Play Now, Lead Later: How Imagination Shapes the Future

An Exploration of Imagination (Part 4)

Coaches, mindset books, leadership classes, oh my! So many of us are looking to better ourselves in one area or another, and there’s no shortage of resources to help. But here’s what’s freaking me out: while we adults are sharpening skills we're deficient in, many kids aren’t growing up with those skills to begin with.

We’ve all had that moment at the grocery store trying to communicate with a young cashier who won’t look into your eyes. Or maybe you’ve tried holding a conversation with a college student who looks like she’s going to jump out of her skin if you ask one more question. What’s going on?

Too many young people are spending their early years staring at screens instead of faces. They can reply to a comment, hit send, and never have to witness the real-time reaction of another person. Feedback might come later—positive or negative—but that crucial, in-the-moment human interaction has been lost. And with it, the foundational soft skills we all need to become not just a good communicator, but a well-functioning, peaceful human being.

So what can we do? We need to shift our kids from screen-to-screen to face-to-face. And we can do this through play! Let’s see how:

First, What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are the personal attributes (“people” or “interpersonal” skills) that enable us to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. They aren’t taught in a book but learned through our experiences.

Common examples of soft skills include:

• Communication: Expressing information and ideas, both verbally and nonverbally. 
• Problem-solving: Analyzing issues and finding creative, effective solutions.
• Teamwork: Collaborating, sharing, compromising, and working toward a goal.
• Emotional intelligence: Recognizing, managing, and responding to emotions.
• Adaptability: Rolling with the punches when things change.
• Leadership: Guiding, inspiring, and supporting others.

These skills are the keys to becoming a successful adult. And what's really cool is that imaginative play is their training ground!

How Does Play Help?

When kids are left to their imaginations, they create their own stories, challenges, and characters. That’s not just fun—it’s incredibly powerful. Here’s how:

• Communication gets a workout: Whether narrating their own tale or assigning roles, kids practice vocabulary, work on sentence structure, and become better communicators. Even if they are simply talking to their imaginary friend, they are refining their skills!
  
  
• Problem-solving comes alive: When children navigate the challenges within their imaginative worlds—be it building a fort or going on a pretend rescue mission—the problems they face become challenges for them to overcome. In doing so, they develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they develop solutions, make decisions, and think creatively.
  
  
• Teamwork takes center stage: When children play in a group, they just plain have to cooperate, take turns, and resolve conflicts—or it’s not going to be all that fun! Children learn to work together toward a common goal, understanding the importance of each role within a team dynamic.
  
  
• Emotional intelligence expands: When kids pretend to be someone else through make believe or create characters with their toys, they explore different emotions and perspectives in a safe environment. This can improve empathy, communication skills, and the ability to manage emotions.
  
  
• Adaptability develops naturally: When kids role-play and visualize different scenarios, it can increase creativity and openness to risk or new situations.
  
  
• Leadership emerges: When children play with others, they often take on different roles, whether real or imaginary. This helps them learn how to collaborate, negotiate, share, lead, support, and articulate ideas—all crucial parts of growing into confident leaders.

In a Nutshell

If we want kids to grow up with the soft skills we’re trying to sharpen as adults, we’ve got to give them the space and encouragement to play! Real, imaginative play. The kind that sparks creativity, builds character, strengthens the muscles of the mind, heart, and body...and, most importantly, is FUN!

For more articles on imagination and soft skills, please visit:

Part 1-3 of my series An Exploration of Imagination: 

Part 1: A Healthy Imagination: More Than We Give It Credit For
Part 2: Encouraging Creativity: Why Imagination Matters
Part 3: Imagination - Power that Shapes Our Reality

Teach Your Kids Soft Skills by MakerKids

The Importance of Imaginative Play in Childhood Development by The Messy Moose