The Forest School Podcast

In this episode, Wem and Lewis explore the philosophical and societal implications of play, discussing how it shapes childhood development and adult behavior. They delve into the idea that play is not merely a preparation for adulthood but a vital part of life itself, influencing social interactions and personal growth. The conversation also touches on the impact of adult perceptions on children's play and the broader cultural narratives surrounding play.

Keywords

play, childhood development, adult behavior, social interactions, personal growth, societal perceptions, cultural narratives, essential play, children, adults

Takeaways

Play is a vital part of life, not just preparation for adulthood.
Adult perceptions can influence children's play experiences.
Play shapes social interactions and personal growth.
Cultural narratives impact how play is valued.
Philosophical discussions on the essence of play are explored.
Play is essential for both children and adults.
The role of play in childhood development is multifaceted.
Play can reflect societal issues and biases.
Understanding play requires a holistic view of its impact.
Play is a fundamental aspect of human experience.

Summary
From Westonbirt inspirations to field guides and plant-hunter epics, Lewis and Gemma pull 13 tree books and ask how reading changes woodland practice. Hear about ships with greenhouses, coppice cycles, charcoal burning, fungal networks, minimalist nursery design, mapping with old OS layers and LiDAR, plus a practitioner’s starter stack for ID and ethnobotany.
Sponsors
TENTSILE
Save 10% on tree tents and hammocks with code ForestChildren10 at checkout. Ideal for leaders who want flexible base-camp shelter without ground impact.
Chris Holland
Explore Chris’s 54-page Plant of the Week guide with songs, stories and QR videos. Use our affiliate link: https://chrisholland.myshopify.com/?ref=ForestSchoolPodcast
Key takeaways
Books are tools. Ideas on the page translate into better planning, richer invitations to play and clearer woodland decisions.
History explains today’s woods. War, trade and enclosure shaped plantations and access.
When the landscape is the resource you can need fewer add-ons.
Mycorrhizal science challenges the clean slate approach to plantations. Diversity can feed young trees.
A balanced shelf helps practitioners. Mix narrative inspiration, technical ID, land-use history and local mapping.
Chapters
00:00 Audio or video and how to follow along
02:10 Westonbirt, tree hunters and why one book leads to three more
06:40 Plant collectors, ships with greenhouses and species introductions
11:20 Remarkable trees and the Douglas fir story
15:20 Finding the Mother Tree and what fungal networks show us
20:10 Managing woods for play, coppice cycles and charcoal
25:40 Enclosure, disafforestation and the Western Rising rabbit hole
30:40 Rackham, old OS maps and first steps with LiDAR
35:30 Practitioner stack for sessions and ethnobotany
40:50 Photos or illustrations for ID, trends in tree writing, the squirrel book wish
Books and resources mentioned
Thomas Pakenham — The Tree Hunters; Meetings with Remarkable Trees
John Evelyn — Sylva, or a Discourse of Forest Trees
Suzanne Simard — Finding the Mother Tree
Peter Wohlleben — The Hidden Life of Trees
Richard Powers — The Overstory
Oliver Rackham — Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape; The History of the Countryside
Tristan Gooley — How to Read a Tree
Ray Mears — British Woodland: How to Explore the Secret World of Our Forests
Roger Phillips — UK wild plants and fungi photographic guides
Chris Holland — Plant of the Week collection
Handy tools referenced
Old OS map viewer for historical layers
LiDAR overlays for spotting ridge and furrow, pits and platforms
Listen now
🎧 Catch the full episode:
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyI
YouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUs
Apple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMF
RSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9
Stay in touch
Questions, feedback or collaboration: [email protected]
Say hello on Instagram and Facebook. Tell us your favourite tree book or share a shelf photo and tag the show so we can reshare.
Support
More episodes and resources: theforestschoolpodcast.com
Back the show from £2 a month: patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast
Hashtags
#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #NaturePlay #ReflectivePractice #TreeBooks

