Rough-and-tumble play

Why children play rough

Rough play might have developed among children as a way of learning the fighting skills they’d need to survive.

These days, play fighting helps children avoid actual fights. This is because it helps children learn who among their friends is stronger and weaker. It allows them to work out who they can beat and who’ll beat them. It’s a way of setting up a hierarchy of stronger and weaker children in the play group.

Climbing over one another and rolling around also helps young children:

• understand the limits of their strength
• explore their changing position in space
• find out what other children will and won’t let them do.

Play fighting vs real fighting

You might worry that your child is being aggressive, but you can usually tell rough-and-tumble play from genuine fighting:

• In rough-and-tumble, children will be smiling and laughing. Once they’re finished, they’ll keep playing together.
• Children who are really fighting each other will separate once the fight is over.

Rough-and-tumble play can easily lead to real fighting, so try to establish some rules about what is and isn’t acceptable during play.

Play fighting: ages and stages

Babies and toddlers enjoy exciting movement, as long as they feel safe. Toddlers and babies like to be bounced on your knee or lifted into the air. It’s best to be gentle with young children, though, to avoid any accidental injury.

Toddlers love playing chasey or tiggy, spinning around and dancing. This kind of active play works best when your child is wide awake and not expected to go to bed or sit quietly any time soon.

Primary school children are the biggest rough-and-tumblers.

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