ABSTRACT
Children appear to enjoy deconstructing polar opposites such as good and evil, death and life and also enjoy unpicking gender roles in terms of what would be considered male and female. Superhero play is the perfect opportunity to incorporate these ideas and explore these extremes and even to blur the lines a little. This play involves power and powerlessness, control and chaos and can enable our children to unpick what is meant by these ideas. Clearly there are biological differences between males and females and it is possible to make generalisations according to gender. It is generally accepted that boys develop physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively later than girls and that they respond and react to stimuli in ways different from those of girls. Babies are not born with a full understanding of gender and the cultural expectations relating to it that develop over time.
