Nerf blasters as a toy clearly aim to replicate the feeling and experience of a real gun. The functions and shape of the toy make that apparent. Replacing real bullets with foam darts is a central appeal to Nerf. Nevertheless, this does not mean that Nerf does not contribute to cultural perceptions of real guns around the world. Turning a tool for killing ,like a gun, into a toy isn’t exclusive to Nerf. We can point to toy swords, spears, and other forms of play fighting. But guns have become a prevalent topic of discussion, especially when considering how deadly and how easy it can be to procure one in the United States. Toys serve as a cultural mirror and our Nerf toy is no exception (Machin & Van Leeuwen, 2009). The United States is most notable as gun violence continues to run rampant all over the country. In 2023 alone, 411 children have been killed and/or injured because of accidents involving guns (Everytown, 2023). This is on top of the disturbing amounts of mass shootings that occur on a regular basis in the United States. It is hard to imagine that Nerf would be nearly as popular as it is today if we did not have guns as powerful cultural icons. Children have been shown to misuse guns and not properly realise the danger that these weapons have. It can be argued that this is because of the prevalence of Gun Culture in the United States and how both children and adults do not fully consider the dangers of firearms. Nerf exemplifies this as even from a young age, children are exposed to “gun-like” play which can make children unaware of the real danger that guns hold (Machin, & Van Leeuwen, 2009).