Hi, I'm Julie!

Hi! I’m The Playdough Lady (also known as Julie)! I started Young, Wild & Friedman in 2017 after my oldest daughter, Evie, was diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Her speech therapist suggested incorporating sensory play into her daily routine. Like any determined mother, I spent hours researching sensory play and purchased some existing products before creating my own – our first play dough kit!! Evie loved it! And then my friend’s kids loved it too!  And then my few followers on Instagram loved it… fast forward, and here I am 7 years later, amazed to be sharing what started out as a need for my family with thousands and thousands of people across America! I am so grateful for this business!

Evie is now jumping over hurdles, running through barriers. We are so proud of her! Her favorite things are her siblings and games. She is an artist, an organizer and an empathizer. I don’t know what she’ll end up doing one day, but I bet it involves helping others!

What’s my vision for the business? Honestly, I’m a do-er and a creator, but not a planner! I love this business, I love working with my team, I love making these products. I’m going to keep doing this for a while, it’s fun!

What's one of my favorite things about business? To this day, I still get surprised to see my kids play with YWF kits for literally hours at a time! I think that’s because we make thoughtfully curated, quality products with our special homemade play dough. Put an open-ended sensory kit in front of your child, and you'll be shocked watching their little imagination run!

How are we giving back? As our business has grown, we’ve been giving back more and more. Our first priority has always been to treat our employees well! We employ about 45 ladies (and a handful of men!), and they are amazing!! Our second priority has been to give back externally. As we’ve grown, that has evolved from product donations to product and dollar donations! Check out our YWF GIVES highlight on Instagram to learn more!

xoxo, Julie

Here are some of my amazing YWF team members!