Summary
Despite the well-established benefits of play, a specific type of play, known as play fighting, remains controversial. This study aims to understand children's perspectives about play fighting through semi-structured interviews of 56 preschoolers (aged 4–6 years). A thematic inductive content analysis examined children's views on the characteristics of play fighting, the differences between play fighting and serious fighting, the factors influencing their engagement and enjoyment, and the strategies they use when difficulties arise during play fighting. The findings reveal that preschoolers have a clear understanding of play fighting. They describe it as non-harmful fighting behaviors performed with minimal force in a playful atmosphere, characterized by positive facial expressions, vocali
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.