Ep 20 - 2018 Review!

In this special reflective episode, Lewis and Gemma take a rambling, funny, and deeply human walk through the entire Forest School year of 2018. Using their camera roll as a guide, they recall the highs, lows, and everything in between—from frozen tree pickups in January to emotional moments with their own children in the woods. Expect stories about chaotic community Christmas tree collections, child-built treehouses, dead mice in fire buckets, camo shelters turned WWII reenactments, and the grounding presence of woodland wildlife. They also revisit the joy of elderflower pancakes, role-play wood chopping, buzzard shirts, ice-cream science, and opening their kindergarten provision for the very first time. With thoughtful reflections on modelling fatherhood, intergenerational play, early years observations, and what it really means to ‘step back’ in children’s learning, this episode is a time capsule of Forest School practice and philosophy in motion. ⏱ Chapter Timings 00:00 – Revisiting the year: should we go forward or backward? 01:58 – The “Christmas tree pickup” disaster 03:37 – 150 free trees, fences, and community confusion 04:17 – Treehouse project: child-led, slow, and wonderful 05:55 – Camouflage, swing day, and ongoing evolution 06:27 – First adult CPD: freezing cold but passionate 07:09 – Hanging frozen nature art from parachutes 07:55 – Ice slabs and deep winter school fun 08:16 – Birch tapping: discovering tastier sycamores 08:33 – Wildlife still present: footprints and environmental reflections 09:27 – Sudden March snow followed by T-shirts 10:04 – A mouse in the fire bucket and child-led death education 11:04 – Our first DIV helpers and the value of volunteers 12:25 – Balancing professionalism with community roots 12:50 – School trip to the River Cam for crayfish research 13:33 – Holiday club highlights and powerful child-led play 14:59 – Wood-chopping as immersive, imaginative roleplay 15:59 – The stress play type: primal resource urgency 16:15 – Elderflower pancakes and community chapati making 16:52 – Sling play, male role modelling, and normalising fatherhood 18:20 – The developmental impact of babies in the woods 19:55 – Ice-cream making science (and too many plastic bags) 21:11 – Buzzard shirts: long-term children stepping into leadership 22:40 – Why being outside school systems creates continuity 23:21 – Age-mixed play and inclusive community dynamics 24:35 – Summer camping: bonding, owls, and minstrels 26:01 – Building the bender shelter for kindergarten 27:15 – The joy and depth of early years Forest School 28:40 – Observing vs planning: navigating EYFS with authenticity 29:47 – Maths moments and curriculum pressures 30:29 – Walking, learning, and invisible progress 31:41 – Avoiding play interference to deepen learning 33:25 – Trust, safety, and modelling non-corrective responses 34:21 – Ending with gratitude and festive goodbyes 🔍 SEO Keywords: Forest School year in review, Forest School storytelling, child-led play, roleplay in nature, early years observation, EYFS outdoors, outdoor early education, woodland preschool, long-term projects, community Forest School, fatherhood modelling, treehouse building, Forest School camping, death in nature education, volunteer engagement, reflection in Forest School 🔖 Hashtags: #ForestSchoolPodcast #ForestSchoolReflections #OutdoorLearning #ChildLedPlay #NatureEducation #EarlyYearsOutdoors #ForestKindergarten #CommunityLearning #VolunteeringInEducation #TreehouseProject #NaturePlay #WoodlandPreschool #EmpoweredChildren #PlayfulLearning #FatherhoodInEducation #ChildDevelopmentOutdoors 🌐 More Episodes & Support Discover more at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com Support the podcast via www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast For enquiries or collaborations: [email protected]