Why Storytelling Is Important for Children: A Child Psychology Perspective

By Holly Wadsworth-Hill
Founder of Picture-This Books | Child Psychology Undergraduate | SEND Practitioner

Storytelling sits at the heart of childhood — quietly shaping how children understand themselves, other people, and the world around them.

As a children’s author, a psychology undergrad, and someone who works daily with children with complex emotional and additional needs, I don’t see storytelling as “just” a lovely extra. I see it as a fundamental psychological tool — one that supports emotional development, confidence, and wellbeing.

Why Storytelling Is Important for Children’s Emotional Development

From a psychological perspective, children don’t make sense of life through logic alone. They make sense of it through narrative.

Stories help children:

• organise experiences into something understandable
• explore emotions safely
• understand cause and effect
• rehearse solutions to real-world challenges

When children engage with stories, they are developing emotional literacy — learning how feelings work, what they mean, and how they can be expressed.

This is why storytelling has been used across cultures for generations to support:

• attachment and connection
• moral understanding
• emotional regulation
• resilience during change or stress

How Creative Storytelling Supports Child Development

In today’s world, children are surrounded by stories — books, screens, videos, games. They are excellent at consuming content.

But from a child psychology viewpoint, creating stories activates deeper developmental processes.

When a child illustrates their own story:

• they slow down
• they reflect
• they make choices
• they externalise thoughts and feelings

This supports key areas of development, including:

• executive function (planning, sequencing, decision-making)
• self-expression, especially for children who struggle to verbalise emotions
• self-efficacy — the belief that “I can create something meaningful”

This is exactly why Picture-This Books are written by me, but illustrated by the child. No two finished books are ever the same — because no two children experience the world in the same way.

Storytelling and Child Psychology: Why Ownership Matters

When children see their own drawings alongside a story, something powerful happens psychologically.

They feel:

• capable
• valued
• seen

This sense of ownership strengthens confidence and motivation. Children become active participants in learning rather than passive recipients — something that is especially important for anxious and neurodivergent children.

From my work in SEND settings, I see again and again how storytelling allows children to express things they don’t yet have the words for.

Sometimes a drawing is the communication.

How Parents Can Use Storytelling as Best-Practice Parenting

Supporting children’s emotional wellbeing doesn’t need to mean adding more to already full days. Storytelling works best when it is woven naturally into everyday life.

Here are a few gentle, realistic ways parents can use storytelling:

✨ Bedtime reflection
Instead of “What did you do today?”, try:
“If today was a story, what would the title be?”

✨ Drawing before talking
Some children communicate more freely through images. Let them draw the story — you can be the listener.

✨ Creating emotional distance
Stories allow children to explore fear, anger, jealousy, or worry safely.
“It’s not me — it’s the character.”

This emotional distance is a well-established psychological tool for helping children process big feelings.

A Final Thought on Storytelling and Childhood

Storytelling isn’t about perfect pictures or polished narratives.

It’s about:

• connection
• curiosity
• expression
• belonging

At Picture-This Books, I believe children deserve stories that grow with them — stories shaped by their imagination, illustrated in their own way, and valued exactly as they are.

Because the most powerful stories children carry are the ones they help create.

If you’d like to explore children’s books designed to be illustrated by the child, you can find out more about Picture-This Books here.