Ep 13 - Cooking

In this warm, hilarious, and thoughtful episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma dive into cooking at Forest School—why it matters, how it works, and what it reveals about play, connection, and community. They share practical experiences with wood-fired pizzas, vegan cakes, Dutch oven disasters, and collaborative apple pancakes, all cooked outdoors with children and families. The conversation ranges from the science of sensory eating to mindfulness, communal bonding, food as a leveller between adults and children, and how Forest School cooking reclaims lost skills and traditions. You'll hear about the magic of shared popcorn, the philosophy behind not weighing ingredients, and how even food "failures" become joyful, connective learning moments. ⏱ Chapter Timings: 00:00 – In the clay: kiln-building and local history 01:20 – Favourite things we’ve cooked outdoors 02:37 – The pizza journey: from toddler wraps to fermented dough 04:52 – Dutch oven cake adventures and improvisational baking 06:08 – Teaching chemical reactions through spontaneous cooking 07:05 – Why food tastes better outside: mindfulness and sensory elevation 09:30 – Flow-based pancake cooking with toddlers 10:42 – Knife skills, trust, and adult tension 11:42 – Simplicity as necessity and gift 12:18 – Letting food taste like itself: the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall approach 13:17 – Storytelling and cooking: Stone Soup and narrative connection 13:46 – Reclaiming cooking as a communal experience 14:43 – Children trying new foods and shocking their parents 15:15 – Community vs network and the power of shared roles 17:30 – Campfire popcorn as a social glue 18:50 – Equal opinion on taste: food as a leveller 19:42 – Donuts, joy, and playful indulgence for grown-ups 20:40 – Parent-to-parent bonding and Forest School food culture 21:50 – Shared disasters, laughter, and memories 22:24 – Open kitchens and removing barriers to participation 23:49 – Comfort with skill gaps and outdoor ed humility 24:41 – Rediscovering forgotten food techniques 25:38 – When home cooking fails but campfire cooking works 26:35 – Cooking as a play experience, not just survival 27:17 – Playing with the tools of adulthood 28:41 – The luxury of exploratory fire cooking 29:21 – Competence, visibility, and full process access 29:38 – Outro 🌲 Keywords: Forest School cooking, outdoor food, campfire cooking, communal meals, Dutch oven baking, child-led cooking, mindful eating outdoors, Forest School connection, shared food, early years development, play-based learning, food as education, parent-child bonding, food rituals, outdoor education UK 🔖 Hashtags: #ForestSchool #CampfireCooking #OutdoorLearning #ChildLedLearning #ForestSchoolPodcast #PlayBasedLearning #DutchOvenBaking #VeganCampfire #MindfulEating #CommunityThroughFood #SensoryPlay #PopcornAndPlay #NatureBasedEducation #StoryAndSoup #InclusiveCooking 🌐 More Episodes & Support: Explore more and find resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com Support us at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast Get in touch via [email protected]