Creative Nature NYC Encourages Kids to Unplug, Part II

When we first connected earlier this year with Katherine Patiño Miranda at Creative Nature NYC, she was enlightening us with her unique wisdom on the importance of children getting out of the house to find inspiration. Indeed, the statistics show a continuously worrying trend towards young people spending far too much time staring at their screens - and the effects have been anything but positive. 

But drawing on innovative teaching philosophies like the Reggio Emilia Approach, she is helping to enlighten a new generation of kids about the power of nature to inspire their most profound, and truly unique creative impulses - whilst also encouraging their parents to take on the role of creative collaborator.

Here we present Part II of our wonderfully illuminating interview with the pioneering art educator. Though we enthusiastically recommend you first go back and give a read to Part I of our conversation, where she describes the mission of Creative Nature NYC as, "[nuturing] artistic inquiry that helps dissolve the boundaries between humans and the natural world."

Your “adventures” take place around New York City. But what ideas and concepts can you recommend that parents anywhere can use to nurture their children’s creativity?

I think the most important thing parents can do is create the conditions for creativity to appear - and that often happens in quiet, unstructured moments when children are allowed to get bored, to explore, to wonder.

It’s powerful when parents and children can spend time away from screens and close to nature, even if it’s just a short walk, a moment tending to a plant, or watching the clouds move. Listen to your child’s questions and, instead of giving quick answers, become their companion in curiosity.

And that can help build collaborative skills?

For me, collective creativity is one of humanity’s most transformative forces. It’s what has allowed us to imagine things that don’t yet exist, and to work together to make them real. I often encourage parents to dedicate even thirty minutes a day to follow their child’s ideas - draw, build, or invent something from their imagination; be their co-creator.

What have been some of the most positive takeaways for kids who have attended Creative Nature NYC experiences? 

Many families tell us that what their children love most is the freedom to express themselves - to imagine, build, and explore ideas that come from within. Children often say they feel heard - that their ideas matter, that their questions can spark a whole group discussion, and that their imagination can become real through making.

They also form beautiful friendships. When children create together - sculpting, collecting leaves, inventing imaginary creatures in the park - they connect in genuine, joyful ways. They learn to collaborate, to listen, and to appreciate each other’s differences.

You also encourage kids to take the time to notice the world around them?

Maybe the most meaningful takeaway is a kind of quiet reconnection - to themselves and to the living world around them. During our moments of reflection, we sometimes invite the group to simply breathe and notice: the sky above, the trees, the soil, the wind, and the laughter of new friends. In those moments, they begin to sense that they are part of something larger - that creativity, nature, and community are all connected through a shared breath.

What are some of the specific experiences that you can say have been the most surprising or successful?

One of the most surprising moments happened last summer when we began observing ant hills in one of our city parks. The children already knew so much - they had endless stories and theories about how ants live, communicate, and organize their colonies. City ants are truly remarkable beings, and the kids were fascinated by how they manage to thrive in such complex urban ecosystems.

That simple observation turned into a full creative inquiry. The children began reimagining the architecture of an ant colony - drawing, sculpting, and constructing miniature models of their own “collective cities.” They asked questions like: Why do ants live this way? How do they cooperate without fighting? What would a human city look like if it worked like theirs?

What began as a quiet moment of curiosity became a profound lesson in community, cooperation, and empathy. Through the ants, the children were reflecting - in their own poetic way - on what it means to live together and take care of one another.

What would you suggest to parents who want to nurture their children’s creative development every day?

For me, it’s one of life’s greatest joys to co-live creation with my child. My son is very interested in building shelters and houses right now, so we follow that passion together - sometimes making cozy structures out of cushions at home, and other times building little huts from branches when we’re outdoors. I don’t want to “play a role” in his creativity - I just want to play, to be part of that magical world he imagines into being.

Children ask the most remarkable questions while they play.

I believe play should take up a larger space in every child’s day and education. Through play, they explore emotions, relationships, values, and the hidden architecture of how the world works.

So parents should fully allow themselves to be immersed in their children’s creativity during playtime?

When parents join that process - when they play and truly listen, away from screens and distractions - something powerful happens. The child feels seen and trusted. They begin to understand that their ideas have weight, that their imagination can transform reality.

Creativity is, after all, a form of wisdom, a way of imagining what doesn’t yet exist and making it tangible. If we nurture that capacity in children with presence, curiosity, and love, we’re helping them build not just art, but meaning - the kind that can shape a gentler, more imaginative future.