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Preschoolers enjoy vigorous, intense, and rough physical play. They run, dance, swirl, hop, and skip on their own and with their classmates. Big body play may at times closely resemble actual fighting; thus, some adults find it to be one of the most challenging of children's behaviors. But rough play is a valuable play style for preschoolers. Teachers and families need to understand and support this kind of play.
What it is and what it is not
Big body play is different from fighting. Fighting involves tears instead of laughter and closed fists instead of open palms (Fry 2005). When open palms are used in real fighting, it is for a slap instead of a tag. When two children are fighting, one usually runs away as soon as possible and does not voluntarily return for more.
While enjoying appropriate rough play, children have free and easy faces. Their muscle tone is relaxed and they are usually smiling and laughing. Children typically start rough play and keep it going it by taking turns. In real fighting, one child usually dominates another child (or children) who may be in the situation against his or her will. In rough play, the children return for more even if it seems too rough to adult onlookers. In real fighting, children run away, sometimes in tears, and often ask the teacher or another adult for help.
Why it matters
As in all appropriate play, when children engage in rough play, they build a range of skills representing every developmental domain. Children learn physical skills - how their bodies move and how to control their movements. They develop language skills through signals and nonverbal communication, including the abilities to perceive, infer, and decode. And they develop social skills through turn taking, playing dominant and subordinate roles, negotiating, and developing and maintaining friendships (Smith, Smees, & Pellegrini 2004;...