RUN WILD MY CHILD

Reconnecting families through outdoor activities and adventures.

Next: winter (wonder) issue of the Run Wild My Child magazine ships in December. Subscribe now!

Getting Families Outside, One Adventure at a Time

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runwild.mychild

🌿 Helping busy families connect through OUTDOOR activities, adventures & travel!
☀️ Tag #RunWildMyChild
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You don’t have to look like the internet’s version You don’t have to look like the internet’s version of “outdoorsy.”

You don’t have to homeschool.
You don’t have to camp.
You don’t have to live near mountains.
You don’t have to own expensive gear.

You can work full time.
You can love sports.
You can live in the suburbs.
You can hate bugs.

If you’re getting your kids outside in a way that works for your real life, you’re doing it right.

The outdoors is not exclusive.

It’s available.

Share this with an “outdoor mom” who needs to hear this and let her know she’s crushing it!!
Most nights I fall into bed completely spent... O Most nights I fall into bed completely spent...

Overstimulated.
Touched out.
Behind on laundry.
Sunburnt with bug bites.

I am tired.

But it’s the kind of tired that comes from full days.
From kids who ran hard.
From fresh air and late sunsets.
From trying.

And then I remember; there was a version of me who wanted this life so badly.

The kids.
The noise.
The chaos.
The responsibility.

What a privilege to be tired from the very life I once prayed for.

If you’re exhausted tonight, you’re not failing. 

You’re living.

📸 credit: @mrs.st.clair
We’re not raising bubble-wrapped kids. We’re rais We’re not raising bubble-wrapped kids.

We’re raising capable ones. Confident ones. 

Kids who know how to handle a little risk.
Who get dirty.
Who try, fail, adjust, and try again.
Who feel the heat of a flame and learn to respect it — not fear it.

At Run Wild My Child, we believe childhood should feel like childhood.

Less hovering.
More exploring.
Less scrolling.
More doing.

Not reckless.
Not careless.

Just brave enough to let them grow.

If that’s your vibe, welcome. 🌿
If your kids hate hiking… hi. 👋 Same. I cannot s If your kids hate hiking… hi. 👋 Same. 

I cannot say “let’s go for a hike” in my house without at least one child acting like I’ve suggested a 12-mile forced march across the tundra.

Immediate whining and collapsing onto the floor, refusing to leave the house.

And honestly...I kind of get it.

A “scenic 2.8-mile woodland loop” is just not a compelling pitch to a 9-year-old.

Kids don’t hate nature. They hate boring.

So I stopped selling hiking.

Instead, we take a nature walk to a creek, go looking for waterfalls, explore the woods looking for rocks to climb, etc. 

We add missions, ask crazy questions, look for geocaches, hunt for treasures.
We let them lead.
We keep it shorter than we think we should.
Sometimes we bail early.

And sometimes… we just don’t hike.

We bike.
We fish.
We explore.
We sit by water and throw rocks for 45 minutes.

Raising outside kids doesn’t mean raising trail-loving robots. Once we’re out on the trail, they always end up having a great time, but sometimes I don’t want to deal with the effort required to get them there.

If hiking isn’t working right now, that’s ok. Change the destination. Lower the mileage. Add water. Add purpose. Call it something else. Or do something else entirely!

You’re not failing if your kids hate hiking. My guess is that they’ll come around someday (check back in with me in 10-15 years). 

Tell me... are your kids HIKERS or HATERS?
Your April doesn’t need to be jam-packed. It just Your April doesn’t need to be jam-packed. It just needs a little planning and thoughtful intention.

Every spring I see moms try to “do it all.” The festivals. The sports. The Pinterest crafts. The garden. The big trips.

Ideas are great, but what you really need is a plan to do just a few things and commit.

A few water days.
One memory-maker.
Short easy resets.
Age-appropriate adventures.

That’s how spring starts to feel meaningful instead of chaotic.

If this kind of seasonal planning helps you, this is exactly how we approach every issue of the magazine — realistic rhythms, not overwhelm. 

The Spring issue leans hard into that and is filled with “close-to-home” adventures and how to root your kids in nature. 

But for now, let’s start with one thing this week…

What’s going on your April calendar first? 🌷
Getting outside with kids takes effort. It takes i Getting outside with kids takes effort.
It takes intention.
It takes sacrifice.
It takes choosing it, over and over again.

And if you’re doing that...even a little bit? You’re doing something really special.

Because raising kids who love the outdoors isn’t about big trips or national parks or camping weekends.

It’s about the small, consistent choices you make on the days you don’t feel like it.

It’s the walk you almost skipped.
The park stop on a busy afternoon.
The “just 10 minutes” that turns into something more.

So if no one’s told you lately— you’re doing better than you think.

Keep going. 🌿 We’re here to help.

Be honest…how many times have you wanted to stay inside this week instead of going out?
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RUN WILD MY CHILD

Helping you raise confident, curious, capable kids… one outdoor adventure at a time.

The Only Outdoor Activity List You'll Ever Need

Say goodbye to “What should we do today?” Download our free printable seasonal activity list, packed with 100+ easy, screen-free outdoor ideas for each season.
Fun for every kind of day (and every kind of kid).

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