I don’t like guns, and don’t actively encourage gun play at home. Unfortunately my sons were given some as birthday gifts and Christmas years over the years, which I did try and “hide” and encourage play elsewhere.
I don’t ban them in the house now, but I do have open discussions with my children about the dangers of guns, and why I personally don’t like them. We’ve had some shootings overseas appear on the news of late, and it is a good segue into the discussions of why mum doesn’t like or approve of guns and doesn’t really like gun play.

I’m not a fan of gun play at all and have always discouraged it in my household. I do allow water guns though so not sure if I’m being a bit too worked up?

I don’t think you can stop it. Take away toy guns, they’ll use sticks. Give them dolls and they become armies. Just let them go be kids

To prevent them knowing how to make one you would need to ban TV (including childrens shows especially some cartoons), Computerised games including equipment made for children, never take them to the movies – you don’t know in advance what the short promotional clips at the beginning will show. Your children will possibly come into contact with toy guns etc. and you not be there to give your children the concept that it is “play only” etc.
Swords have become popular because of Jake the Pirate. A 3 year old I know has a soft one. He knows it will break if he is too rough with it. He likes hitting another one but has never attempted to hit anybody with one. He and his little friends play in a similar way with empty rolls from glapwrap, baking paper etc.

We didn’t allow gun toys until our boys were about 6. Old enough to understand that guns are violent and dangerous but that in the right context (water guns or toy nerf guns) they are ok. They promote strategical thinking, hand eye coordination and exercise, and can be fun. We don’t allow replica guns however.
We also encouraged our children to say “I’ll defeat you” rather than use the word “kill”.

I am 51. I have 4 children and we never bought or were given gifts of guns, swords etc. Now I have GC they do not have these items either. It was a choice I made.

My kids play fight with guns. I used to hate it but I think it’s just something that boys do. As long as they know it’s just play I don’t worry about it now.

Guns do not kill people…..people kill other people with guns.

Children role playing with guns or swords, are children playing, it is as innocent as that!
In the world of child fantasy they play many roles, that does not mean they will become a particular role as an adult. Racing car drivers and nurses may actually work as such as adults and the child who is the warrior shooting baddies may very well grow up to be a priest, a dentist or carpenter or dancer in the Royal Ballet. I wonder if Princess Mary played at being a princess or did she play at being a bulldozer driver?

I played with toy guns with my brother and friends and none of us are violent gun toting adults.
I believe than in the world of make believe, guns and swords etc are as innocent as the children role playing with them. Just as in role play as sea captains, train drivers, intergalactic travellers, soldiers, teachers, doctors and zoo keepers; these children swap roles and are not interested in gender roles either. These imaginative youngsters do not grow into adults and still have the same roles as they did as little children. Some children who role play as a nurse or fireman, may chose these professions. I fantasised about being a trapeze performer or ballet dancer when I was small. In reality, I trained and worked in areas of welfare, no ballet shoes or sparkling leotards to big top performances for me!

My children played with toy guns and noisy Star War type weapons… They are very well adjusted adults.

Toy guns and whatever children play with do not create violent behaviours as adults. Many things that happen TO a child have the potential over time to behave in unacceptable ways.

We have told everyone in our circle of family and friends that we don’t play with guns/weapons and don’t do fighting type activities. If my kids do receive weapons for gifts, they get given to charity. Most people though do respect our non-weapon stance and do not seem to mind. I think banning it and having an our family does not use violence rule in place can be easy and there is no need to pretend that gun/sword play is something different.

So loved EESTIGIRL’S comment ..I grew up with a brother that would tie me to the clothes line while we were playing Cowboys and Indians (he would be running around with a toy bow and arrow), then there were the times he would don his sheriffs outfit and I would be is deputy (guns included) and we both turned out fine.

If the whole cowboys and Indians etc is kept to a minimum while reinforcing it as a game and playtime and discouraging violence I suppose it is ok.

I don’t like gun play.

I think banning gun-play is just another chapter in the saga of our cotton wool kids. My four sons (now between 25 and 33) used their empty water pistols to play cowboy games. If they couldn’t find their guns, they would use sticks instead. If anyone got hurt, there were always bandaids, but then they risked being called a chicken. It was all part of playing games with imaginary villains as they were growing up. Once they outgrew these games, they went on to more grown-up activities. Playing with toy guns did not make them want to buy the real thing when they got older. Toy guns were associated with childhood games, nothing more.

my child love this playing with her friends..

I think “gun play” is perfectly fine and healthy and normal. I don’t have a problem with it at all.

I do believe it’s innate and was also shocked when this first presented itself in our family. It wasn’t something our son had seen at home, or on our tv, and yet here he was picking up sticks and pretending it was a gun. We set rules eg. no aiming anywhere above the shoulder, no hurting anyone. Whilst the novelty hasn’t worn off, we learned to roll with it, rather than ban it. A hot summer’s day as recently enjoyed with water guns resulting in both players happy, wet and cool.

they will construct a gun because they have knowledge of a gun…..albeit on tv

Thanks for sharing this interesting and informative article. Good food for thought.

Kids can transform just about anything into a gun