They have to play aggressive games

BanyolesAggressive play is uncomfortable. The fear that by allowing it, we are encouraging violent behavior is very common. Rejecting this play is equivalent to denying a natural need for expression.

Aggression is natural and is a life force.

Perhaps we need to reconcile ourselves with the fact that we are all naturally aggressive. It's part of our human condition and doesn't necessarily have to lead to violence. In fact, violence often arises when we don't find adequate channels to express it safely and legitimately.

Offer channels to express it

We often associate this play with battles or fights, and while it's an important part, it's not the only one. Materials such as animal puppets, lion or wolf costumes, or stuffed animals that hunt and scratch are resources that allow children from a young age to experience and channel this vital force through symbolic play.

And when are they older?

This need for expression transforms. They often find outlets for healthy aggressive play with swords, punching bags, or targets for aiming.

With limits and respect

Supporting aggressive play means validating it without trying to change anything. If a child paints only with black paint and makes bold strokes, it's a way of expressing themselves, nothing more. When physicality is involved, clear boundaries are needed. A fundamental rule is: "If someone stops having fun, it's no longer a game."

With respect, an adult presence, and clear play rules, aggressive play is an experience as necessary as any other symbolic play.

A must-have game

It's an essential game through which children learn to recognize their strength, express it appropriately, and manage it. Denying that part of their nature doesn't eliminate it; offering safe play spaces, on the other hand, transforms it. But often, this expression is punished or repressed, and that impulse won't disappear because we prevent them from playing this type of game; on the contrary, they can only transform it when they can be experienced and symbolically elaborated.

Conclusion

Playing in the streetand the risk game They are in danger of extinction and are ideal avenues for the expression of that play. Childhood is a stage in which blockages and beliefs are formed that later influence adult life.

And as adults, then, we must undo these acquired patterns and regain a more genuine connection with this energy to find the capacity for self-affirmation and setting limits.