also, as far as "BIG BODY" play, setting limits, a safe zone, who wants to play, who doesn't and respecting this.

I am in total agreement that superhero play has both boy and girl models and can be refocused and emerged into an excellent curriculum model wherein children identify their powers and create stories, drawings, and dramatic scenarios that reflect their ideas. Within this curriculum, the teacher is always present to guide, refocus, restate rules of behavior, and celebrate each child's creativity and passion.

Acknowledging that superhero play evokes a person's need to belong to a group, be powerful (in action and words), work within guidelines, create a dramatic character, and act out feelings and issues, I am more surprised that schools do not eagerly embrace this curriculum rather than denying it.

It is unfortunate when early childhood programs "ban" things. Each moment of behavior the children are giving the teachers insight into what their needs are. Superhero play indicates the need for the children to feel powerful, which usually tells us they are not feeling powerful in their own lives. The teachers could look for new tasks in the classroom that give the children the power of decision-making and helping out in the environment. Especially if he/she knows which children spend a great deal of time engaged in superhero play. If he/she has a partnership with the parents then let the parents know and encourage them to give the child more power over some of the decisions in their life and acknowledge them as competent.

Redirecting destructive play into constructive play is another option. Wrestling is the type of play boys often do with their fathers. It is active play and indicates a need for active play with the authority figures in the life. I do not know enough about this situation to respond directly to it, but if the children involved come from single parent mother head of household homes, its time to engage men in the family with the child or seek a big brother.

Banning anything is a sign that the administration of the preschool had given up seeking solutions to the problem and chose a blanket solution that is not a solution at all and does not meet the needs of the children in the program.

Christine Webster
Child and Family Specialist
Early Childhood Educator

This provocative statement made me ask the question what are the teachers in the early childhood centre there for, if it is not to work with children on the things they are interested in. I think the deeper question to ask is why are the children engaging in superhero play.
The questions that I feel are left unanswered are: Why are the teachers challenged by aggressive play? What else have they done about it?