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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👇🏼

And the summit of Mt Kebnekaise is a wrap!🏔🏔

And the summit of Mt Kebnekaise is a wrap!🏔🏔🏔

I’m so very proud of this girl and how far she’s come in the past few years. If you’ve read my book, you might remember that my youngest daughter Nora hasn’t always been super enthusiastic about playing outside. Today, I can usually count on her to tag along on all sorts of adventures. In fact, the whole idea to climb Kebnekaise was hers☺️

During this trip, we spent five nights sleeping in a tent, hiked over 19km of difficult terrain for 12 hours, encountering heavy fog and wind at the top (that’s why we’re sitting rather than standing in the photo😅). While Nora was tired at times, she was never short on motivation and turning around without reaching the summit wasn’t an option.

I’m proud of Nora’s accomplishment, but more importantly, I’m happy that she’s proud of herself. And to all the parents of young children who are in the trenches, making the effort to get outside to play every day, no matter the weather, I hope seeing this may serve as an inspiration. Not because you and your child have to climb a mountain to prove anything. But because it’s reassuring to see that the alluring whisper from nature eventually will turn into a roar that your child can’t ignore🌿
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My clothes: @fristadsofficial
Nora’s clothes: @polarnopyretusa
(Not an ad, but many of you ask what we wear☺️)

#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #outsideisforeveryone #outsideeveryday #runwildmychild #wildschooling #1000hoursoutside #kebnekaise #kebnekaisefjällstation #kebnekaisefjällen #swedishlapland #sweden #norrland

One of the reasons why I’ve always made a point

One of the reasons why I’ve always made a point to get outside with my kids is that there’s so much valuable learning involved from being immersed in nature. And I’m not necessarily thinking of learning facts about plants and wildlife, even though that’s part of it as well. I’m thinking about life skills like problem solving, decision making, risk management and grit. All crucial to children’s future success in life. But I also want to connect my kids with nature to help them fully understand where they came from🌿

As I’m writing this, my 11-year-old and I are on a train on our way to Swedish Lapland, where we will attempt to climb Mount Kebnekaise, weather permitting. This area runs deep through my family history, since my parents and grandparents took me here when I was little and it forever made an imprint on my inner landscape❤️

While I’d love for my daughter and I to make it to the summit, it’s not my main objective with the trip. It’s for us to learn and grow together through physical and mental challenges on the mountain. And to make Lapland part of my daughter’s history as well🏔
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #outsideeveryday #wanderlust #wanderer #backpacking #backpackingwithkids

All learning begins with the body - this is why it

All learning begins with the body - this is why it's crucial to protect and promote outdoor play in childhood🤸🏽‍♂️ Enough with the worksheets and wall words and pressuring young children to reach academic milestones before they are physically, mentally and emotionally ready. If we truly want our children to succeed in school - and in life - we must understand how the brain works and how children learn. And this is what brain science tells us:

🧠 Children learn by building connections between brain cells called neural pathways.
🧠 As many as 90% of the neural pathways are set in the first years of life, making early childhood the fastest period of brain growth in a person's life.
🧠 Some of the chemicals that are needed for these neural pathways to grow are only released when children move.
🧠 The more the neural pathways are used, the stronger they get.
🧠 Being physically active outside is crucial to growing children's networks of neural pathways and, as a result, improving memory and learning.

For more interesting insights on the connection between outdoor play and brain development, check out this white paper by the Institute for Child Success: https://www.instituteforchildsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Childhood-Unplugged-Outdoor-Learning.pdf

It’s during the dog days of summer that the sayi

It’s during the dog days of summer that the saying “There’s no such thing as bad weather” is put to the test more than anything in my opinion. Because while you can always put on an extra layer or get a warmer coat to beat the cold, it’s harder to dress for the heat. At 95F/35C, I feel like not wearing any clothes at all most of the time, but when you have neighbors that’s not really a viable option🤣

So how do we beat the heat? These are three of my go-to actions:
🔥 Stay in the shade whenever possible.
🔥 Step down the activity level a notch and save more intense work for the coolest hours of the day.
🔥 Hydrate.

