Kyla Pratt Reveals If Her Daughters Will Follow in Her Footsteps: 'I Support Them in Whatever Way I Can'

Kyla Pratt, who rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable child stars, landing her breakout mainstream role as Maya Dolittle in the 1998 comedy hit Dr. Dolittle, doesn't mind if her kids follow in her footsteps one day.

"I think I err on the side of caution with anything because it’s my kids, and I just want to make sure they’re okay. But when they were younger, their dad actually had to check me. He was like, 'You’re crazy if you think they’re gonna see what we do for a living and not want to have a little part of it,'" the actress, 39, who shares two daughters with her longtime partner and fiancé, Danny Kirkpatrick, exclusively tells OK! while talking about partnering with the LEGO Group for their "Keep Playing, See What Happens" campaign.

"And at that point I kind of stood back and was like, 'Hey, I don’t want to limit anything my kids want to do or try or experience in life,'" she continues. "So all I can do is sit back and support them in whatever way I can. And then I also know that if they want to do what I’m doing, I’ve been a part of it. I know what comes with it. I know how to protect them in the ways I was protected. And I also know they’ll be good because their parents don’t play about them. So yeah, all we can do is set up our kids the best we can and pray that they’re protected while going into this space. My oldest has done commercials. My youngest is actually an animator — she loves creating and drawing. I’m literally at the point where I’m like, 'Hey, whatever you want to do, I’ll support it, and we’ll figure it out.'"

Pratt says it's "beautiful" they want to pursue a similar passion to her, but she reminds them: "Hey, you can have options. You can do more than one thing. You can learn about so many things."

The Proud Family alum doesn't mind showing her tots her old roles.

"I’ve always been the person who watches my work because I want to learn from it and remember the experience. I’ll watch an episode of One on One, and it reminds me of what we were doing that week. It keeps me in a fun, positive place. When my kids were younger, I played The Proud Family Movie for them just to see if they’d recognize my voice — and they did. They were so little, and it was such a great feeling. Even now, my kids love Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. My youngest is always asking when new episodes come out. It’s amazing to know my kids are interested in what I do," she says.

"Now, some stuff I’m like, 'Hey, wait till you’re older,' but it’s great having them see me in things I’ve accomplished. Although honestly, most of the time they don’t care. They forget what their parents do for a living. They’re just like, 'Mom.' It’s a great balance. And honestly, being a mom is my favorite thing I’ve ever done," she adds.

The starlet also loves "going to amusement parks with my kids. I love sitting down and doing LEGO bricks with them. I love drawing with them. I love doing all these little things because I want to remind them to keep that feeling going. So when you get into this world and you’re dealing with the hustle and bustle, you don’t forget there’s still another part of life where you’re supposed to feel good. You’re supposed to use your imagination and enjoy yourself. A lot of people you meet in the world, you can tell they don’t remember what it’s like to have fun. They don’t remember what it’s like to imagine and dream. And I understand the world is a crazy place, but we have to maintain this good, creative, childlike energy in order to survive it. I’m a big kid. I would love to go to an amusement park with just my friends," she shares.

Since the mom-of-two is all about spending time with her daughters, it made perfect sense to partner with the LEGO Group for their "Keep Playing, See What Happens" campaign.

"When this opportunity came about, it was really exciting for me first of all because we see LEGO bricks in the house. Like literally, if I want to get my kids excited about something, I’ll bring home a random flower set or car or Disney set. They love it so much, even as they’re getting older. I’ve always been really big on keeping creative juices flowing throughout your entire life. My friends and I, my brothers and I, we laugh all the time like, 'Wait, we’re the new adults?' Like really? We don’t take anything too serious, and we’re very playful," she says. "When I heard the phrase 'Keep Playing, See What Happens,' I really felt like that’s a universal saying everybody at some point has heard from their parents, whether it’s out of frustration or some other emotion. For me, I love the idea of it turning into something else, the tone changing, and it meaning something completely different."

She adds: "What it gives me is the support from parents saying, 'Hey, I can still play around. I can still have fun.' As an adult, I’m a creator. My spouse is a creator. My kids are creators. We just love to keep the fun going in life. So many people lose sight of that when they get older. It becomes, 'I gotta do this, I gotta do that.' And yes, we need to take care of business, but we also need to have fun at the same time. I believe that a child using their imagination and continuing to use it as they grow up is one of the best things we can have for this world. There are so many art programs that are hard to get funded because everybody wants to be extra serious. But honestly, I feel like if the world kept playing and saw what happened, it would be a better place. It took a phrase that sometimes sounds like a threat and turned it into something motivational. Like, 'I want you to keep playing. I want you to keep your imagination alive because that’s how the best ideas are born.' When this came to me, I was like, 'Oh, this is for Kyla. This is who I am as a person.' I want everybody to be childlike and enjoy themselves. I love being a mom. I love the energy my kids bring me — and being part of a campaign like this that’s spreading light and love just makes me feel very fortunate."