Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Episode: Why Imaginative Play Matters (and Why It’s Okay if It’s Hard)
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Host: Dr. Becky Kennedy
Podcast Description:
Join Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist and mother of three, as she addresses challenging parenting questions with actionable guidance. Her approach helps parents cultivate authority while strengthening the parent-child connection, fostering essential life skills in children.

Episode Summary: Why Imaginative Play Matters (and Why It’s Okay if It’s Hard)

In this insightful episode, Dr. Becky Kennedy delves into the critical role of imaginative play in child development. She explores common parental hesitations, personal challenges with play, and provides practical strategies to integrate imaginative activities into everyday parenting.

1. Rethinking the Role of Imaginative Play

Dr. Becky opens the discussion by challenging conventional beliefs about where essential life skills are developed. Traditionally, confidence, problem-solving, and capability are often attributed to formal education settings. However, Dr. Becky posits that these skills frequently originate from imaginative play—activities parents might undervalue or find frustrating.

Dr. Becky [00:00]: "What if the way that we think about building confidence, capability, problem solving skills is all wrong?"

She shares her initial skepticism towards imaginative play, admitting her own struggles with judgment and perceiving it as a "waste of time."

2. Personal Journey and Realizations

Dr. Becky narrates her transformation in understanding imaginative play through observing her three distinct children. Each child engages in play differently, debunking her earlier notion that some children are inherently better at imaginative activities.

• Child 1: Prefers creating elaborate worlds through art and storytelling.
• Child 2: Initially linear in his play, favoring rules and control, but later began creating his own games.
• Child 3: Drawn to real-world roles like firefighters and teachers, demonstrating imaginative play through practical scenarios.

This diversity led Dr. Becky to recognize that imaginative play manifests uniquely in each child, emphasizing its universal importance.

Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "I started to see that both of those are imaginative play."

3. Overcoming Parental Judgment and Embracing Play

Acknowledging common parental judgments—such as viewing imaginative play as frivolous or unproductive—Dr. Becky encourages parents to identify and challenge these internal voices. She advocates for understanding each child’s unique interests and creating personalized play opportunities.

Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "The next time you see your kid really diving into their imagination again, let's not judge our first voice."

4. The Decline of Imaginative Play in Modern Times

Referencing a study by Plato, Dr. Becky highlights that 71% of parents believe their children are less imaginative than previous generations. She attributes this decline to factors such as:

• Overstimulation: Excessive use of technology and structured activities leave little room for free play.
• Lack of Wonder: The diminishing experience of boredom, which historically sparked creativity and imaginative thought.

Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "Wonder comes from boredom. Wonder comes from space."

5. Practical Strategies to Foster Imaginative Play

Dr. Becky offers actionable advice for parents striving to cultivate imaginative play:

• Create Space for Boredom: Allocate specific times where children are free from structured activities and digital devices. For example, dedicate a Saturday morning to unstructured play.

  Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "Let's have some amount of time, whatever feels right to you, to just kind of figure out what to do."

• Embrace Less Activity: Resist the urge to fill every moment with planned activities. Allow children to explore and create on their own terms.

• Responding to Whining: Instead of rushing to solve the child's boredom, validate their feelings and remain patient, fostering their ability to come up with creative solutions independently.

  Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "Your job is not to make the whining stop."

6. Addressing Common Parental Concerns

Dr. Becky responds to listener questions, providing deeper insights into specific challenges:

• Handling Whining During Play: Shift the focus from eliminating complaints to supporting the child's ability to navigate boredom and develop creative thinking.

  Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "Validate your kids' experience and reflect back your sense of their capability."

• Concerns About Violent or Scary Pretend Play: Understand that play is a safe space for children to explore emotions and scenarios. However, intervene if the play becomes excessively violent or distressing.

  Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "Play is a space where I can try new things. And actually doing something in play tends to decrease our need to do it in the real world."

• Feeling Awkward as a Parent During Play: Recognize that awkwardness in play stems from past experiences and can be overcome by viewing play as a skill to be developed.

  Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "Nothing's wrong with you. Your struggle around play is a story from your past."

7. Conclusion: The Lasting Impact of Imaginative Play

Dr. Becky wraps up the episode by reiterating the profound benefits of imaginative play:

• Skill Development: Encourages confidence, problem-solving, resilience, and leadership in children.
• Strengthening Bonds: Facilitates deeper connections between parent and child through shared imaginative activities.
• Fostering Independence: Empowers children to think creatively and independently, essential for life success.

She emphasizes that while incorporating imaginative play may not come naturally to all parents, it is a learnable and rewarding endeavor.

Dr. Becky [MM:SS]: "Your past is not your destiny. And it's never too late to learn how to play."

Key Takeaways

1. Imaginative Play is Essential: It is a foundational activity where children develop crucial life skills.
2. Personalized Play Approaches: Tailor play activities to each child's unique interests and personality.
3. Overcome Parental Judgments: Recognize and challenge negative internal voices about play.
4. Balance Stimulation and Wonder: Create environments that allow for both structured activities and free, imaginative exploration.
5. Develop Play as a Skill: View play as a skill that can be learned and improved, benefiting both parents and children.

Final Thoughts

Dr. Becky Kennedy’s episode underscores the transformative power of imaginative play in parenting. By embracing and facilitating creative play, parents can significantly enhance their children's development and strengthen familial bonds. Even if imaginative play feels challenging, it is a valuable investment in a child’s future.

This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the episode “Why Imaginative Play Matters (and Why It’s Okay if It’s Hard)” by Dr. Becky Kennedy, encapsulating the key discussions, insights, and practical advice shared to help parents integrate imaginative play into their parenting journey.