I am sure you’ve you’ve heard of NERF guns, the toy guns that NERFERs like to call “blasters” that fire small foam tipped “darts”. They have become incredibly popular and if you aren’t yet getting badgered by your kids to get them, it is probably only a matter of time.
These blasters have evolved from some very basic catapult like things to the latest generation of incredibly complex, fully automatic, magazine fed blasters. However, younger kids have not been left behind and there are many NERF blasters that are ideal for young kids
But, the big question is, are they safe?
The first thing to say is that no toy is ever entirely safe, however NERF guns pass all the strenuous standards for toys in the US and Europe. However there are a few things you can teach your kids to make them safer.
1) Wear safety glasses
NERF do include this warning on their packaging, but currently do not supply them with their blasters. While the darts are soft, you still wouldn’t want to get hit in the eye! If your child wears glasses normally, these will probably be sufficient, but you can also buy them pretty cheaply.
2) Do not aim at your opponents head
This is really a follow on from number one – if you don’t shoot at people’s heads, there is no danger of hitting their eyes. You can even give them rules for NERF war games where only body shots count to discourage it further.
3) Do not look down the barrel of a NERF gun
So getting hit in the eye by a stray shot is one thing and unlucky, getting hit in the eye at close range because you were peering down the barrel of your own gun is just stooopid! Make sure they know this…
4) When playing keep your finger outside the trigger guard and pointing at the ground until you want to fire
Firearms training teaches this as the first thing to stop accidental shots going off. While your NERF blaster is not going to cause the same damage, you really don’t want to fire by accident, so it is good to teach this at an early age.
5) Only shoot at people in your game
Do not fire at anyone not playing, this includes animals, passing cars or even at your opponents if they are in around people that are not in the game. Also don’t start acting suspiciously and waiting to ambush people – there have been many incidents of police getting called only to find it was kids with toy guns.
If you stick to these basic safety protocols and do not let your kids modify the guns or the ammo, they should have hours of fun running around playing NERF wars.