Rough and Tumble play

The children love this! They call it Bomby Knockers and the aim is to try and knock each other off the pole. If your left on your the winner and you challenge someone else. Its especially ticky because you need to hold your balance at the same time as you try to knock off your opponent. There are rules involved and the children are excellent at following and enforcing them, such as no hitting in the face only on the body. We do this to provide our tamariki with an outlet for their physical play and built up energy. Rough housing play such as this is particularly exciting for boys and provides a great opportunity for children to take and manage risk, build apon their motor skill competence, and boys especially enjoy the play because it enables them to address their need for power and to manage and keep their sudden increase in playful aggression within the limits of fun!