Morphing Traditional Play

My husband and son recently bought Nerf guns for themselves. Say what you will about violence and firearms, but they've had a lot of fun playing with each other, running and shooting and interacting. My son decided to take the games he plays with his dad using their Nerf weapons to a new, video-game-inspired level, by creating "achievements" and a "store".

I know this photo is a bit hard to see, but in his room, my son set out various items and placed price tags on them. If I understand the process correctly (this seems to be just a "father and son" activity), players earn fake cash during their battles, depending on things like how quickly they obtain their winning "first to get three hits on the enemy". Then, you are supposed to take your fake cash to my son's store to buy things that will help you in your next fight. For instance, the bunny silly bands (the blue things at the bottom of the photo) will allow you to summon an army of bunnies that will ambush your opponent when summoned. This proved useful when Mommy tried to rob the "achievements store" - if you follow the drama improvisational rules of "yes and", accepting all suggestions, you have to accept that a crowd of bunnies can take down an armed assailant.