If you have young kiddos, being able to play in water can really help keeping them happy on hot days. And you don’t need a big pool; even small amounts of water can make a big difference. I love this video of my girls from a few years ago when we filled up our wheelbarrow with water for them to play in!💦

If you’d like some more fun water play tips for warm days, head over to the blog: https://rainorshinemamma.com/5-water-play-ideas-for-summer/.
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #waterplay #outdoorplay #playoutside #playoutsideeveryday

To all the parents who are worried about not provi

To all the parents who are worried about not providing enough enriching and educational activities for your children - this quote is for you. The fact that you're even anxious about it tells me that you're probably doing more than enough to stimulate your child's growth and development🙌🏽 Remember that the most important thing you can do for a young child, aside from providing a loving and supporting home, is to allow ample time and space for free play, preferably outside🌿

All mammals, including humans, learn by playing, moving their bodies and mimicking older individuals.
So go outside and feel the joy of connecting with the trees and the earth and the birds and the sky. Follow your child's curiosity and see where it takes you. Get excited about their discoveries. Let them climb, crawl, roll, jump, run, cartwheel. Let them fall and get back up and fall again. Dare to say 'yes' and embrace the mess. Let them get bored. Take a step back and trust in the power of nature play.

Quote by @themainenanny
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #freeplay #natureplay #lessismore #playisenough #letthemplay #letthembewild #wildchildhood #1000hoursoutside #parenting #naturalparenting

While we cook outside all year, summer is definite

While we cook outside all year, summer is definitely our high season. I don’t plan ahead a lot, instead using the motto that most things that can be cooked inside also can be cooked outside🥘 Last weekend, we went with tacos and a dessert that I’ve been wanting to try out over the fire. I’ll share the recipe once I’ve perfected it!😋
@muurikkasverige
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #cookingoutdoors #campfire #tacofriday #friluftsliv

🌞Happy Summer Solstice!🌞 Today marks the lon

🌞Happy Summer Solstice!🌞
Today marks the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and to me it’s a highlight of the year - literally. Recognizing the changing of the natural cycles is a simple way to realign your life with nature. Having grown up on these northern latitudes, I’ve always cherished these long summer nights. Today, the sun rose at 4:06 am and set at 10:12 pm where I live in southern Sweden. When is your sunset?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #summersolstice #summersolstice2022

There are a lot of good things about tech, but exc

There are a lot of good things about tech, but excessive screen time is taking a toll on children’s physical and mental health today. Many apps and games have built-in mechanisms designed to make them highly addictive and children are even more susceptible to them than adults, since their brains are not fully developed🧠Screens are so ubiquitous in our lives today that it takes conscious effort to balance them with experiences IRL.

For the past few years, our family has experimented with screen free or screen reduced Sundays. I’m not going to pretend that it’s easy. But if the goal is to increase quality family time outdoors and encourage the kind of creativity that arises from a healthy dose of boredom, it does work🌳

Some other tips to foster a healthy screen time culture in your family are:

✅ Learn how to use the parent controls on your kids’ devices and set age-appropriate limits.

✅ Have certain times or spaces that are always screen free, for example around the dinner table, in the bedrooms and so on, and be sure to be consistent.

✅ Create a buy-in for the kids by letting them help plan screen free activities for the whole family.

What’s your biggest obstacle when it comes to keeping screen time under control?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #screenfreesunday #friluftsliv #outdoors #greentime

That about sums it up, doesn’t it?☺️ This qu

That about sums it up, doesn’t it?☺️ This quote is from Meet the Wild, a new picture book by Lindsay Kellar-Madsen of @the.madsen.littles. Inspired by the outdoor learning and play culture in Scandinavia, Lindsay wrote the book to invite children to explore nature all year round, regardless of the weather.
I personally love the message and sweet illustrations in this book❤️ If you have a little one in your life, you can buy the book by backing Lindsay’s Kickstarter campaign. Check out her Instagram for details!
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#meetthewild #picturebook #outdoorplay

