The War Play Dilemma

As violence in the media and media-linked toys increases, parents and teachers are also seeing an increase in children’s war play. The authors have revised this popular text to provide more practical guidance for working with children to promote creative play, and for positively influencing the lessons about violence children are learning.

Using a developmental and sociopolitical viewpoint, the authors examine five possible strategies for resolving the war play dilemma and show which best satisfy both points of view: banning war play; taking a laissez-faire approach; allowing war play with specified limits; actively facilitating war play; and limiting war play while providing alternative ways to work on the issues.

New for the Second Edition:

• More anecdotal material about adults’ and children’s experiences with war play, including examples from both home and school settings.
• Greater emphasis on the impact of media and commercialization on children’s war play, including recent trends in media, programming, marketing, and war toys.
• Expanded discussion about the importance of the distinction between imitative and creative war play.
• Summary boxes of key points directed at teachers or parents.
• New information about violent video games, media cross feeding, and gender development and sex-role stereotyping.
• A more extensive list of resources and further reading for adults and children.

Praise for the First Edition!

“Powerful…A wealth of practical suggestions for parents and teachers.”;

—Young Children

“Comprehensive and useful…Educators who read this book and implement its suggestions will be making an important contribution to a peaceful future for their young students.”

—Teachers College Record

Diane E. Levin is Professor at Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige is a professor at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"No two authors in the country better understand the developmental needs of young children…This is the only comprehensive discussion I know that offers a clear understanding of why children engage in war play and what to do about it. Thank goodness for this book!"
— Barbara F. Meltz, Parenting columnist of the Boston Globe and author of Put Yourself in Their Shoes, Understanding How Your Children See the World.