Our dream for Revillage: bringing back spontaneity to family life

In most modern family lives, spontaneity is quietly slipping away. Social interaction is increasingly something we schedule, organize, and plan around. And while structure has its place, something essential is being lost when everything requires a calendar invite.

The pressure of planned social life

Planned social interactions often come with built-in expectations. A playdate usually means the kids are supposed to have fun and play together. But spontaneous moments between children can be much more varied. Sometimes they just watch each other. Sometimes they play side by side without speaking. And sometimes they fall into deep imaginative play. All of it is valid. But planning tends to flatten that spectrum into something narrower.

The same is true for adults. A scheduled meetup usually carries the idea that you should connect in a meaningful way. But many of the most refreshing social moments happen when there are no expectations. A short conversation in the garden. Sitting next to someone while watching your kids play. A chat that turns into something deeper simply because both people were in the right mood.

Planned social life also takes energy. Families need to coordinate. Someone always has to compromise. And even when things go well, it rarely feels low-pressure. The opposite of this is the kind of interaction where the kids run out to play, and the adults stay home doing their own thing, knowing that connection is always available but never required.

What we experienced in Traveling Village

We saw this difference clearly during our time in Traveling Village. It was the first time our family experienced a community where the kids could simply run outside and find friends. No setup, no driving, no playdate pressure. Just natural, unplanned play.

At the same time, structure existed, just in a different form. The whole village shared a calendar, and every day three to six activities were proposed: museum trips, sports, conversation salons, beach days.

Because there were enough families, something was always happening. And because participation was always optional, people joined when it fit their energy and mood. Someone hosting a football match? Ten kids would show up, not because they promised weeks ago, but because they felt like it that day.

This kind of structure supported spontaneity rather than replacing it. It removed the pressure, made planning easier, and gave everyone space to find their rhythm.

More time with your kids means more planning and more pressure

If you want to spend more time with your kids, you quickly run into a wall. Planning becomes your full-time job. School gives you structure. Daycare fills the day. But when you try to build a slower life, you suddenly have to coordinate every moment.

And that’s the irony. The more present you try to be as a parent, the more logistics you inherit. The dream of more time together easily becomes a new version of burnout.

This is one of the reasons we started thinking seriously about Revillage.

We want to create a place where families live close together, where kids can play freely, and where adults can connect when it feels natural. A place where social life is built into the fabric of the day, without needing to plan it all in advance. Where structure exists, but in a way that allows for more ease, more presence, and more spontaneous moments.

A core part of that is building an intentional community, but with low expectations for participation. That becomes possible when there are enough families. With enough people, something is always happening, and you can simply join when it suits you.

A classic counterargument is that structure is important and that it's good for kids to have things they are expected to do at specific times. And we agree. What we are proposing is not to remove structure entirely, but to stop depending on it for almost all social interaction.

In essence, we want to make it easier to spend more time with your kids

Having kids, working, and handling everything else that comes with adult life will always be demanding. We are not trying to remove that completely. But we do believe there is a real need to create new solutions that make it easier for families to thrive.

The schedule most people have to follow just to make a small family run is not sustainable for everyone. And we believe it’s part of the reason why birth rates are declining around the world. For many people, the current setup simply feels too hard.

We think Revillage can be a different kind of setup. One that makes family life just a little easier, a little lighter, and a little more joyful. A place that gives breathing room to both kids and adults.

Because we believe that the years you spend raising children should not only be about work and logistics. They should also be full of joy, play, and adventure.