Pretend play, including play fighting, actually helps children be less aggressive in real life. (It turns out even gun play has a purpose21: researchers believe it helps children to read each other’s facial cues and body language, figure out their place in a group, and modulate themselves accordingly.) By allowing kids to practice22 being villains or superheroes, pretend play gives children a chance to try on different characters and experience the world from different points of view.