In this punchy, practice-rich episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem unpack The Land — a 2016 documentary about an adventure playground in Wrexham — as screened via the Boston Children’s Museum panel. They dig into filming that sits inside the play, what “looks like a dump” can signal to children, and how adventure playground philosophy intersects with Forest School when you factor in nature’s needs, community, and inclusion. From risk versus hazard to loose parts in public parks, it is a tour through culture, pedagogy, and what real autonomy feels like.
🌟 Sponsors and supporter shout-outs
We are supported by TENTSILE. Forest School leaders and listeners get 10% off with code ForestChildren10 at checkout.
We are also supported by Chris Holland. Grab his 54-page plant guide and more with our affiliate link: https://chrisholland.myshopify.com/?ref=ForestSchoolPodcast
Patrons keep this going from just £2 per month. Thank you for keeping the lights on and the microphones warm.
⏱ Chapter Timings
00:00 Film on The Land and why it matters
01:22 Naturalistic camera work and playworker voice
03:20 UK playwork culture compared with the US context
05:44 Feelings when play looks messy, what the environment signals
08:19 Forest School versus adventure playgrounds, whose needs are held
10:40 Risk and hazard, modelling assessment in the open
12:59 Loose parts in public parks, barriers and “reset-able” spaces
15:23 Community care, freedom with a nominated adult, less panopticon
17:03 When children ignore the plan, ego checks for facilitators
18:35 What we will read next, The Anxious Generation
🌲 Keywords
adventure playgrounds, The Land documentary, playwork, Forest School practice, risk versus hazard, loose parts, inclusion, community play culture, environmental signalling, Boston Children’s Museum panel
🔖 Hashtags
#ForestSchool #Playwork #OutdoorEducation #LooseParts #ReflectivePractice
🎧 Catch the full episode:
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyI
YouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUs
Apple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMF
RSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9
🌐 More Episodes and Support
Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com
Support the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast
For questions, feedback, or collaboration: [email protected]

In this lively, idea-packed episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem chat with Dr Shelley Newstead about the roots and reality of playwork. Shelley traces adventure playgrounds from Sorensen in Denmark to Lady Allen in post-war Britain, then explains her PARS playwork model that helps adults articulate what they are doing and why. Expect thoughtful links to Forest School practice, clear language for talking to schools and parents, and practical insight on when to step in and when to stand back. They also tackle funding priorities, teens and play, and how to keep practice reflexive rather than nostalgic.

Sponsors

TENTSILE — Tree tents for educators and explorers. Listeners get 10% off with code ForestChildren10.
Chris Holland — Nature connection resources including his 54-page plant guide. Use our affiliate link: https://chrisholland.myshopify.com/?ref=ForestSchoolPodcast

⏱ Chapter Timings

00:00 – Cold open and the promise to keep it normal
01:06 – Meet Dr Shelley Newstead and what playwork is really about
03:18 – From practitioner to PhD and why articulation matters
07:15 – A playwork perspective explained
11:44 – Sorensen, Lady Allen, and the rise of adventure playgrounds
18:26 – Grassroots growth and reinventing the wheel
24:19 – The PARS model for articulating, developing, and evaluating practice
32:37 – PARS hats for parents and practitioners
44:17 – Forest School and playwork, overlap and differences
51:41 – Funding fixed parks versus community play and provision for teens

🌲 Keywords

Playwork history, adventure playgrounds, Sorensen, Lady Allen, PARS model, reflexive practice, articulation of practice, Forest School and playwork, teen play, community provision

🔖 Hashtags

#ForestSchool #Playwork #OutdoorEducation #ReflectivePractice #ChildLedLearning

🎧 Catch the full episode:

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyI

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUs

Apple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMF

RSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9

🌐 More Episodes & Support

Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com

Support the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast

For questions, feedback, or collaboration: [email protected]

In this lively Ludo Botany special, we explore tree climbing as play, practice, and design. Lewis brings fresh research on branch collars, spacing, and load strength while Gemma brings lived experience on how different trees invite different kinds of movement. From laurel and rhododendron “nest” trees to coppice stools and swooping live-oak ramps, they unpack species, shapes, and access. The chat ranges across myths and heuristics, defender branches, orthotropic versus horizontal shoots, group dynamics in shared trees, how adult presence changes the climb, and why our bodies feel different in trees compared with ladders. It wraps with a community callout for your best natural loose parts for the next Ludo Botany episode. 🌳

⏱ Chapter Timings

00:44 – New cold open, studio fidgets, and scene-setting
02:30 – Ludo Botany focus: tree climbing, research versus lived experience
06:16 – Myths to mechanics: collar development, spacing, and those wrist-width rules
12:34 – Trees on slopes, branch distribution, and what that means for access
15:09 – Defender branches, orthotropic versus horizontal shoots, and bark wear
20:19 – “Nest” trees and fallen logs: comfort, horizontality, and play worlds
23:14 – Species and cultivation: coppice, mini-pollards, and live-oak style ramps
33:25 – Adult gaze, crowding, etiquette, and height as status in shared trees
37:30 – Bodies and brains: startle reflex, evolution, and why trees beat ladders
54:31 – Next up: loose parts callout and how to send in voice notes

🌲 Keywords: Ludo Botany, tree climbing, branch collar strength, defender branches, orthotropic shoots, coppice and pollard, live oaks, laurel and rhododendron nests, group dynamics, inclusive play design

🎧 Catch the full episode:

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyI

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUs

Apple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMF

RSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #NaturePlay #TreeClimbing #LudoBotany

🌐 More Episodes & Support:
Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com

Support the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast

For questions, feedback, or collaboration: [email protected]