Kids don’t overthink it and that’s the point.

There’s something you notice pretty quickly when you sit and watch kids paint.

They don’t hesitate.

No sketching it out first.
No asking if it looks right.
No quiet panic about whether it’s “good.”

They pick a color and go.

That’s why Sonya pre-sketches everything, so no one is disappointed with their final product 😉

Meanwhile, adults are typically there debating palettes and asking for feedback before the paint even dries.

Kids don’t do that, and I think that’s exactly why it was a laidback, good time.

What happens when you give kids space

Merida Collect and Sonya B Creative Paint and Pizza

At Sonya B Creative’s Paint and Pizza day at La Plancha, no one hovered around the little Picassos, and there was no grand lesson to learn.

They just had space.

Space to move around.
Space to switch seats.
Space to start over halfway through.
Space to get a little loud, a little messy and of course a little unpredictable.

And nothing fell apart.

That’s the part people miss.

We’re so used to trying to contain kids, correct them and shape every moment into something productive. But when you give them room to actually exist, they regulate themselves with little interruption from the adults. If given the space and guidance, they figure it out and settle into their own rhythm.

You could see it happening at every table.

Different personalities and different approaches, but the same freedom.

One kid fully locked in, focused like it was a serious commission.
Another mixing colors with zero concern for the outcome.
Another halfway in, halfway out, coming back when they felt like it. 

All of it worked and I think that it’s because nobody was trying to control the experience.

And then the pizza came out, and of course, they gobbled it up just like the Ninja Turtles from our childhood 🍕

Freedom at the table…

They had a paintbrush in one  hand, a slice of pizza in the other- talking over each other, comparing what they made without overthinking it.

These are the kinds of activities where kids don’t have to shrink themselves to fit expectations. Where they can take up room, be a little messy, be a little loud and still be completely fine.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

So, a real thank you to Sonya for creating something that simple and getting it right. 🫶🏽

No pressure. No over-structuring.
Just a space that let kids be exactly where they were. 

Written by Dr. Salaama Journey for Mérida Collective- documenting the moments that actually matter