The Niños Libres Initiative
Ha llegado el momento de tratar a los niños como los seres libres que son y de transformar la soledad de la crianza en una red de apoyo y comunidad. 🔥❤ ¡Bienvenidos a la iniciativa Niños Libres!
Niños Libres ofrece juego libre al aire libre para niños todas las mañanas 🤸♂️👬, un espacio mental-emocional para padres 🙏🔥, y una comunidad intercultural que avanza hacia una forma de vida más libre, justa y sostenible para todos 🌎😍
Todas las mañanas, de lunes a viernes, de 8:30 a 12 h.
Parte del proyecto coliving-coworking Punta la Barca
El grupo está formado por niños viajeros (de Latinoamérica, Norteamérica y Europa), niños locales sin escolarizar y otros niños locales durante las vacaciones escolares. Es un grupo acogedor de 2 a 12 niños, según el día, de diferentes edades, idiomas, nacionalidades y orígenes sociales.
How it works
The Responsible is the adult in charge of children aged 7-13. They are a basic presence, available for questions, reminders to clean up materials and spaces, and to nurture social and respectful codes among the kids and with the rest of the community.
Aside from this, the Responsible fills the role however they wish:
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They may simply be available while doing their own activity at Punta la Barca.
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They may invite kids to join in their activity (gardening, construction, communication…).
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They may play or share activities based on what the kids request.
Current rotating Responsibles include:
Inge (Originally from Belgium, living between Ecuador and Belgium for 12 years with her Ecuadorian partner Juan and their three semi-unschooled children. Inge has a big heart for authentic living and community, and is the visionary and main founder of Punta la Barca and Niños Libres.)
Micho (From Santa Marianita, godfather to 11 local children and practical coordinator of Punta la Barca for years. Micho has one foot in the village, one foot in Punta la Barca, and a heart for all the children 
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Sheni (A young woman raised in community in Santa Marianita, Sheni deeply understands how to live together and how to let children be free while still 7being cared for. She’s also the main caregiver for children under 7.)
We love additional companions to join in! They bring new energy, skills, languages, ways of being.. into the group 
. A companion can be a family member who likes spending time with the kids, a volunteer or teen 14+ who wants to offer an activity or class, or a coliver who is eager to share something with the children. Let’s welcome the energy that naturally flows into beautiful initiatives, and kids and adults are welcome to share ideas to search specifically for a certain volunteer profile. Companions are completely optional — we’ll communicate when companions are present.
Niños Libres is not a school or program.. it’s free kids :). What does that mean?
-> As adults, we propose, inspire, motivate, initiate, and invite — rather than require everyone to participate.
-> Sometimes (e.g. for group activities or prepared classes), we may ask everyone to join. These will be announced in advance.
-> We value solo time, small-group play, group activities, quiet and energetic games, observing/talking/helping adults, all emotions as they arise — also boredom, sadness and anger. Let’s try to not forget that…
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…gazing at the ocean all morning can be just as meaningful as a planned activity…
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…tears don’t ask for suppression or solutions — a hand on the back may be all that’s needed…
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…children can resolve many of their conflicts themselves and can experiment with this to a certain degree…
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…a thorn in a barefoot foot is part of discovering and feeling nature…
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…connection beyond language and culture is full of both wonders and challenges…
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…we’re all human
Children are part of a community, and community has some rules. When needed, adults may ask children to clean up toys, tidy up what they’ve used, keep quiet in certain areas, and those requests are expected to be followed.
Available spaces for free play:
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The main common area (outdoor, shaded, big tables and hammocks)
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The beach field
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The imagination space (a roofed area with hammocks)
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The garden (paths, hidden spots, campfire, plant zone — kids stay on paths to protect plants)
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The upstairs relax area (a relax room with puffs, sofa, low table; stair area with world map) — for calm play and rest. Not for shouting or running. The middle coworking room and ocean-view hammock are for adults.
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The shared kitchen (only with Responsible present)
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Some walls to paint murals
These spaces are shared with adults and colivers. Kids are asked to respect shared spaces and materials — the Responsible will help remind them. We also share the space with three dogs and two cats -they are all used to be around children and guests.
