Made to Play, Made to Imagine: The Spiritual and Emotional World of Childhood
The imagination is a mystical place.
It’s the only place in all of creation—outside of God Himself—where something can be created out of nothing. Just thinking of the thing brings it into existence. In my home this looks like, a road built out of books. A lava-filled floor where pillows become life saving lava proof rocks. A kingdom where Elsa and Ursula battle for justice. Or a universe where Iron Man—played, of course, by my pajama-clad six-year-old—saves the world from Thanos.
As a parent, you’ve probably witnessed this miracle many times without realizing how profound it is. I didn’t, not at first. I used to think imagination was just something kids used for fun—what they turned to when there was nothing better to do.
But now, I see differently.
I’ve come to believe that the imagination is one of the most important and sacred gifts our children have. It’s how they make sense of the world around them. It’s how they uncover who they are, how they feel, and what they hope for. It’s how they process life—especially the parts they don’t yet have words for.
And when we, as parents, begin to pay attention to that imaginative world, something incredible happens: We stop parenting from the outside in, and start parenting from the inside out.
The Imagination: Where We Meet God
Psychologist Lisa Miller, PhD, author of The Spiritual Child, speaks of the child’s imagination as the “interior cathedral”—a sacred space where spiritual awareness is born. Her research shows that children are inherently spiritual. Before they ever set foot in Sunday school’s faith formation program or memorize a single prayer, they carry within them a deep capacity to experience God. And one of the primary places this happens is through imaginative play.
The Church has long echoed this truth. John Paul II, in his profound writings on the human person, speaks of the imagination as an essential component of our spiritual and moral development. It is in the imagination that we engage meaning, form conscience, and enter into communion with the mystery of God.
Which means that when our children imagine a world where good conquers evil, where barbie best friends act with kindness, or ask if we get superpowers in Heaven—it’s not just cute. It’s holy.
Children: Closest to the Creator
Children, so new to life and so recently sent from God, have an unmatched capacity for wonder. Their minds are not yet weighed down by cynicism, their hearts not yet hardened by disappointment. They believe all things are possible.
That’s why their imaginative play is so pure, so free, and so important.
I often find my kids playing long after bedtime, sneaking into each other’s rooms, whispering and giggling as they orchestrate epic battles between action figures and dolls. In these moments, they aren’t trying to impress anyone. They’re just being. And if I pause long enough to listen—really listen—I catch glimpses of their hearts. Their hopes. Their fears. Their longing to understand the world and their place in it.
Why This Matters for Mental Health
Imaginative play isn’t just fun—it’s formative and therapeutic.
It gives children the tools they need to explore who they are, express what they feel, and experiment with different parts of themselves: strong, silly, sad, in charge, in need, heroic, nurturing. It helps them process difficult moments. Rehearse solutions. Make sense of pain. This kind of play is how they digest the emotional and spiritual experiences they haven’t yet learned to name.
And as mothers, we’re invited into this world—not to take control, but to sit with them in it.
Your Invitation
You don’t have to be a trained therapist. You just have to be present. Attuned.
Sit down next to your child while they build their story. Let them be the storyteller. Engage in a non directive way. Ask curious questions. Empathize with what they are feeling as they are playing. Respond to their invitation to join, their prompts to engage.
Watch. Listen. And learn. It is in these moments the glory of who our children are become evident—the unique, irrepeatable masterpiece, masterfully created by the Father, entrusted and gifted to us.
It is a contagious moment of grace and mindful presence to be able to truly know what it is you are seeing in these moments. And if you can protect this time at certain points in the day or week, you will be nourished by it. Your relationship will be nourished by it. And you will feel closer to God because of it.
“A parent that wastes time with their children, playing with them, accompanying them, this is love. And this is how faith is passed on.” —Pope Francis
🪷 Reflection Questions for You:
What do you notice about your child’s imaginative play lately?
How did you play as a child? What made you feel free?
Have you ever felt God meet you in a moment of creativity?
