When you meet Ruthika Bung, the first thing you notice is the gentleness in the way she speaks about children. Her story begins not in a studio or classroom, but at her own kitchen table, where she first started making homemade dough and simple DIY activities to keep her little daughter engaged. What she didn’t expect was how these small moments of connection would open the door to something much bigger.
“In the beginning, it was just me and my little one,” Ruthika recalls. “We would try out thirty-day activity challenges, make kinetic sand or just play with whatever we had. Slowly, I realized how powerful those little moments were. And when other moms began asking me for ideas, I felt the strength of community. Motherhood felt lighter, less lonely. I learned that when we share, we grow together.”
That sharing grew into The Mom Explorer, an online space where Ruthika connected with other parents who were also looking for playful, mindful ways to engage their children. But as her daughter grew, she started noticing something troubling. Children today, she observed, are often overstimulated. Between screens, classes and endless distractions, there was hardly any space left for stillness.
“I wanted tools that could help my daughter and other kids slow down, breathe and express themselves,” she explains. “That’s what led me to pursue certification as a Child Mindful Art Teacher. It wasn’t just a course for me, it was a way to bring mindfulness and creativity together, so children could carry calmness and confidence with them.”
This was the beginning of The Kind Space India, a project Ruthika is building with love and intention. It is not designed as another activity class. Instead, it is a gentle environment where children are encouraged to pause, feel safe and explore who they are without judgment. “Here, it’s not about the perfect craft or the neatest painting,” she says. “It’s about how they feel while creating. The whole purpose is kindness. Kindness towards themselves, towards others, and in the way they grow.”
Ruthika believes that in today’s fast-paced, screen-heavy world, mindfulness is more important than ever. “Screens give quick entertainment, but mindfulness and creativity give children tools for life,” she explains. “When a child slows down to paint or play, they are not just creating art. They are learning patience, focus and resilience. These are the skills that will help them find balance in an overwhelming world.”
The most heartwarming validation of her journey has come from her daughter. Practicing mindful art at home has shown Ruthika just how naturally children can connect with the process. “When she sits with her colors or paints, I can actually see her slowing down, getting absorbed and expressing herself in ways words cannot,” she says with pride. “That has been my biggest reassurance, that this practice works. It is giving her tools to handle her big feelings.”
For Ruthika, these intimate moments are also the reason she wants to take The Kind Space further. She dreams of building a movement that will reach families and schools, creating safe spaces where children can simply be. “I imagine it as that in-between space,” she says. “Not school, not home, but somewhere children look forward to being. A safe corner where there are no rules, no right or wrong way of doing things. Just freedom to express, create and breathe.”
Looking ahead, Ruthika sees The Kind Space India becoming an anchor of peace for both children and parents. She wants it to grow into a gentle movement where mindfulness is no longer treated as a special activity, but something natural, woven into the rhythm of everyday life. “In the next few years, I see it becoming a place where children build calmness and resilience without even realizing it, simply because they enjoy the process,” she says.
What began with a ball of homemade dough and a mother’s search for connection has turned into a mission to nurture calmer, kinder, and more connected children. Ruthika’s journey is proof that small beginnings can grow into meaningful change.
As she puts it simply, “I didn’t set out to create a movement. I only wanted to spend mindful, happy time with my daughter. But now I see how much difference this can make, not just for her, but for many children.”
And that is what makes The Kind Space India so special. It is not just a project. It is a mother’s love, a teacher’s vision, and a child’s natural creativity coming together to plant seeds of kindness that will last a lifetime.
