Three young mothers, Brooke Froelich, Morgan Brechler and Shannon Robertson, refused to give up climbing, camping and backpacking when they had children. Instead they brought the kids along, from the bouldering fields of California to the red-rock desert around Moab, Utah, and became the stars of the first film of the Born Wild Project.
The Born Wild Project and its adventure moms
Born Wild, first covered in 2015, is a film project and online community with a clear mission: to “empower parents to raise kids who are connected with wilderness and wildness.” Its founders wanted to bring the experience of parenting into adventure filmmaking, a genre long dominated by men. The project raised support through Kickstarter, and its first film, Wild Child, was to be directed by co-founder Alisa Geiser, a filmmaker based in Boulder, Colorado.
When the story first appeared, the families were:
- Brooke Froelich, 30, with her son Huck, 11 months
- Morgan Brechler, 25, with her daughter Hadlie, 4
- Shannon Robertson, 28, with Bodhi, 3, and Skye, 1
Brechler summed up the philosophy simply: “I truly believe the best childhood is one spent mostly outdoors.” She also argued that “parents nowadays are so afraid to let their kids be independent.” The film was planned to follow the mothers as they climbed summits and made mud pies, showing how nature and family bonds help parents and children grow together.
Climbing and camping with kids in Utah and California
The photographs follow the families through several classic American climbing areas. Brooke and Huck climbed outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Morgan, Hadlie, Brooke and Huck spent time in the desert outside Moab. And the whole crew went bouldering in the Buttermilks near Bishop, California, a famous area of huge glacier-carried boulders of quartz monzonite in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Boulder Magazine reported that filming of Wild Child was planned in Utah, California and the Pacific Northwest, with backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing and backcountry skiing on the list.
Everyday life outdoors: breakfast, play and rest
What makes the series charming is that most of it is ordinary family life, just moved outside. Mornings start in the tent, breakfast is eaten in the open air, and children dig, paint and play with toy trucks while the adults climb. The mothers traded screen time for time outdoors, and the camera captures the small moments as much as the big views.
Tips for hiking with children
The National Park Service’s guidance on hiking with children offers a sensible starting point for families inspired by Born Wild:
- Pack the Ten Essentials, including water, snacks, sunscreen and the right footwear and clothing.
- Bring more spare kit than you think: extra jackets, dry socks and hats.
- Carry a map and a first-aid kit, and let children help plan the trip.
- Keep kids engaged by listening for bird calls, running water or buzzing bees.
- Have them record the day with a list of plants and animals, a sketch or photos.
- Teach simple skills: reading a map, using a compass, spotting an approaching storm.
Start with short, easy trails and let the youngest walker set the pace. For snowy first steps, see Sloan Henderson’s early snowboarding story, or follow a longer trek on seven days along Kungsleden.
Related reading
- Twenty-Five Family Ski Destinations: Bases, Lessons and Daily Logistics
- Tandem Snowboarding Friends: Kinsley and Emma’s Family Film
- A Frozen-Inspired Backyard Snow Day in South Carolina
- Zoe’s First Skiing Days: A Family Film at Seventeen Months
Sources
- Bored Panda – Three Moms Take Their Kids On Epic Wilderness Adventures
- Matador Network – Meet 3 women who prove outdoor adventure gets better with kids
- Boulder Magazine – Millennial moms star in Wild Child documentary
- Wikipedia – Buttermilk Country
- National Park Service – Hiking with kids
- Photos: Born Wild Project
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