Contact Me

Would you like me to come on your podcast or join an Instagram Live? Drop me a line and we’ll set something up.

Are you a member of the media who needs a knowledgeable voice for a radio segment, TV show or news article? I’ve got plenty of experience with media appearances and I’m always happy to chat.

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Click on the link to drop me a line!

Linda@lindamcgurk.com

Linda-455-low-res

rainorshinemamma

Swedish American author, speaker and nature play advocate🌿 Living an open-air life⛺️ Start here👇🏼

These are excerpts from a recently published advis

These are excerpts from a recently published advisory on teens and social media use from the U.S. Surgeon General. And they make my stomach turn. I wish I could dismiss them as alarmist, but I see the negative effects of smart phones and social media first-hand all the time.

For years, we didn't really know what the long-term consequences of excessive screen time and social media use would be, but now the research is compounding. It shows that more time online is making children more susceptible to mental health problems like aggression, anxiety and depression. Social media is also linked to worse self-esteem among girls and increases the risk of cyber bullying and harassment. Plus, screen time displaces other activities that benefit mental health, like sleep, physical activity, spending time in nature and seeing people face to face.

My girls (who are 12 and 15) both have smart phones and some social media, and even though I'm always "that parent" with the most restrictions, there are so many things I wish I would've done differently, had I done it all over again. The phones have made it a lot easier for us to communicate and given my children more independence, yes, but there's just so much more to it. Sometimes I feel like balancing my girls' screen time with enough "green time" is a full-time job, and a rather exhausting one at that.

Tech companies bear a huge responsibility for targeting children and making many of their apps and games extremely addictive to a developing mind, but I don't expect them to change anytime soon. What we can do as parents is to band together to delay the introduction of smart phones and social media in our children's lives, and to normalize imposing sensible restrictions on apps and screen time.

If social media is one big experiment, as the U.S. Surgeon General warns, our teens are going to need all the support and guidance from the adult world that they can get.

You can read the advisory in its entirety here: https://bit.ly/43DLLW2
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#rainorshinemamma #screentime #mentalhealth #teens #teenmom #socialmedia

One of the core principles of friluftsliv, or “o

One of the core principles of friluftsliv, or “open-air life”, is to connect with your nearby nature in everyday life, rather than place all your bets on a big adventure in an epic location that you may only get to once a year. Exploring locally has always come naturally to me, but last week I took it one step further, as I ventured out on a solo hike to explore the first 30 miles of an 87-mile trail that runs across the county that I live in. To make it more challenging, I decided that I would go offline and do it as a silent retreat.

As it turned out, being silent was no problem whatsoever for an introvert like myself😅 In fact, coming back to civilization was the hardest part and I think I’m still suffering from some post-hiking blues. If you know, you know.

Out on the trail, there are no work emails to check or “likes” to chase. It’s all about covering your basic needs - food, water, warmth, shelter. It’s simple, and very rewarding. (As was the chocolate cake I whipped up over the camp stove on my first night out😋)

This may have been my first multi-day solo hike, but it won’t be the last.

👖+ 🧥by @fristadsofficial
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#theopenairlife #openair #openairlife #friluftsliv #camping #hiking #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #hikelikeawoman #hikelife #hikelikeagirl #1000hoursoutside #hammocklife #hammockcamping #sweden #swedenimages

Camp Renegade Play Virtual Summit - Outdoor Editio

Camp Renegade Play Virtual Summit - Outdoor Edition starts TOMORROW, May 19th! Very excited to be a part of this 3-day event featuring 12 speakers who will share all their valuable insights about outdoor play🌿
Sign up in my bio to get your FREE pass⭐️
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#camprenegadeplay #outdoorplay #summit #professionaldevelopment #ECE

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratulations @scie

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratulations @scienceing_time @mother.explorer and @jesswickward208! 🎉🥳🎊

🌧️GIVEAWAY🌤️

I'm thrilled to have teamed up with @outdoorschoolshop to gift 3 book bundles + gift cards to some lucky ducks 🦆 The winners will each receive a copy of my books “There is No SuchThing as Bad Weather” and “The Open-Air-Life” as well as a $50 ODSS gift card.

2 quick steps to enter!
📚Follow @rainorshinemamma and @outdoorschoolshop
📚Share your favorite nature activity in the comments

🌦️Bonus entry if you share the post and tag a friend🌦️

GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway ends Tuesday May 16th 10 PM EST. Open to US only. We watch for scam accounts. Winner will be contacted from this Instagram account only. Not affiliated with or sponsored by Instagram.

