Play-fighting often makes parents and educators uncomfortable. It can lead to physical injuries and some believe it triggers aggressive or violent behaviours that can impair a child’s early development.
However, studies show that play-fighting, like all forms of playing, is an important source of learning for young children. It allows them, among other things, to:
develop self-control over their impulses and their muscles (for example: control how hard they hit or push)
learn the difference between acceptable and non-acceptable behaviours
learn to create rules and play by the rules
decrease the use of hurtful physical aggressions
In the end, the question is “where do we set the limit?” and the answer is: “play in a way that nobody gets hurt.”