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Rough and tumble play provides a myriad of benefits for young children. In his book A Playworker’sTaxonomy of Play Types, Bob Hughes defines rough and tumble as ‘close encounter play which is less to do with fighting and more to do with touching, tickling, gauging relative strength’. He adds that it allows children to participate in physical contact that does not result in anyone being hurt, and should use up a significant amount of energy.
Rough and tumble activities can include combinations of full-body movements such as chasing, wrestling, climbing, rolling, spinning and falling, and often involve contact with other objects or people.
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