📚📚📚Book Cover Reveal📚📚📚 A few y

📚📚📚Book Cover Reveal📚📚📚

A few years ago, I did a poll in my social media channels to see what topic you’d like me to explore in my next book. One of them won by an overwhelming margin: the Nordic outdoor tradition friluftsliv. Well, I heeded your call. I’m pleased to share that it’s now possible to pre-order The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day from just about any place that sells books! (Link in bio)

The Open-Air Life is for anybody who is longing to lead a simpler, happier and less hurried life. It shows you how to channel the power of nature connection to improve your physical and mental health, as well as your relationships with both other people and Mother Nature. Plus, you’ll learn a few party tricks, like lighting a campfire without matches and cleaning water on the go. At a time when more and more people are starting to appreciate why they should spend more time outside, this book will show you how, with a decidedly Nordic twist.

I must say that I LOVE this dreamy cover that the designers at @penguinrandomhouse created. What do you think?

@tarcherperigee @penguinrandomhouse

#theopenairlife #rainorshinemamma #coverreveal #bookcover #friluftsliv #friluftslivbook

I took my kids on an overnight paddling trip last

I took my kids on an overnight paddling trip last weekend and it started out with sunshine and rainbows☀️🌈 Swipe to the last video to see how it ended➡️

We had set out to explore the northernmost island in our local lake and while we cruised up there with decent tailwinds, the wind picked up overnight. Going back the next day, we faced strong headwinds the entire time🌊

For nearly three hours, we paddled in choppy waters, with waves sometimes so high that they splashed into the canoe. We had no choice but to paddle nonstop - if we stopped, we immediately started drifting backwards😩

The thing about being outdoors is that you’re never fully in control of all parameters - trips like these always involve a certain amount of risk. The weather can change quickly, and not always according to the forecast. What we can control is our reaction to the challenge, how we act on it and what we learn from it.

While none of us was happy about the situation, the girls did pull together and did an amazing job paddling💪🏻 And while they both vowed to never go paddling again, I told them that this will make a funny story later in life. They weren’t convinced at the time but I think they’ll come around eventually😅

Do you have any stories of getting in over your head to share?😃
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #openairlife #paddling #paddlingwithkids

Sunny days on the water can be lovely. But nothing

Sunny days on the water can be lovely. But nothing compares to the stillness of the lake after an early summer drizzle. The water is dark and mysterious, the air thick with the smell of earth and lilacs. And we’re all alone. Not a single motor boat in sight to break the glass-like surface.

Evenings like these are worth putting of bedtime for. Even if it means padding in your pajama pants at 9pm🤩
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #paddling #paddleboard #sup

Summer is high season for TICKS…🕷 (I know tha

Summer is high season for TICKS…🕷 (I know that’s a spider emoji, but you get the idea😅)

A lot of people freak out at the sight of these blood suckers and understandably so, considering the diseases they can harbor. But they too are a part of nature and if we want to keep venturing outside during the warmer months (I definitely do and I suspect you do too) we must come to terms with them.

If you want to know more about tick prevention, I just wrote a pretty detailed post about it on my blog. Head over to rainorshinemamma.com to learn and share this post with others who worry about ticks!👌🏻
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #ticks #tickprevention

I missed a meeting Sunday night😬 An informal me

I missed a meeting Sunday night😬 An informal meeting, yes, but still…I take pride in being dependable and prompt, and I hate to be flakey.

I’d like to think that it was because I got distracted when my daughter called from my mom’s house and said she was running a fever, but in reality I got sidetracked well before that. Weekends are my time to zone out from schedules, emails and social media, and spend more time outside, especially this time of the year.

So I missed a meeting. But I gained a quiet paddle through pastel waters as the sun slowly descended below the spruces on the horizon. An hour to myself to just be one with the lake, the light and the promise of the summer that still lies ahead☀️
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #sup #standuppaddle #sweden #sweden_photolovers #sweden_images

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations @wiet

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations @wietinghannah, you’re our winner!🎊

📚📚📚GIVEAWAY📚📚📚

Have you heard the term "ecohappiness"? If not, this is your chance to learn more!

