The children recovered Los Pinos as a territory of freedom

▲ This is the first time that Los Pinos has held an event dedicated entirely to children , according to Pérez Suárez. Photo by María Luisa Severiano

▲ It's very important that adults look out for, respect, and put children at the center of attention with activities like those at this festival, said Guillermina Pérez Suárez, national coordinator of Children's Cultural Development, Wings and Roots, in an interview. Photo courtesy of the SC

▲ This is the first time that Los Pinos has held an event dedicated entirely to children , according to Pérez Suárez. Photo by María Luisa Severiano

Eirinet Gómez

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, April 28, 2025, p. 3

Amidst the constant hustle and bustle of Mexico City, the Los Pinos Cultural Complex became a haven of games, music, and stories this weekend. The "Let's Play in the Forest" festival brought together more than 20,000 attendees, including children and adults, who reclaimed the natural space as a place of imagination and freedom.

In Jacarandas Square, Venezuelan-born storyteller, improviser, and psychologist Romer YPunto caused a stir with his performance. With the help of his audience's imagination, he conjured up trains that suddenly stopped, long-haired princes, mysterious women, and mothers with Spanish accents.

But the moment that caused the most stir in that hour-long presentation was when Romer YPunto opened the microphone and asked a provocative question: What worries you? Then the childish answers began to parade: loneliness, cats when left home alone, nightmares, the death of a family member, injections, math results, being left home alone , forgetting my toys, having my flowers pulled out, going to jail, going bald , my mom's flip-flop , the witch...

The fears, however, dissipated when she asked, "What takes away your fears?" and several spontaneous responses emerged from the audience: puzzles, trusting yourself, telling cats, reading a book.

I think it's important that stories offer conversation starters within the family. When we watch a show and go home, hopefully we'll talk about what came up during the story: What happened to this character? Why is it important to pursue your dreams? Romer told YPunto.

“Families, caregivers, and people close to children believe in books, in literature, and make up stories. Many parents say, 'I can't do it!' Don't worry about doing things like professionals do. The important thing is that there is a space for deep dialogue in our homes, that we listen to the questions from our childhoods, that we talk about things in the family that aren't talked about later, and that, if not, they're told on the street,” the storyteller added.

While Romer YPunto and his audience told stories, other families settled under ash trees to rest, eat, or chat. Some children ran through the gardens, chased kites shaped like multicolored fish, kicked balls, or rolled in the grass. Still others lay down in an outdoor reading room, where books and audiobooks were available.

Babies also have cultural rights

The recreational program for early childhood (five years old and younger) took place on the tennis court, where Ana María and Daniela Ortega Espinoza, from Dulce de Leche—a women's collective dedicated to artistic and recreational creation for children—created a bioexploration space.

"Four recreational facilities were built, each inspired by the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. We played games and sang along with the children and their families on a journey."

We noticed that cultural options are limited from the age of five or six, and below that, they are very unprotected. We wanted to cover those ages, fill that gap. The memories we have during those years nourish who we are. Sometimes we say we don't remember that, why invest in those years, but in reality, they are memories that remain engraved, even if we don't realize it , they explained.

Dulce de Leche proposes that early childhood have its spaces, thought about their needs and the way in which they explore the world: It is very important that as adults we look at them, respect them and put them at the center, because they have cultural rights .

Karina Sánchez, mother of children aged four months and two years, has completed the bioexploration circuit twice. It's amazing because they let them explore freely: touch, smell, play, jump. In most institutions and places where they can go, they just sit and listen and aren't allowed to explore , she commented.

Guillermina Pérez Suárez, national coordinator of Children's Cultural Development, Wings and Roots, reported that Play in the Forest included more than 50 activities at the venue. These activities will continue, although others were already held at the National Center for the Arts and the Community Cultures Pavilion, and on April 30 at the Hellenic Cultural Center. For more information, visit https://www.alasyraices.gob.mx/cartelera.php .

This is the first time that Los Pinos has held an event dedicated entirely to children; it's very important to create spaces for family interaction, where babies and children can bond lovingly with their families and caregivers through fun activities in a natural setting , she added.

Pérez Suárez believed that developing activities like this is crucial to generating reflection on the critical moment we are experiencing, "in which we must give children a voice and once again see them as citizens with all their rights. They are innate creators. As adults, we must support them in these processes."

Art and culture generate creative processes that allow us to build tools to express what we want and what bothers us , he added.