Why imaginative play is key to healthy development and critical thinking
As early years professionals, we know that play is more than just fun - it’s how children make sense of the world. But new research shows that creative, imaginative play does something even more powerful: it helps shape the brain, boosts wellbeing, and lays the foundations for future thinking and learning.
In The Brain that Loves to Play, author Jacqueline Harding explains that playful experiences in childhood actually help develop the prefrontal cortex - the brain’s planning and problem-solving centre. Through imaginative play, such as role-playing or storytelling, children practise skills like decision-making, focus, and self-regulation. These abilities are crucial not only for academic success but for life.
Play also supports emotional development. The brain’s amygdala, which handles fear and stress, can become overactive if a child experiences trauma or toxic stress. However, positive, joyful play has a calming effect. It helps the body release endorphins and oxytocin - “feel-good” hormones that reduce stress and support emotional balance.
Dr Rick Hanson, a neuropsychologist, points out that the brain is wired to remember negative experiences more strongly than positive ones. This “negativity bias” means children need a rich supply of nurturing, creative experiences to help them feel safe, calm, and confident. Play is one of the best tools we have to do just that.
Research also shows that the immune system responds to stress, and chronic high cortisol levels (the stress hormone) can have long-term effects. But loving relationships, safe environments, and opportunities for open-ended play help protect against this. Experts call this connection between emotions, the brain, and health psycho-neuro-immunology.
In one real-life example, a five-year-old showed little interest in class activities—until her teacher discovered she had been a young carer at home. Given more time and space to play, her imagination flourished and she became more engaged in learning.
The message is clear: creative play is essential, not optional. It supports brain growth, emotional safety, and resilience. As practitioners, we can make a big difference by offering environments full of rich, playful experiences - and giving children the freedom to explore, imagine, and create.
Based on insights from Jacqueline Harding’s The Brain that Loves to Play.