Author Sandi Schwartz and I have teamed up to give away a copy of her book "Finding Ecohappiness," an inspirational manifesto and practical guidebook for families to get outside and enjoy nature together. Packed with ideas for outdoor activities like animal yoga, forest bathing, sit spotting, float therapy and nature art, this book is definitely one to add to your collection📕

How to enter👇🏼
✅ Like and save this post
✅ Follow @rainorshinemamma and @getecohappiness
✅ Comment by completing this sentence: "To me, being in nature is..."

This giveaway closes on June 4 and a winner will be selected shortly after that. You must be 18 and live in the US or Canada to enter. This giveaway is not associated with or sponsored by Instagram.

Good luck!🙌🏽

#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #ecohappiness #findingecohappiness #naturebooks #goodreads #naturelovers #ecotherapy #getkidsoutside

Having scientific reasons and explanations for doi

Having scientific reasons and explanations for doing things is good and there are any number of ways free climbing benefits our physical and mental health. But sometimes you’ve just got to trust your guts, feel all the feelings and enjoy the joyride🙌🏻🌳

What makes you feel joy in nature?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #treeclimbing #onewithnature #vitaminn #friluftsliv #optoutside

I’m not going to lie - there are times when my c

I’m not going to lie - there are times when my children’s dawdling drives me nuts. Like when they take 45 minutes to finish breakfast even though we’re running late . But I also envy their ability to be completely unhurried and present in the moment, and I realize that it’s a quality that I need to protect🐌

As parents, we need to make space for our children to play, get bored, dawdle, wander, wonder, create, sleep in, be wild and free and watch the clouds go by. Let them be where they are and not push them to achieve arbitrary milestones or condition them to think that a packed calendar is the key to success and happiness.

As always, Ginny of @1000hoursoutside is on point🙌🏻
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #1000hoursoutside #quote

Did you know that camping for as little as two nig

Did you know that camping for as little as two nights straight can help you reset your circadian rhythms and improve your sleep for several weeks afterwards? That's because the natural light helps the body regulate melatonin, a hormone that tells the body when it's time to get up and go, and when it's time to rest and recuperate🌗

My melatonin levels weren't top of mind when @jeanetteosterman and I started our challenge to sleep outside at least once a month for a year. But I must say, I rarely sleep as soundly and feel as energetic as I do when I sleep under the skies.

Have you ever tried sleeping in a camping hammock? I bought my first one a few years ago and I ❤️ it!
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #openairlife #sleepingoutside #camping #campinglife #hammock #sleepingoutsidechallenge #freshaireveryday

Raise your hand if you have a teen or tween and fe

Raise your hand if you have a teen or tween and feel like you're constantly negotiating/fighting/fretting over your child's screen time👋🏼

Well, you're not alone😰

Since 2011, when mobile internet had its breakthrough, teens' and tweens' screen time has increased dramatically. At the same time, physical activity has decreased significantly. The WHO recommends that teenagers get at least one hour of physical activity every day, but in reality 85% of the girls and 78% of the boys globally don't meet the target.

Making outdoor activity a normal part of your daily routine can help your tween or teen get the exercise and fresh air they need and lay the foundation for lifelong healthy habits. I'm the first to admit that it isn't easy, but then again, nobody said parenting would be a cakewalk🤪

Hang in there and check out a few of the strategies that help me balance screen time with 'green time'. Do you have any tips to share?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #parenting #parentingteens #parentingtweens #getoutside

“I’m not thrilled about looking older. But wha

“I’m not thrilled about looking older. But what unsettles me the most about the 40s is the implication that I’m now a grown-up myself.”
- Pamela Druckerman

Forty-four laps around the sun today and I still find that the passing of time is one of life’s greatest mysteries.
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #aging #44
@pameladruck

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