Sharing this because surely it’s campfire o’cl

Sharing this because surely it’s campfire o’clock somewhere!🔥This dessert combines two of my favorite things: chocolate and crumble pie crust😋 I came up with it when I was trying to think of a way to make crumble pie on the trail without having to deal with frozen berries (and when the season isn’t right for foraging). Just prepare the crust at home ahead of time and bring it on the trail/to the campsite. Incredibly decadent and easy to make😇 The almond flour and oats make it a wee healthy-ish and if you’re trying to avoid cane sugar you could always experiment with using maple syrup instead.

Mini Chocolate Crumble Pies

Makes 4-6 servings

Crust:
1 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups almond flour
5 oz butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cups sugar

Filling:
7 oz dark chocolate, chopped

Combine all the ingredients for the crust in a blender and mix until smooth. Add more flour if it’s too sticky, or more butter/margarine if it’s too dry. Roll up in a ball and put in a ziploc bag. Let sit in the fridge for an hour or so. Divide into 4-6 pieces and pat each one down in a piece of aluminum foil, until flat. Divide the chocolate evenly between the mini pie crusts and fold the crust over the chocolate. Wrap the foil around the pies and place on hot coals. Bake for 10-15 min or until the chocolate has melted and the crust is golden brown and crispy.

If you make these, post a picture and tag me - I’d love to know how they turned out!🥰 Happy Friday!🌳
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #theopenairlife #openairlife #openairliving #friluftsliv #outdoorfood #outdoorcooking #campfire #dessert

Friends, it's CAMP TIME!🤸🏽‍♂️ Camp Ren

Friends, it's CAMP TIME!🤸🏽‍♂️ Camp Renegade Play - Outdoor Edition, that is😁

During this FREE three-day virtual summit I will be talking about the benefits of dirt (yes, you read that correctly!), how to handle messes that result from outdoor play and why we need to stop freaking out about kids getting muddy. There are 11 other speakers as well, covering all things outdoor play, and they have a wealth of knowledge to share.

Here's a glimpse of some of the other topics that will be covered:

🌿 Supporting Neurodivergent Children in the Outdoors
🌿 Nature Play: Not Just Woods & White Kids
🌿 Creating Process Art in the Great Outdoors
🌿 Risky Play, Rain, Snow or Shine!
🌿 Creating the Outdoor School of Your Dreams

The Camp Renegade Play Virtual Summit - Outdoor Play Edition is the brainchild of @kristen.rb.peterson and is full of inspiration and ideas. You will have three days to access ALL 12 sessions, so save some time over May 19-21 to be able to watch them!

Signup link in bio, or copy and paste: https://www.kristenrbpeterson.com/a/2147547165/HGcvQF9j

#camprenegadeplay #theresnosuchthingasbadweather #outdoorplay #playbasedlearning #dirtisgood #letkidsplay #playingislearning

I'm the kind of person who often feels like I’m

I'm the kind of person who often feels like I’m falling short no matter what I do. When I'm working, I feel guilty about not being with my family. When I’m spending time with my family, unresolved issues from work often linger. When I'm reading a book, I think about how I really should be doing more yoga and while I’m delving into a series of Sun Salutations my mind tends to wander off to my ever growing to-do-list (this might be a sign that I’m not doing yoga right😅). But there is an exception to this, a place where my distracted mind comes to peace – outside. Whether I’m going for a walk with the kids, digging in my garden, or doing a yoga session under the blue sky, I always feel like I am where I ought to be when I’m out in the open air. That’s where I go to turn off the noise of the modern world and bring myself back to center.

Last weekend, I spent a day and a half on the rather menial task of moving rocks in my backyard. It was so simple, yet it was just the rest and restoration I needed. And this simplicity brings freedom🌿

#theopenairlife #lifeintheopenair #theopenairlifebook #theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #dailyzen

Have you checked out The Play Market yet? On this

Have you checked out The Play Market yet? On this platform for all things play-based learning, you'll find courses developed by over a dozen great speakers. Perfect for early childhood educators looking for professional development opportunities and other caregivers who want to learn how to bring more PLAY into their child's life🤸🏼‍♂️🙌🏻
Use the code MARKET15 to get 15% off! The code is available until Friday, April 28th at 11:59 pm CST.
Link in bio!🔗
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #whatevertheweather #theplaymarket #professionaldevelopment #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhood #ECE #playbasededucation #playbasedlearning #forestschool #outdoorplay #outdoorlearning

