Do you let your kids play with "toy" guns?

[Ter]

I grew up with them. My boys grew up with them and my grandson got his first double barrel from Pap at 3 months. He is now 4 years old and has a larger collection then I do.

 

[dweezil]

Put me in the camp that says its natural for little boys(all of mine are boys) to play with toy guns. For a couple of years when my boys were young, whenever their cousins came over to play, we had to put away all the toy guns at the request of my niece. Finally one visit she told us not to bother since every stick, lego, tinker toy, etc was used as a gun by her boys.

 

[DocBoCook]

I see it as the training ground for the future for both my son and my daughter. They see daddy and step mom with guns all the time. Papaw and mamaw and G-Granny and grampy too. They are taught from the beginning about proper muzzle awareness, trigger discipline, treating every one like it is loaded, and never point it at anything you don't intend to destroy, etc... It is preparing them for when they have ones of their own.

 

[ThePhantom86]

I let my 7 yo play with the Nerf guns I have and will let my 1 yo play with them once she wants to.

I had them (toy guns) as a child and turned out ok and so will my children. It is up to the parents to teach the kids so if you are afraid your child can't tell the difference between real and fake then perhaps it is best not to let your child handle guns...period. (This is not directed at anyone, just a general statement.)

 

[Ashkelon]

Not only does my five year old have toy guns but we play with them together. Our Nerf gun wars are EPIC! Big old open house with front and back staircases. Lots of cover and plenty of rooms to hide and doors to breach.

Some of the hippies kids from the neighborhood aren't allowed to play with guns and I just tell their parents its their choice. Don't leave your kid at my house then cause I am not putting away all of them just cause your precious vegan child is being raised to be nicer than mine.

Most have gotten over it and most now let their boys join in the fun because whatever it is a little boy will make a weapon out of it. Its just how it is.

Also when it came time to get a neighborhood crime watch captain I gracefully declined. Advised if more responsible people had guns we would a have a lot less crime.

 

[redpitbull44]

I allow both my 3 and 4 yr old to have toy guns. They have since they were 6 months old. At this stage in their life, I am instilling in them proper handling and safety. Things like KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER, and DON'T POINT THAT GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DON'T INTEND TO KILL. Also teaching them the proper way to grasp a pistol and revolver two handed, how to shoulder a long gun, etc. I am working with my 4 year old the most. He is working towards earning a .22 rifle by age 5/ Christmas.

 

[LtScott14]

Grew up with the "Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Gunsmoke" and the Wild West movies. Throw in "Combat, Rat Patrol, Starsky & Hutch, Dragnet,Miami Vice," and others with shooting guns scripts. Never gave a second thought of taking hostages, terrorism, or other crimes besides thinking self defense for firearms. Got the airsoft setup for my sons, taught them safety both accepted the learnings no problem.

 

[IndianaResident]

I was against it for a while, but my 3 year old could, and would, make a "gun" out of anything that was remotely gun shaped. Plastic number 7's, and sticks make fine guns. Bread and cookies can also be nibbled into the shape of a gun.

This ^

Kids will use sticks anyways, and besides there's a big difference between a nerf gun and a BB gun, or even a cap gun, so I guess it depends on what it looks like.

The airsoft guns that look exactly like real ones could encourage playing with a real one, but parental guidance just has to come into play when they get to that level.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

Another vote here for letting children have toy guns.

Both my sons had/have them, and as others have written above, both would make a toy gun out of most anything gun shaped or chew chicken nuggets into "guns" to play with for a moment before eating it.

I grew up with two families in my rural neighborhood that were of the Friends religion (think Quakers, but more conservative). One of the sons was my age and we used toplay together. He wasn't allowed to have or play with toy guns but I remember him "sneaking around" when his parents weren't around and using sticks and such to "play guns" with us and other kids. The moment his parents arrived back home he would throw down the stick.

In our teenage years, that same kid was the king of BB gun wars in the hay mows of the neighborhood. From what I have heard from Daniel in the years since, his parents never found out about the mock wars, even with several injuries over the childhood years.

 

[driver4562]

as a child I had Nerf guns all the time... in fact I still do... I would give my kids toy Nerf guns at 6 or 7 and take them shooting about that same time with a .22 rifle. showing the difference between a toy and the real thing. I know that is a simple view of things but also look at the fact that kids need to be kids and learn how to play and where boundaries are and how to test them.. the Range is not a place for that and keeping them under very close supervision on a range i believe will help them realize how serious the situation is and how serious guns are.

Worked for me.

 

[Daniel686]

I grew up with a six shooter cap gun strapped to my hip day in and day out. I started shooting .22 when I was 5. There is a big difference between a toy and a gun! And when you teach a child this, it is when he or she has started shooting. But the talk when really young that a gun is very dangerous and never touch one was always there!!

 

[Cheapshot101]

Both of my kids have to guns and my daughter has her first real gun and I wouldn't have it any other way. I think it makes them comfortable with them and I feel it made it easier to teach my daughter how to handle and shoot a gun safely because she had handled a toy gun.

 

[Kitty]

I have two cap guns - does that count? Seriously, I think it is up to the child. My son has no interest in firearms. Doesn't even want to play with my cap guns and that is ok. But he is fully aware of what he is allowed to touch and when.

I was not allowed toy guns as a kid (my mom REALLY wanted me to be a girl) so I used a tree branch and my imagination.

Kitty

 

[lonehoosier]

Yes my 6 year old son and 3 year old douther play with nurf guns all day long. We have nurf battles that are some of the greatest time play with the kids. We talk about safety all the time and what the difference between real and fake. Always put on the safety glass and don't point at anybody that duisnt have a toy gun to. I could not emagin not have toy guns that was some of the greatest time as a kid. Remember safety first nomadder what you are using real or toys. Teach them young.

 

[PhilB]

My boys used to play with toy guns. I bought them pellet guns when they got old enough and taught them gun safety. Now they are 35 and 29 so they only want to shoot real guns. My younger son shoots with me sometimes since he moved back home after his divorce. Of course we shoot my guns and my ammo.

 

[Captain Bligh]

The wife & I decided we wouldn't let our son play with toy guns. That lasted until I saw him playing guns in the yard with the neighbor kids. He was carrying his mother's curling iron & pretending it was a gun and yelling "Shoot! Shoot!"

I took that boy straight to Target and bought a toy gun. He is now an LTCH holder.

 

[Hap Hazard]

Fanner-Fifty's, Mattel Detective Special, Shootin-Shell, Mattel lever action 30-30 with the flip up lever in the trigger guard to fire as the guard was closed, belt buckle derringer that would flip open and fire when you pressed your stomach against the back, Tommy Guns that rattled off a string after you pulled the cocking handle to the rear and pulled the trigger and probably a hundred more I can't remember! Great fun that kids today won't ever see even if they have toy guns.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

When I was a kid, I pretty much had the neighborhood armory in my closet. Squirt guns, Super Soakers, Nerf, Etc.

My son will inherit what I have left of my collection as a kid plus every one I can find in a toystore too. And yes, he can point the TOY at people and squirt them or hit them with a dart, when it gets to BB guns, no way no how.

 

[RealTree]

We don't let our son play with toy guns. He is 2 and but plan to teach him the responsibility involved and how mommy and daddy handle and care for guns and in what instances a gun should be displayed or talked about.

I find it odd the number of kids who openly talk about their families firearms collection...definitely a security risk

 

[Bunnykid68]

Absolutely not, they play with real guns