The Power of Playful Parenting: Turning Stories into Strength

Play is how children make sense of their world. It is where they build their confidence, process emotions, and discover what they’re capable of—through laughter, connection, and imagination.

As UNICEF’s Meenakshi Dogra so powerfully puts it:

“When we bring play into our everyday interactions with our children, it’s like we know what they need… It’s a secret element that deepens the parent-child connection like nothing else.”

And that’s exactly what The Adventures of Gabriel represents: a playful, heartfelt journey created by a mother and son not just for joy—but for survival, connection, and hope during one of life’s most difficult seasons.

Play and Storytelling: The Pathway to Resilience

The Adventures of Gabriel was born during a painful 16-month separation between author Kate Markland and her son, Gabriel.

With just one hour a week and a phone screen, Gabriel would narrate adventures, Kate would scribe, and together they would build magical worlds where sea monsters were defeated, fears were faced, and love never let go.

“These stories were produced by this exceptional family to find a path towards light—and in testament to the mother-child bond—in the midst of extremely dark times.”
– Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, SHERA

What started as a way to stay connected became a life-affirming storytelling ritual—one that supported Gabriel’s emotional processing, gave him a voice, and reminded them both of the unshakable power of their bond.

In Meenakshi Dogra’s words,

“Play helps children collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve—skills they’ll need to thrive in uncertainty and to create opportunities for themselves and their communities.”

And storytelling, especially when paired with play, becomes a form of problem-solving with heart.

Storytelling provided Gabriel and Kate with what the legal system could not:

• A space for expression

• A sense of control

• A way to process pain creatively and safely

• An opportunity to feel seen, heard, and hopeful

In their world, Gabriel and his sidekick Platy the Platypus face Tentaculus and break invisible cages—offering metaphor and magic to explore real-world emotions that felt too big to name.

This is where playful parenting meets emotional empowerment.

Why This Matters for Parents, Educators, and Practitioners

Whether you’re guiding a child through trauma or just helping them grow in confidence and creativity, this story reinforces one essential truth:

🎨 Storytelling and play are not extra—they are essential.

Here’s how you can begin creating joyful, healing experiences right now:

• Embrace the moment – Set aside time to play or co-create stories. Be present.

• Follow their lead – Let children’s ideas shape the adventure. They are the heroes.

• Make it visual – Use drawings, objects, puzzles—let stories come alive.

• Turn everyday moments into magic – Storytime at bedtime, imaginative cooking, silly dance parties—these build connection and joy.

• Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more – Because laughter really is healing.

UNICEF reminds us:

“By infusing playfulness into your interactions with your child, you unlock the wealth of mental health benefits through nurturing social and emotional skills.”

And we’ve seen it in action. The Adventures of Gabriel is a perfect example of storytelling as play with purpose—where a child’s voice leads, and healing follows.

A Final Word from Kate

“I spent my entire career as a physiotherapist helping people tell their stories—because the solution was always in the story.”

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, social worker, or simply someone who cares about children’s well-being, let this be a reminder:

Stories matter. Play matters. And children thrive when we make space for both.

Every child deserves to know that dragons can be beaten, cages can be broken, and their story is worth telling.

Let’s keep parenting playful. Let’s keep storytelling sacred. And let’s build resilience one adventure at a time.