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Bedrooms and houses (coliver kids can access their own; kids may enter others only by invitation)
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Storage areas (children must ask the Responsible if they need something)
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Middle upstairs room and ocean-view hammock are adults-only
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The focus cabin and its surroundings are strictly no-kid zones, so adults can concentrate
Punta la Barca is located in a calm and safe area, surrounded by hills and beach, with a trusted local community. Let’s enjoy this to the fullest! We give our Niños Libres their freedom — and care. The Responsible will always consider safety, and will not let kids go out if it doesn’t feel safe. Kids go out with an adult; for the elder kids with parental permission to wander together without adult, the responsable will take them first on a tour to know the safe places and how to react to in possible situations (eg barking dogs) around.
With prior parental permission, kids might go to:
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The hills down to the ocean
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The beach
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Swim in the sea
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The village (from the hill down to Río Seco, the dirt soccer field, and cemetery)
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The store, bakery, or fruit shop (we limit candy buying)
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Visit/help neighbors (only trusted neighbours)
Punta la Barca is very open-air and immersed in nature. With daily communal life all around, life easily flows without needing many materials. Punta la Barca provides the space and community, but does not invest in materials specifically for kids. That said — good materials add a lot of value! We encourage collaboration to bring or sponsor materials for everyone’s benefit!
The Support Box — materials can be bought from this fund (paint, paper, colors, ingredients, balls, tools, wood…). Kids and adults are welcome to share ideas for what materials they’d like to have around.
Personal Materials — Kids are encouraged to bring their own materials, both to share and for private use. A toy, an instrument, a book, a tool — just like at home. The Responsible helps ensure personal items are respected. Kids store them away when not in use. Still, accidents can happen and we regret when things get broken.
Punta la Barca Materials — Materials in Punta la Barca available for Colivers are also available to Niños Libres: beach tennis rackets, surfboards, juggling gear.
Bigger Investments — If a shared dream arises that requires a larger investment, we encourage to form a small work group between us families to seek outside funding.
Nothing is strictly needed (drinking water is available), but kids are free to bring or go get anything they’d like from their room/house (a snack, money for shopping, a toy, a book). We limit candy and screen use. Having swimwear and a towel nearby is practical. Coliver kids store their things in their room/house; coworker kids in a box.
Equally important to the children’s space is the space that Niños Libres offers to parents. No need to say it, but still: it takes a village to raise a child. Niños Libres is that village. The presence of likeminded parents is deeply enriching and inspiring. Nothing helps us grow more than being together, sharing, and supporting each other. Plus — it gives us that much-needed moment to breathe, reflect, focus, or work uninterrupted.
Depending on what you need, there are several adult options while the kids do their thing:
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To the beach! The most relaxed option. Time to breathe, connect, reflect, write, rest, exercise…
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The focus cabin, ideal for focused work together. A no-child zone. It also has a video call booth.
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The upstairs coworking area, ideal for quiet time and community connection, and semi-concentrated work. The middle cowork area and ocean-view hammock are reserved for adults.
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Join as a Companion, great for bonding with the childrens group, supporting your child’s transition, and contributing to the initiative.
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Leave Punta la Barca and get things done, while your child stays to play.
The Niños Libres initiative is included in both coliving and coworking. You can find the prices for coliving and coworking here.
-> For kids aged 7-13, at no extra cost
-> For kids under 7 there is an additional fee of $10/day (per family). When a parent of a <7 child joins as a companion, there is no extra fee.
-> Teens 14+ are warmly invited to join some days as volunteer companions! The Responsible will help guide this.
You want your child to join Niños Libres? Come try it out — we’ll figure out contributions later together. Let’s not let finances stop such a beautiful initiative
There’s also a support box (fund for materials, possible classes or activities…). This contribution is voluntary (to give an idea: maybe $1–$2 per child per day).
Local lunch at Punta la Barca is available at 12 noon with prior notice
$2 per child, $3.5 per adult