Why Imaginative Play Matters (and Why It’s Okay if It Feels Hard)

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Aug 5, 2025

Delve into the enchanting world of imaginative play and discover its vital role in child development. The discussion highlights how pretend play fosters curiosity, problem-solving, and emotional growth in kids. Parents share their struggles in joining their children’s imaginative adventures, revealing that it’s perfectly normal to find it challenging. The conversation encourages embracing the beauty of playtime, dispelling guilt, and recognizing the incredible imagination kids possess. Get ready to see play in a whole new light!

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ANECDOTE

Kids Play Imaginatively Differently

Dr. Becky noticed each of her three kids engages in imaginative play differently, based on their personalities.
One likes linearity, another enjoys creative art, and the third embraces role play like firefighting or being a teacher.

INSIGHT

Play Builds Real Skills

Imaginative play builds real-world skills like problem-solving and cooperation.
These skills learned in play then translate to academic and life challenges.

INSIGHT

Wonder Needs Boredom Space

Modern life crowds out children's wonder and boredom, which are crucial for imagination.
Wonder arises in downtime without constant entertainment, allowing children to create and explore.

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In this episode of Good Inside with Dr. Becky, we dive into the magic of imaginative play - why it’s so important for kids, and why it can feel surprisingly challenging for parents to join in.

Dr. Becky explores how pretend play nurtures curiosity, problem-solving, and emotional growth, giving children the space to wonder, dream, and practice being in the world. But she also normalizes the truth for many parents: stepping into a child’s world of imagination isn’t always easy, and that doesn’t make you a bad parent.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for not loving playtime, this episode will change the way you see both yourself and your child’s incredible capacity for imagination.

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For a full transcript of the episode, go to goodinside.com/podcast.

This episode is brought to you by the Play-Doh brand. If you’re anything like me, you’re running out of summer activity ideas for your kids…Well, exciting news for parents everywhere: Good Inside just teamed up with the Play-Doh brand to bring you a video series on how to help kids build life-long skills like imagination, confidence, and frustration tolerance - all through open-ended play! The best part: I promise this isn’t another thing to add to your already packed plate as a parent. No hours of prep, no need for picture-perfect setups. All you need is a Play-Doh can or two.

We also made a one-page cheat sheet with “5 Strategies for Open-Ended Play” you can literally download and try today. (Full disclosure: I printed the guide out and stuck it on my fridge as a reminder for myself - after all, my kids get “mom” at home, not Dr. Becky!) Head to walmart.com/playdoh to watch the video and download the guide. That’s walmart.com/playdoh. I can’t wait to hear what your kid creates.