In this reflective and surprisingly passionate episode, Lewis and Gemma kick off the new year by unpacking what it means to set goals for yourself, your Forest School, and the children in your care. They explore their chosen theme for the year—Nature Connection—and the thinking behind it. What does it look like to move beyond "just being outside" and intentionally build stillness, presence, and deeper engagement with nature into sessions?

They discuss real-life examples of nature connection activities (some of which feel wonderfully weird), the tricky balance between child-led and adult-initiated moments, and how trust and relational ‘bank accounts’ help children engage with unfamiliar experiences. Along the way, they wrestle with broader issues of early years observation, goal setting in education, and whether the current school system actually supports real learning at all. Expect rants about curriculum design, passionate defences of play, and practical reflections on integrating maths into early years provision without killing curiosity.

⏱ Chapter Timings
00:00 – 2019: a futuristic year, back in the woods
01:00 – Christmas breaks and conversational autopilot
01:37 – Personal resolutions: finances, autopilot, and systems
03:38 – Forest School’s 2018 theme: Order
04:30 – 2019 theme: Nature Connection
05:28 – The lens of nature connection in session planning
06:44 – The challenge of balancing child-led vs guided activities
07:43 – Why some activities feel weird—but why they matter
08:26 – Group dynamics and the linchpin child dilemma
09:40 – Relationship bank accounts and building trust
10:31 – Shared experiences and group attunement
12:09 – Arrival routines, stillness, and mental clarity
13:21 – Nature connection and behaviour management
14:00 – Stillness supporting intentional play
14:57 – How goal setting works differently for each of them
15:55 – Forest School planning as a reflective cycle
16:56 – Cold turkey vs slow habit change
17:47 – Social media boundaries and digital decluttering
18:40 – Language and the power of “should” (hello, NVC)
19:35 – Autonomy and choice in adult and child goals
20:35 – The illusion of child choice in traditional schooling
21:30 – Who decides what goals matter?
22:04 – The real learning of primary school: how to be a person
23:20 – Observational teaching and following children’s interests
24:20 – Bob Hughes’ play types and the lens of play
25:12 – The tragedy of squashing play for content
26:03 – Goal setting in early years Forest School
27:43 – Observations, maths, and subtle invitations
28:44 – Spotting cues vs top-down planning
29:44 – Preparing children realistically for school
30:42 – Pushing school readiness onto toddlers
31:28 – Teasing next episode on Bob Hughes
32:21 – Want to get in touch? (See below)

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