In this episode, Sara's joined by the wildly creative Sara Ernst, musician, poet, nature-loving mama, and the heart behind Wild Pickle Press. We dive into the magic of using music and poetry to connect kids with the natural world and spark curiosity about the creatures around them (especially bugs… which we both happen to love). We chat about the creative process, how songwriting and storytelling can be powerful tools for teaching kids to appreciate and protect nature, and why she believes empowering children through the arts is just as important as letting them dig in the dirt. Sara also shares the inspiration behind her brand-new book Poetry for the Wild & Curious Ones, a beautiful collection designed to ignite wonder, joy, and a sense of wildness in readers of all ages.

Wild Pickle Press Website: www.wildpicklepress.com
Instagram: @wildpicklepress

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild

Sara's Recommendation:
Bug Viewer

Julianne Nienberg is the voice behind @myoutdoorsymom on Instagram and the host of the brand new My Outdoorsy Mom Podcast, where she helps busy parents raise confident, capable kids through the magic of outdoor play. She’s a big believer that letting kids play independently outside builds confidence, not just for the kids, but for moms, too. Her content is full of practical tips, relatable stories, and encouragement to make outdoor time a little easier and a lot more doable. She's here today talking to Sara about how to promote independent play in kids, how to spend more time outside no matter where you live, and the behind-the-scenes of turning a passion into a business. 

Julianne's Podcast: My Outdoorsy Mom
Website: www.myoutdoorsymom.com
Instagram: @myoutdoorsymom

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild

Julianne's Recommendations:
There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Åkeson McGurk

In this episode, I’m joined by Amanda Lacy, founder of Bijou Build, a company reinventing outdoor play structures for modern families. Amanda shares how her background in children's product development and her experience as a mom of three inspired her to create a modular, collapsible, and beautiful play structure that grows with kids and encourages open-ended outdoor play. We chat about the importance of imaginative play, building a backyard kids (and moms) actually want to spend time in, and how parents can rethink outdoor spaces to support creativity and adventure. Amanda also opens up about balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, and getting outside as a family, plus offers tips for creating outdoor memories that last. 

Website: www.bijoubuild.com
Instagram: @bijoubuild

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild

Amanda's Recommendations:
Greeking Out
Circle Round
The Circus Ship
Squeasy Pouches

Sara McCarty, founder of Run Wild My Child, is mixing things up and taking a look back at 2024—celebrating the wins and learning from the challenges. Sara shares the business highs of the year, like launching three issues of the Run Wild My Child magazine in print, some incredible travel adventures, and the honor of winning the People’s Choice for Best Online Publication.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Sara also opens up about the struggles of running a small business—especially with the membership, social media, sales, and balancing screen time with green time. This episode is full of reflections, celebrations, lessons learned, and changes for 2025. Grab a cozy spot and join us as we recap the year that was and look ahead to the adventures to come!

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild
Sara's Instagram: @sara_mccarty

Book recommendations:
The Covenant of Water
Gone with the Wind
The Women
Braiding Sweetgrass
Thursday Murder Club

In this episode, we’re diving into the world of outdoor challenges and how they can inspire families to prioritize time outside. As we head into a new year, it’s the perfect opportunity to set some meaningful goals, and there’s no one better to talk about this than Amy Bushatz, founder of the Humans Outside 365 challenge.

Amy’s challenge—spending at least 20 minutes outside every day, no matter the weather—has not only transformed her life but also served as a model for countless others looking to connect with nature regularly. She’s been going strong for over seven years, and is the perfect person to chat with about setting challenges, overcoming obstacles, and picking the right challenge for your family.

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild

Amy's Instagram: @humansoutside
Humans Outside 365 Challenge

Discovering the Joy of Family Challenges

In this solo recap episode, Run Wild My Child founder Sara McCarty dives into her recent experience at the Outdoor Media Summit (OMS) in Missoula, Montana, sharing highlights from the event and the local adventure scene. Activities include llama trekking, hiking, and fly fishing on the Blackfoot River. 

Moving into the OMS experience, Sara breaks down the exciting “new gear speed dating” session, spotlighting standout innovations (which would make great gifts) from a few of our favorite top outdoor brands. She also covers hot topics in the outdoor industry, including the resurgence of print media.

The episode concludes with a special announcement of Run Wild My Child’s People's Choice Award win for Best Online Publication of 2023, celebrating the publication’s achievements and community support. 

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild
Sara's Instagram: @sara_mccarty

Destination Missoula
Glacier Country Montana
Swan Mountain Outfitters
Double Arrow Lodge
Blackfoot River Outfitters

Outdoor Media Summit
Coast
Yeti
Simms
Patagonia
Nemo
Osprey
Roofspace

In this episode, we cover the good, the bad, and the ugly of youth sports. We chat about the elusive balance between organized sports and outdoor free play, the time and cost commitments of participating in youth sports, tips for juggling busy schedules, and why, despite the madness, we choose to participate at all! Whether you’re currently navigating the complexities of your child’s sports schedules or if you’re just curious about how youth sports work these day, this episode is going to be packed with real-life stories, advice, stuggles, and strategies to help you and your family figure this all out. 

For this episode, co-host Michelle Garrett interviews three moms from the Run Wild My Child team, who all have kids involved in youth sports. Run Wild My Child founder and mom of three, Sara McCarty, California working mom of three, Araceli Gonzalez, and homeschooling mom of two, Nichole Holze.

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild

Sara's Instagram: @sara_mccarty
Araceli's Instagram: @roaminggonzalez
Nichole's Instagram: @coleyraeh

Wendy Cox is a photographer, gardening instructor, and mom of four. Her family recently moved from San Diego to Virginia. Wendy talks about how she uses nature to ground and connect her children through the changes and transition from moving across the country, how she beautifully captures kids connecting with nature through photography, and how travel can help kids make real-life connections with what they learn in school. 

Run Wild My Child Magazine

RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild
Wendy's Instagram: @wendycoxphotography

Recommendation: Go Pro Black 12

Wendy's Posts:
Exploring California Redwoods
Hiking Havasupai with Kids
Outer Banks with Kids

In this episode, we discuss everything parents need to know when planning their first international trip with kids. Co-host Michelle Garrett is planning her first international trip with kids. She speaks with RWMC founder Sara McCarty (who just took her kids to Belize) and Travel Expert Jen Barnes (@gofamilyadventure) about topics such as how to pick an international destination, what documentation you need when traveling internationally with kids, budgeting tips for traveling as a family, choosing outdoor excursions and adventures for the whole family, and more!

Coco Beach Resort - 40% off discount for trip through August 2024
Use the code RUNWILDMYCHILD

RWMC post: Exploring Belize with Kids

Run Wild My Child Magazine
RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild
Jen's Instagram: @gofamilyadventure
Jen's website: Go Family Adventure

Laura Stroup is a mom of 3, nature study creator, author, podcaster, and founder of School of the Wild.  Laura has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Ecology with an emphasis in natural resource education. A former wildlife conservation educator and upper school science teacher, she loves traveling, hiking, and reading. Laura talks with us about her nature school and resources, her new book and podcast, getting teens outside, and so much more!

RWMC website: www.runwildmychild.com
RWMC Instagram: @runwild.mychild
Laura's website: www.fireflynatureschool.com
Laura's Instagram: @fireflynatureschool
Laura's book (affil link): Nature School
Laura's podcast: WILD Mysteries
Digital magazine: WILD Mag
Nature school: School of the Wild

How to Use a Pocket Microscope with Kids