As I work through the reasons for hosting and the reasons against, I was a pleasantly surprised when the August Cardigan newsletter contained a segment about violent fantasy play (including pretend weapons play). Author Katherine, summarizing current play research, notes that violent fantasy play should be allowed and not discouraged because children use this type of play to "sort out complicated messages they receive from the world." However, she also stipulates that this type of play should be consented to by all parties involved (kids, teens, etc.). I am still not sure whether I will go forward with a nerf-type program, but I do feel a little better informed about the role of violent fantasy play in children's attempts to understand the world.
