Age Play

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Age play, or ageplay, is a widely practiced form of roleplay where individuals find sexual arousal or psychological pleasure in pretending to be a different age than their actual age. This is a common kink activity involving consenting adults, with the scenes being either sexual or non-sexual. In these scenarios, at least one partner takes on the role of an age ranging from infant to elderly.

Ageplay can be integrated into sexual activities, offering a unique sexual experience, serving as a kink activity, or satisfying an individual’s fetish.

Age Play as a Kink Activity

Ageplay is popular in kink play as it provides a way to explore power dynamics inherent in relationships influenced by age differences, all for the pursuit of psychological and/or sexual enjoyment. A BDSM dynamic may incorporate ageplay elements in a scene, or it can be an ongoing part of a BDSM relationship.

Regardless of how it manifests in each unique partnership, all terms of the interactions, from roleplay preferences to possible “punishments” for certain behaviors, are predetermined, agreed upon, and consented to by the adults involved.

Age Play as a Fetish

An individual who responds sexually to ageplay or relies on ageplay as part of their sexual play to achieve arousal may have an ageplay fetish. A fetish involves a sexual fixation on a body part, bodily fluids, inanimate objects, or specific activities, often essential for an individual to become sexually aroused or experience a sense of sexual gratification.

Mere engagement in ageplay or experiencing sexual pleasure during an ageplay roleplay does not necessarily indicate the presence of an ageplay fetish.

Age Play as a Paraphilia

Engaging in ageplay roleplaying can be a safe and healthy way to explore and enhance sexual pleasure, fostering increased intimacy between consenting partners. A kink or fetish becomes problematic only when it causes distress for an individual or violates someone’s consent boundaries. While the themes of an ageplay roleplay may resemble pedophilia or incest, it is entirely make-believe, aimed at exploring power dynamics, and enacted between consenting adults who comprehend the terms of their play.

Examples of Ageplay

Common examples of ageplay roles and scenarios include:

  • Adult baby/Infantilism: A roleplay involving an adult pretending to be a baby. It can include wearing diapers, drinking from a bottle, or being breastfed.
  • Little: A “Little” is someone who takes on the role of a young child. This can include wearing child-like clothing, enjoying activities like coloring and nap time, or playing with toys and stuffed animals.
  • Middle: A “middle” is someone who takes on the role of a pre-teen or teenager. In this role, there can be more rebellion and deliberate stubbornness (i.e., “brattiness”) to force a power struggle with the dominant figure in the scene.
  • Big: A “big” is the opposite of a Little or a Middle. They are in the role of the adult, providing the necessary care or “punishment” as per the terms of the roleplay.
  • DDLG (Daddy Dom / Little Girl): A common Big-Little kink relationship where the dominant figure plays the paternal or parental-like role of the “daddy,” and the submissive figure plays the role of a younger child. While this name suggests a gender prescription, it is not exclusive to male Big and female Little.
  • School Kid / Teacher: A roleplay that explores the power dynamics between a student and teacher. The pretend age discrepancy is at the discretion of the people roleplaying the scene together.