Teenagers love their TikToks and their gaming cons

Teenagers love their TikToks and their gaming consoles and their smartphones, yes. But when you unplug and head outside together, you might also find that they cherish the sound of birds chattering in the distance, authentic conversations on the trail and the simple pleasure of taking in a tranquil sunset by the water🌅🦢🌳
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #theopenairlife #friluftsliv #teenmom #teensoutside #outdoorlife #openairlife #lifeisbetteroutside

Do you sometimes struggle with your motivation for

Do you sometimes struggle with your motivation for outdoor play in inclement weather? Do you want to spend more time outside but wonder what gear your child needs to make it happen? Do you wonder how you can meet your child’s needs outside and create a suitable environment for outdoor play?

If so, I’ve got something for you! I’ve just created an online mini course that will help you enjoy outdoor play every day and it’s launching today. "Whatever the Weather: A practical guide for outdoor play and learning all-year round" is a 4-module video course packed with practical advice on how to increase opportunities for outdoor play in early childhood. Whether you’re a parent, educator or other caregiver, I believe you can benefit from this course.

My course is a part of The Play Market, a new one-stop-shop for educators and caregivers who need professional training on play-based learning. If you’re curious about loose parts, risky play, creative play, nature play and more, this is the place for you!

Sign up by Friday, April 28th for $15 off your first course by using the code: MARKET15

Sign-up link in bio!
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #openairlife #friluftsliv #outsideeveryday #onlinecourse #digitalcourse

After waiting a lifetime to see the Northern Light

After waiting a lifetime to see the Northern Lights, I saw them twice in less than a month😍 The second time it was fainter, barely a whisper across the skies. But captured through my smartphone lens it was equally breathtaking.
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #theopenairlife #friluftsliv #northernlights #härjedalen #tänndalen

The other day, we saw the first colts foot of the

The other day, we saw the first colts foot of the year, a flower that immediately brings me back to my childhood, when I would ride my bike around the neighborhood in search of signs of spring. This is a season of rebirth, rejuvenation and hope. It gives us reason to pause, reflect and bask in the beauty of nature and the warming rays of the sun as trees, plants and animals are coming out of their hibernation. This weekend, I encourage you to take your child outside and take the time to literally stop and smell the roses, or rather the colts foot, or whatever spring flowers are currently emerging outside your door. Happy Friday, peeps!🌼
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #theopenairlife #friluftsliv #getoutside #springtime #plants #plantlove

I don’t know if it’s my Lutheran heritage or w

I don’t know if it’s my Lutheran heritage or what, but the act of working my body to the point of near exhaustion, just to catch one or two good runs in a whole day, is apparently just down my alley😅 How did I not discover backcountry skiing until I was 44?
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#theopenairlife #openair #friluftsliv #backcountryofsweden #backcountryskiing #härjedalen #skarvarna

Cover reveal: Italian edition of The Open-Air Life

Cover reveal: Italian edition of The Open-Air Life🤩 This publisher went with a completely different look for the cover, which they believe will work well for their audience. I like that it has a magical and a bit dramatic ambiance to it. (As a side note, I’m secretly practicing how to say the full title, even though my Italian skills are non-existent. Now I have a better understanding of how Americans feel trying to pronounce friluftsliv😅)

Swipe to compare with the American and Czech versions of the cover! Which one is your favorite?🤔
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#theopenairlife #openairliving #liveoutside #lifeisbetteroutside #friluftsliv #bookstagram #bookcover

I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. Ton

I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. Tonight we finally got to see the Northern lights🙏🏻 It was faint at first and definitely enhanced through the camera lens but still something I can only describe as otherworldly. Awe, fascination, joy, gratitude, wonder. It was all the feelings all at once💫
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #theopenairlife #northernlights #friluftsliv #lifeisbetteroutside #livelifeoutside #nightsky #nature #naturephotography #sweden #swedenimages

I've been hearing a lot about play-based learning

I've been hearing a lot about play-based learning lately and I love that play is finally starting to get the recognition that it deserves in early childhood education. BUT. There are still a lot of misconceptions about play floating around out there. One of the most common ones being that any activity that adults deem as “fun” is the same thing as play - sports, crafts, learning apps, gamified academic work and play-based or hands-on learning activities are just a few examples.

