A child therapist in a play therapy session with a boy and a girl. They are sitting on a rug in a playroom, playing with small construction toys.

In this blog post, our team’s Natalie Bergman talks 
about the different impacts on children of high-fantasy play
and lower-fantasy play or reading

Imaginative play is critically important to a child’s development

Did you know that pretend play, like imagining a tea party or building a spaceship, can help your child develop important life skills? When kids engage in imaginative play, they practice executive function (EF) skills like impulse control and flexible thinking. By pretending, they learn to manage their emotions and think outside the box.

However, not all imaginative play has the same effects. Studies show that watching high-fantasy TV shows can actually reduce EF skills temporarily, because they overload children’s ability to process information. On the other hand, lower-fantasy programs or reading don’t show the same negative impact.

The key?

Encouraging active play — where your child uses their imagination to create worlds and solve problems — helps them practice cognitive and emotional skills that prepare them for real-life challenges.

Why is imaginative play important?

Imaginative play is important for three main reasons:

  • Pretend play helps with problem-solving and creativity.
  • It teaches flexible thinking by decoupling reality from imagination.
  • Imaginative play also strengthens impulse control and emotional regulation.

While a balance of fantasy and reality is important, supporting your child’s active involvement in imaginative play may have long-lasting benefits for their growth and development.

Read more about this fascinating topic. The research article is linked below.

References

White, R. E., & Carlson, S. M. (2021). Pretending with realistic and fantastical stories facilitates executive function in 3-year-old children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105090

Meet the author

Natalie Bergman, MA, RPsych, CPT
Natalie Bergman, MA, RPsych, CPTChild Psychologist at Kids Reconnect
Natalie is a Director and co-founder at Kids Reconnect. She is an experienced child psychologist and Certified Play Therapist who uses her professional expertise and caring heart Superpowers to emotionally connect with children, helping them heal using play therapy and heart-to-heart conversations. Natalie also uses her profound insights into the world of children to help parents understand and connect with their child with love, gentleness, and patience.

Would you like to learn how to better connect with your child by playing with them?

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