In this thoughtful, wide-ranging episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma dig into a powerful research summary by Dr Miles Richardson: What Best Explains Children’s Connection with Nature? From hospital visits and journalling revelations to witches, epigenetics and smartphone addiction, this episode is a winding exploration of how, when and why children connect to nature—and what we can do about it. They unpick the study’s most surprising findings: more time in nature doesn’t necessarily equal deeper connection; higher-income families may visit green spaces more, yet feel less connected; and the single strongest predictor of a child’s nature connectedness is having a nature-connected adult in the same household.

With Forest School reflections, philosophical tangents, and practical considerations for practitioners, they look at how outdoor educators might adapt their approaches—especially for teenagers, whose connection to nature drops significantly. Also covered: why adults matter, why supervision design in schools might be backfiring, and how smartphone use erodes awe and attention. Plus: brownie recipes, the Medicine Spoon Project, and the class-based inheritance of nature connection.

⏱ Chapter Timings:
00:00 – Why we took a break and the joy of being around adults
02:59 – Journalling, gratitude, and revisiting reflection habits
07:41 – The Medicine Spoon Project and rethinking Halloween
14:04 – Blog overview: "What Best Explains Children’s Connection with Nature?"
16:17 – Surprising findings: nature visits ≠ nature connection
22:45 – Deprivation, smartphone use, and everyday nature
27:10 – The role of the adult: modelling awe, wonder and access
55:00 – Why 13–15 year-olds disconnect from nature and what we can do
1:03:07 – Nature connection for adults: peer groups, play, and re-evaluating toddler sessions

🌲 Keywords: Forest School research, nature connection, Miles Richardson, Children and Nature, NCI index, Forest School for teenagers, nature education, smartphone addiction, reflective practice, intergenerational learning, social class and nature, epigenetics, peer mentoring, Medicine Spoon Project, awe and wonder, parent involvement

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #NatureConnectedness #MilesRichardson #ForestSchoolPodcast #NatureConnection #ChildDevelopment #PlayBasedLearning #TeenagersOutdoors #AweAndWonder #ReflectivePractice #CPD #EnvironmentalEducation #NatureForAll #WildPedagogy

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