What's the big deal, you may wonder? Isn't that just mincing words? No, I’d say it’s important to know the difference. Children, just like most other mammals, are wired to play because that’s how they learn about themselves and the world around them. When we step in as adults to “improve” on children’s play, often in an attempt to make it more educational, we change the dynamics of the activity and some of the benefits are lost.

While there is no universal definition of play, most experts agree that true play has these three characteristics: 
🤸‍♀️ It's a voluntary activity that is chosen by the child. You cannot force a child to play.
🤸‍♀️ It's directed and controlled by the children themselves. Adults can participate in play but it is the children who decide the structure and the rules.
🤸‍♀️ It's intrinsically motivated. A child plays for their own enjoyment, not for praise, trophies or other rewards.

There are other characteristics too, for example, play is usually very immersive and creative. It’s generally also more process-oriented than other activities in that the focus is on being in the moment, and not on the end result.

Obviously, children enjoy many adult-led activities as well, but I’ll go out on a limb and say that most kids today have enough of those already. What they need more of is to be left to their own devices. Let’s collectively take a step back and recognize that play is enough.
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #theopenairlife #play #letthembelittle #letthemexplore #letthechildrenplay #letkidsbekids #playbasedlearning #play

To me, an important aspect of friluftsliv, or “o

To me, an important aspect of friluftsliv, or “open-air life”, is to challenge the boundaries of my everyday existence and push through discomfort, so I can emerge stronger on the other side💪🏻

One of the ways I do that is by ending my work week with a cold plunge. As I immerse myself in the cold water, all the thoughts of the must-dos and should’ve dones run off me. Literally. Once my body gets past the initial shock, I enter a deep state of calm and gently ease into the weekend💦

Ten years ago, I never ever would’ve thought I could do this; I even fretted swimming in the cool, spring-fed lakes of Sweden during the warmest months. But the beauty of friluftsliv is that you can always find new ways to challenge yourself🌿

I don’t consider myself an expert at cold swimming but if you have any questions, let me know in the comments😃
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#friluftsliv #openairliving #openairlife #coldplunge #coldswimming #coldwater #coldwatertherapy

This, in a nutshell, is what friluftsliv ("open-ai

This, in a nutshell, is what friluftsliv ("open-air life") is to me.

Living a life where the greatest joy comes from the seemingly ordinary. Watching a sunset on a clear night. Smelling the first drops of rain hit the ground on a dry spring day. Reading a good book in the shade of a giant tree. Living a life where outdoor time is not an extra or a luxury, but an essential part of the daily rhythm. And, above all, being one with Earth and the eco systems that sustain us🌳

#friluftsliv #openairlife #theairisfree #livelifeoutside

“A microadventure is an adventure that is short,

“A microadventure is an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap - yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.”
- Alastair Humphreys

One of the greatest constraints keeping people from living more adventurously is often a lack of time. Microadventures - or what I would refer to as “weekend friluftsliv” - are a great hack for that🌲

My microadventures usually involve sleeping outside with minimal advance planning or preparation, within an hour’s drive from my home. With a friend, with my kids or on my own. I do them year round, but crave them especially badly in the wintertime, when the days are short and cabin fever runs high⛺️

One way that I fit these trips into our lives is that my youngest wild child and I have made a habit of camping out the night before we pick her dad up from the airport. Last weekend we did it again, settling after some indecision on a wooded area about 6 miles from the terminal. We had a chance to catch up on life in general, watched a beautiful sunset, then tag teamed on cooking and setting up camp in the dark. Neither the location nor the weather was epic, but it didn’t need to be. The fact that we got out there and did something outdoors together was rewarding enough for me❤️

On a different note, I’m thinking about jotting down some camping tips on in a blog post - is this something you’d like to know more about? If so, do you have any specific questions that you’d like me to address?
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@al_humphreys
#friluftsliv #openairlife #theopenairlife #theresnosuchthingasbadweather #microadventure #microadventures #weekendcamping #wildcamping #wildcamp #allemansrätten #theairisfree #outsideeveryday

Oh my❤️ The Czech cover for my book The Open-A

Oh my❤️ The Czech cover for my book The Open-Air Life turned out beautifully! And I love that they chose to use the term friluftsliv in the title. Do I have any Czech followers? If so, be on the lookout for this to be published by @nakladatelstvijota in the near future!

On a different note, I think I'm just going to start calling myself Linda McGurkova now; it has such a nice ring to it!😅
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#friluftsliv #theopenairlife #openairlife #foreignrights

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