In this lively, expansive episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma unpack the power and complexity of wide games in Forest School. From smuggling pebbles and chasing rabbits to navigating age-mixed play, they explore the hidden pedagogies inside high-energy group games. The episode examines how wild play can mirror ancient human behaviours, enable role-based empathy, and unlock social learning through conflict, failure, and flow. With references to escape rooms, inherited trauma, predator-prey metaphors, loose parts theory, and democratic education, this conversation reframes ‘just a game’ as a potent educational tool. Lewis and Gemma also reflect on how adaptable facilitation, group dynamics, and reflective practice can transform chaos into connection.

🎯 Want to spark better strategy, group cohesion, and hidden learning in your own practice? This episode will give you a forest-full of ideas.

⏱ Chapter Timings:
00:00 – First aid, swearing, and real-life practitioner messiness
01:37 – Reflections on delivering their first Level 3 training
03:40 – What are wide games? Definitions, accessibility, and use beyond Forest School
05:58 – How site privacy and visibility impact facilitation and trust
10:36 – Football, field-based play, and the nature disconnect
14:06 – Cheating, fairness, and democratic dynamics in wide games
19:29 – The “Smugglers” game: flow states, conflict, and social fallout
23:31 – Failing forward: recognising rich learning inside ‘broken’ games
27:25 – Roleplay, inherited memory, and real-world metaphors
36:01 – Predator-prey empathy and recapitulative nature connection
44:59 – In-role learning, performance psychology, and transformative engagement

🌲 Keywords: wide games, Forest School games, smuggling game, democratic play, social learning, cheating and fairness, predator-prey empathy, recapitulated play, outdoor games, children’s roleplay, mixed-age groups, football in nature play, flexible facilitation, failure in learning, in-role engagement, loose parts play

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #WideGames #RolePlayLearning #SmugglersGame #ChildLedPlay #ForestSchoolPodcast #SocialLearning #NatureConnection #DemocraticEducation #ReflectivePractice #MixedAgeLearning #LoosePartsPlay #InclusiveGames #RiskyPlay

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