EPISODE · Jan 23, 2021 · 58 MIN
Ep 89 - Forest School Maths!
from The Forest School Podcast · host Lewis Ames and Wem Southerden
In this thoughtful and often humorous episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma dive into the messy, joyful world of maths at Forest School. Beginning with tangents on back-cracking, folk music, and gratitude journaling, the conversation soon weaves into a rich tapestry of observation, pedagogy, and curriculum critique. They explore how maths shows up organically in outdoor play—through fairness, measuring, currency invention, building, risk assessment, and more—without ever needing plastic counters or worksheets.This episode covers contrasting pedagogical approaches from Waldorf to EYFS, key takeaways from Peter Gray’s articles on unschooling and mathematical autonomy, and real-life examples of emergent maths in Forest School settings. With warmth and depth, the conversation questions our societal obsession with didactic maths and celebrates the mathematical richness already present in nature, play, and human connection.⏱ Chapter Timings:00:00 – Crying, car crashes, and physical paperwork: an emotional intro02:43 – Chiropractic YouTube, gratitude journaling, and old stuff07:47 – Reclaimed bricks, wine bottles, and Devon apple trees11:01 – Folk music, John Barleycorn, and mythic maths metaphors12:49 – Book reviews: EYFS maths, Waldorf geometry, and Fibonacci sneezeweed18:42 – Rhythm, the heliosphere, and how not to teach time25:33 – Forest School maths: pinecone currency, tree rings, and fairness31:47 – Peter Gray’s articles and the four types of maths44:34 – Real examples: cooking, climbing, measuring, and equity54:41 – Takeaways: start with the learner, strip it all back🌲 Keywords: Forest School maths, outdoor learning, emergent numeracy, playful maths, unschooling, Peter Gray, Waldorf geometry, EYFS curriculum, observational learning, currency in play, fairness, rhythm in nature, gratitude practice, folk pedagogy🔖 Hashtags:#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #MathsInNature #Unschooling #EmergentMaths #NatureBasedLearning #PlayBasedMaths #PeterGray #WaldorfEducation #RhythmAndMaths #ForestSchoolPodcast #EarlyYears #ChildLedLearning #PracticalPedagogy #NatureConnection #MathsOutside🌐 More Episodes & Support:Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.comSupport the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcastFor questions, feedback, or collaboration: [email protected]
What this episode covers
In this thoughtful and often humorous episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma dive into the messy, joyful world of maths at Forest School. Beginning with tangents on back-cracking, folk music, and gratitude journaling, the conversation soon weaves into a rich tapestry of observation, pedagogy, and curriculum critique. They explore how maths shows up organically in outdoor play—through fairness, measuring, currency invention, building, risk assessment, and more—without ever needing plastic counters or worksheets.This episode covers contrasting pedagogical approaches from Waldorf to EYFS, key takeaways from Peter Gray’s articles on unschooling and mathematical autonomy, and real-life examples of emergent maths in Forest School settings. With warmth and depth, the conversation questions our societal obsession with didactic maths and celebrates the mathematical richness already present in nature, play, and human connection.⏱ Chapter Timings:00:00 – Crying, car crashes, and physical paperwork: an emotional intro02:43 – Chiropractic YouTube, gratitude journaling, and old stuff07:47 – Reclaimed bricks, wine bottles, and Devon apple trees11:01 – Folk music, John Barleycorn, and mythic maths metaphors12:49 – Book reviews: EYFS maths, Waldorf geometry, and Fibonacci sneezeweed18:42 – Rhythm, the heliosphere, and how not to teach time25:33 – Forest School maths: pinecone currency, tree rings, and fairness31:47 – Peter Gray’s articles and the four types of maths44:34 – Real examples: cooking, climbing, measuring, and equity54:41 – Takeaways: start with the learner, strip it all back🌲 Keywords: Forest School maths, outdoor learning, emergent numeracy, playful maths, unschooling, Peter Gray, Waldorf geometry, EYFS curriculum, observational learning, currency in play, fairness, rhythm in nature, gratitude practice, folk pedagogy🔖 Hashtags:#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #MathsInNature #Unschooling #EmergentMaths #NatureBasedLearning #PlayBasedMaths #PeterGray #WaldorfEducation #RhythmAndMaths #ForestSchoolPodcast #EarlyYears #ChildLedLearning #PracticalPedagogy #NatureConnection #MathsOutside🌐 More Episodes & Support:Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.comSupport the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcastFor questions, feedback, or collaboration: [email protected]
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Ep 89 - Forest School Maths!
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