Imaginary friends are part of normal childhood development, but clinicians should assess rigidity, distress, or functional impairment to separate healthy play from underlying concern issues.

This weekend, John Krasinski’s IF, a fantasy comedy about imaginary friends, was released. The concept itself is familiar as there have been many imaginary friend movies in the past; Hollywood has ...

A decade ago, legendary director Hayao Miyazaki retired, sending Studio Ghibli’s team of animators to seek employment elsewhere. Those were dark, uncertain times for the industry, which explains why ...

An earlier version of this story appeared in Kids Today, Vox’s newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions. A Vox reader asks, “Why do children often have imaginary friends?” ...

"Mom/Dad! I'm SOOO bored!" Hearing this can conjure a rolling of the eyes in most parents. Decades ago, playing outside until sunset cured the "I am bored" declaration. Children happily imagined being ...

Be it an invisible girl who lives under the bed, a 7-inch-tall elephant who wears shorts or a green dog, imaginary friends are common childhood companions even into elementary school, researchers from ...

His two daughters' imaginary friends, pink alligator Ally and a flaming Marshmallow, come alive in the movie Eric Andersson joined PEOPLE as a senior writer in 2022. His work has appeared in TV Guide ...

When I discussed imaginary friends a few years ago, one father shared his experience: "We'll put him to bed and he'll be quiet. When we get back downstairs he'll start talking, normal stuff, about our ...

The first poster for IF has been released, teasing a fantasy adventure meant to be enjoyed by the entire family on the big screen. Ryan Reynolds, who will star in the upcoming film, shared the poster ...

David Rainey (standing) plays Bert, the imaginary friend of Kenneth, played by Stanley Andrew Jackson, in The Alley Theatre’s production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Primary Trust.” Two friends ...

One of the main focuses in the Adventure Awaits expansion pack for The Sims 4 is childhood. With this pack, Sims' childhoods will greatly impact who they become later in life. They can have formative ...