Weapons, Safety, and Pretend Gunplay

Visiting another family’s home for a playdate is a fun event, but before the playdate it is a good idea to talk with the other parent about household habits, rules, and expectations. This online article gives parents some important questions to ask.

This article for parents explains the safest ways to store a gun, why proper gun storage is important, why you should think about guns in the homes of family and friends, and what kids should understand about guns.

This article explains the serious risks of having a gun in the home including accidental shootings, suicide, and homicide. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that the safest home for a child is one without guns. This article also details how to keep children safe in your home and in other homes.

This article for parents explains why safe gun storage is so important to keep kids safe, and includes both a parent-to-parent story and a 30-second video about safe gun storage.

This article and audio interview with a preK teacher focuses on how she addresses gunplay in an inner city public school at-risk preschool center.

This article addresses how children engage in imaginary weapon play and includes resources that discuss different perspectives on weapon play.

This article for educators describes four ways to respond to superhero and gun play and how to choose the right option for you.

This article for parents and educators draws on knowledge of child development to inform how families can take steps towards gun safety in the home.

This article for early childhood educators gives a variety of perspectives from educators and school leaders across the country about how they respond to children’s pretend gun play in the classroom.