<p>In this reflective, good-humoured episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma wander from hornets and sweet chestnuts to big ideas in space design and session planning. They unpack a fresh “great board experiment” that swaps linear timetables for an Eight Shields-inspired planning wheel, then dive into a beautiful Japanese coffee-table book, The World Designed for Children, to ask how architecture can invite play. Along the way: apples, dehydrators, built-in play features, minimalism versus loose parts, logos and community identity, and a brand-new concept Lewis coins on air — Ludo Botany — matching kinds of play with specific plants and woodland management over time. It is a lively mix of practice, philosophy, and proper woodland gossip. 🌳</p><p><br /></p><p>⏱ Chapter Timings</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 – Wind, wildlife, and sweet chestnuts: back in the woods</p><p>03:10 – Glut season: apples, dehydration, and preserving abundance</p><p>06:16 – The great board experiment: why ditch the linear plan</p><p>08:20 – Planning with Eight Shields energies instead of activities</p><p>11:21 – From checklists to a “spoked wheel”: transparency and crossing things out</p><p>20:42 – The World Designed for Children: minimalist nurseries and built-in play</p><p>24:54 – Ponds, sandpits, stairs you can climb: architecture as invitation</p><p>29:16 – Loose parts, display culture, and what “the space is the resource” means</p><p>34:36 – Brand, logos, patches, shared rituals: identity without uniforms</p><p>45:06 – Introducing Ludo Botany and “plant baby plant”: designing for play yields</p><p><br /></p><p>🌲 Keywords</p><p><br /></p><p>Forest School planning, Eight Shields, session design, Japanese early years architecture, built-in play, loose parts, brand and community, reflective practice, woodland management, Ludo Botany</p><p><br /></p><p>🔖 Hashtags</p><p><br /></p><p>#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #ReflectivePractice #LooseParts #NaturePlay</p><p><br /></p><p>🎧 Catch the full episode:</p><p><br /></p><p>Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyI</p><p><br /></p><p>YouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUs</p><p><br /></p><p>Apple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMF</p><p><br /></p><p>RSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9</p><p><br /></p><p>🌐 More Episodes &amp; Support</p><p><br /></p><p>Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com</p><p><br /></p><p>Support the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast</p><p><br /></p><p>For questions, feedback, or collaboration: [email protected]</p>