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

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