Our Story

Wild Mill Kids was originally created to design and develop pants for your wild kids that are both durable AND comfortable.  Pants that allow for and endure the natural movements and explorations of active kids.  But it has evolved into so much more as I have explored my passionate belief that childhood should be spent in the exploration of nature, adventures inside and out, and deep within imaginations. 

I created this space to celebrate the fleeting and magical years of childhood - something that is worth protecting and celebrating!  This "magic" is in reference to the dirty faces, messy meals, ear piercing screams of excitement, mud making, puddle jumping, toad hunting, sand castle building, woods exploring, and tree climbing.  In other words, anything that makes parents wince and worry and wonder if they'll ever make it through in one piece, but that in the end is everything that is childhood. 

This is a space where we encourage kids to just PLAY! To let go of the academic pressures that are put on kids much too early, to push against their over-scheduled extracurriculars, and to examine our own busy schedules that dictate our children's free time.  This space is here to fully embrace the messy and free side of childhood- and to remember the importance of this side of childhood.  

Why Wild Mill?

My husband, Joel, and I moved our family to a hobby farm on the outskirts of St. Paul, MN, after living all our years in the city or the suburbs of either the Twin Cities or Seattle.  We named our new home Wild Mill Farm.  This story starts with the kids of Wild Mill Farm: our two boys, Jonah and Luca. 

As they grew, our boys' pants became a constant problem.  They only wanted to wear sweatpants because they were comfortable and they could squat and bend and climb easily in them.  But, sweatpants could not stand up to their play.  Within days of wear, their pants would be worn through in the knees and the seat would be stretched or stained.  Jonah and Luca refused to wear any durable kids pants that were on the market.  Why?  Because they didn't stretch.  They were too tight on their tummies so they couldn't bend over.  They couldn't squat.  They couldn't climb.  

Kids "fashion" is often just shrunken versions of adult clothes.  But somehow it was forgotten that adults don't spend most of their days down on their knees playing with trucks or sitting on the ground digging in the dirt with sticks.  So why in the world weren't the clothes designed for kids to play in AND endure that play? 

So, long story short, Wild Mill Kids is not into fast fashion, and is not about fashion at all, really. It's about creating functional, comfortable, and durable everyday clothes that are designed for PLAY that your kids will love to wear and that will last. 

Thank you for visiting my shop!  

With Love, 

Sarah