In this brisk, wind-whipped episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma tackle the perennial British dilemma: “Do we still run Forest School when it’s tipping it down?”
Drawing on soaked tarps, collapsed shelters and toddler groups in hail, they weigh up risk, kit, site impact and that elusive “hookah” feeling of singing round a stove while the storm hammers overhead. From leggings-plus-wind-chill hypothermia to the joy of mud kitchens that only appear after a deluge, they share hard-won tips for safeguarding children, clothing, morale — and the woodland itself. The conversation roams through non-uniform-day disasters, vertical mud-wall alternatives to mud fights, and why resilient practice often starts with the leader’s own base layers and Thermos.

⏱ Chapter Timings
00:00 – Finding the smoke-free spot and British “moist” climate chat
01:50 – “Just get them out” fallacy vs meeting children where they are
04:20 – Wet kit, class, parental budgets and the true cost of ruined uniforms
06:00 – Calling sessions short: when cold trumps timetable
08:00 – Pre-session priorities: Thermos > fire lighting in sleet
10:30 – Lending hats & spare waterproofs: non-negotiable kit bags
12:00 – Saying no: when clothing makes a session unsafe
13:40 – Leader cold, empathy gaps and storytelling as internal central-heating
16:20 – Wind-proof kitchens, hurdles and stoves for morale
18:10 – Fire ≠ heater: why children must warm themselves, not huddle
20:00 – Site care: roots, paths and tree damage in relentless rain
22:20 – The tarp-collapse day: lessons from a reception mud riot
25:10 – Permanent shelters vs pop-ups on open school fields
27:00 – Communication with schools: spare kit, refund calls & caretaker mud
29:20 – Rain-only play: puddle streams, mud slides and the joy of pouring
32:00 – Singing through hail: using stories and chorus to lift spirits
34:40 – Mud fights: walls, effigies and kit-based ground rules
38:15 – Rain lowering ego, raising flow: potions, tattoo mud & creative freedom
43:00 – Non-uniform day catastrophe: Disney dress meets belly-slide
46:30 – Pre-empting parent reactions: praise first, washing later
47:50 – Training dates reminder & live course rundown

🌲 Keywords: wet-weather Forest School, rain-proof kit, hypothermia signs, mud play, storytelling for resilience, site preservation, school communication, spare clothing banks, vertical mud walls, leader wellbeing, hookah moments

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #RainyDayPlay #MudKitchen #WetWeatherKit #RiskBenefit #HookahFeeling #StorytellingOutdoors #ForestSchoolPodcast #ResilientPractice

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