Nerf guns are famous and popular all over the world for one really simple reason: they are absolutely safe for children to play with.
This is because the projectiles that a Nerf gun fires have been specially designed to be completely harmless and painless when they hit someone.
Furthermore, Nerf darts and other projectiles are made using the special Nerf foam, which is extremely soft.
Some parents however are a bit reluctant when it comes to letting their children play with Nerf guns.
This is because although they are perfectly harmless, physically at least, they are still toy guns.
A lot of parents think that children shouldn’t be playing with toy guns for kids, because this will make them desensitized towards violence and it might make them violent as well. While there is some truth to those concerns, according to experts, there are many benefits to be had for kids playing with Nerf guns. Let’s see some of them:
They help them get some much needed physical exercise:
Kids love playing Nerf guns and in order to do that, they will have to get out of the house and away from the TV or their computer or gaming console. This means that instead of sitting around in front of the telly all day and getting fat, they will be outside getting some much needed exercise. It is a well known fact that children need at least two hours a day of physical activity in order to stay healthy and unfortunately, school is not giving them that, so any type of game, even a Nerf War, hat can get them out of the house is beneficial and should be more than welcome.
It teaches them to be competitive
I think we can all agree that we live in a competitive world, which means that nothing will be handed to you on a silver platter, if you want something, you need to fight for it and earn or win it. Games played with NERF guns can teach children how to compete, in a non too aggressive manner, and they can also act as a counterweight of sorts to the ‘you have to be nice to all people, all the time’ philosophy that they are taught at school.
It helps children learn how to cope with stress and pressure
Nerf war games are competitive and all forms of competition induce some stress and make the people participating in them feel some pressure. Life can be very stressful and before they know it, your children will find themselves under vast amounts of stress and pressure, which is why it is great for them to learn how to cope with small amounts of stress and pressure in a controlled gaming environment, such as the one during competitive games with Nerf guns.
It helps them improve their concentration skills:
Target practice with Nerf guns can help kids improve their concentration and learn how to be patient.
The bottom line: As you can see, games with toy guns and Nerf guns are not all bad. It goes without saying however that they should always take place under adult supervision. If you think that your kids are getting a bit too aggressive and competitive, you can always step in and talk to them. I am not saying that your children should only play with Nerf guns, but I do think that some hours of Nerf games each week can prove really beneficial down the line.
Nerf guns are not just for kids however! If you too want to join the fun and play Nerf War with your kids, you can do so with one of the Nerf Elite Guns which have been designed for teenagers and young adults. The Nerf Barricade for example is fully automatic, rapid firing blaster, that will make you and your kids feel like you are firing a machine gun!
