Explore every episode of the podcast Raising Wildlings

Send us Fan Mail

How does a single mum from Australia's Sunshine Coast end up world schooling in Tuscany?

Denise Georges shares her courageous leap from skepticism about homeschooling to embracing world schooling in the beautiful countryside of Italy. 

After losing her job during the pandemic, Denise discovered the transformative power of alternative education systems, all while navigating personal challenges and societal expectations. Her story is a testament to the strength required to break away from conventional paths for the sake of family and personal fulfillment.

We chat about the innovative Boundless Life program, founded by Mauro Rapici, which offers families the chance to live and learn in stunning global locations. With destinations spanning Europe and beyond, this episode uncovers how families can effortlessly balance work, education, and adventure. 

Denise invites you to redefine family life and education by embracing travel and the path less travelled. Get inspired to break free from societal pressures, explore new possibilities, and perhaps embark on your very own boundless journey!

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Courtney Sullivan, the founder of Wild Play Co., joins us to share her journey from academia to entrepreneurship. Inspired by her background in exercise science and concern over youth's sedentary lifestyles, she embarked on creating a nature play business, WildPlay Co, in Bendigo, Victoria.

We chat about:

• Launching a business while parenting young children and the unique challenges it brings
• The flexibility entrepreneurship offers as a parent
• The importance of connecting with like-minded individuals who share her passion for outdoor education and environmental conservation
• Managing permits and zoning hurdles
• Crafting authentic marketing messages and the power of storytelling in marketing.
• The importance of a diverse and dedicated team in their success
• How the Wild Business course bolstered her confidence to ask questions and seek guidance through the unpredictable path of entrepreneurship.
• And we celebrated Wild Play Co. first year, and hear all about Courtney's exciting plans for the future.

Join us for an episode filled with inspiration, practical advice, and the keys to navigating the entrepreneurial landscape with resilience and adaptability. 

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever wondered how to foster a deeper connection between children and the natural world? On this episode of Raising Wildlings, we sit down with soon-to-be Dr. Amanda England, an expert in nature play philosophy and pedagogy, currently pursuing her PhD in Australia. Amanda unpacks the essence of Forest School in Australia, highlighting how this approach encourages free play and curiosity-driven learning in outdoor environments, emphasising the importance of play with risk and adventure . You'll discover how children can learn about sustainability, community, and indigenous connections through their interactions with nature.

Amanda's research underscores the value of regular, uninterrupted play in the same natural space, allowing children to witness and engage with seasonal changes. She passionately believes that this continuity fosters a meaningful and sustainable relationship with the natural world. We discuss the need for extended play periods and a holistic approach to education where children learn with, from, and in nature. You'll hear about the significant benefits of viewing humans as an integral part of nature, rather than as separate entities, and how this perspective can transform educational practices.

So grab your boots and join us for an insightful journey into the wild world of Forest Schooling. Stay wild!

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

What does it take to create meaningful outdoor experiences for families? Join us as we sit down with Kristi Bryant, passionate outdoor and environmental educator behind Bushwalking Mama. Kristi opens up about her journey in documenting and inspiring family-friendly outdoor activities, and the innovative methods she employs to integrate play and connection into outdoor learning. 

In this episode, we spotlight the significance of autonomy and personal choice in outdoor activities. Kristi emphasises the need for positive relationships and accommodating individual needs to foster a genuine connection with nature. We discuss the delicate balance between encouraging participation and respecting personal boundaries, ensuring everyone feels comfortable and respected in their outdoor educational adventures. Kristi's approach underscores the importance of gradual steps and listening to individual concerns, creating a supportive environment conducive to learning and growth.

We also explore the transformative power of outdoor education in building resilience and overcoming fears. Kristi shares personal experiences and the challenges of starting a business in the nature play industry, from risk assessments to insurance hurdles. 

Tune in for an inspiring episode that champions the resilience, collaboration, and passion at the heart of outdoor education and nature play.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Curious about the world of Family Day Care and how it might be the perfect fit for your child? Join us as we sit down with Victoria Edmond of Big Hearted Education and Rainbow Bridge Family Daycare Service. Victoria takes us through her inspiring journey from long daycare disillusionment to creating her own nurturing Family Day Care service and debunks the myth that family daycare can't be profitable. 

We cover:

• What is the difference between Family Day Care and Long Day Care and why might you choose one over the other as a parent?
• How do children access nature in a Family Day Care Service?
• What about child protection concerns in Family Day Care?
• How can I transition out of Long Day Care into Family Day Care?
• And we bust the myth that you can’t make a profit as a family day care service. So let’s welcome Victoria to the show!

We know as a parents, making the choice between Long Day Care, Family Day Care and Kindy can be a hard choice. Hopefully today’s episode with Victoria will answer a few of your burning questions and give you some tips on what to look out for in any service. And if you’re an educator listening today, we hope it answers some questions you have around why you might choose to become a Family Day Care provider and what to look for when joining a service. 

As always, we love your thoughts, feedback and questions, so feel free to DM us with any questions you may have over on our Raising Wildlings Instagram.

Stay wild!

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

What if you could launch a thriving nature play business without breaking the bank? Most of you listening are nature loving hands-on type people. So when you’re thinking about starting a Nature Play business of your own, you might feel really confident in the Nature Play side of things but terrified of the day-to-day running of business. The other thing that worries people is the cost of start-up. So in this episode, we thought we’d tackle these two problems in one hit and give you a list of free, easy to use software programs to get you started on your Wild Business journey.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Can a name shape the way we connect with nature through education? On this episode of Raising Wildlings, we are joined by the insightful (and soon-to-be Dr) Amanda England, as we unpack the nuances behind terms such "Forest School," "Nature Play," and "Bush Kinder," and discuss how these names reflect the unique environments and philosophies they represent.

Amanda shares her rich experiences from Europe, offering a global perspective on how these programs are practiced differently. We also delve into the importance of place-responsiveness, especially within the diverse landscapes of Australia, and debate the necessity of a unified term for nature-based education.

We also explore the essential elements of a shared Nature Play philosophy and the strides made towards unifying various nature play bodies in Australia, and touch on the challenges of maintaining a genuine commitment to child-directed play, beyond just marketing allure.

We encourage our listeners to join us in this lively debate over terminology and contribute your thoughts and innovative ideas. Get ready to rethink how we name and perceive Nature Play!

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Are you grappling with the fear of cease and desist letters or the anxiety of operating your nature play business in legal grey zones? Get ready to arm yourself with essential insights and practical advice that can help you stay compliant and successful in this challenging landscape. 

We'll help you understand where your business fits within outdoor recreation, education, and environmental education and clarify how these definitions impact your regulatory obligations. By focusing on the purpose, age group, and structure of your programs, you’ll learn how to navigate the often complex regulatory landscape effectively and ensure your nature play business thrives without legal hurdles.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever felt crushed by criticism from a parent, especially when you're pouring your heart into your business? We've been there. This week, we share our emotional journey as nature play program facilitators, discussing how initially taking negative feedback to heart, evolved into seeing it as a critical avenue for growth. By reframing criticism and using it to reaffirm our beliefs and improve communication, we’ve developed a more resilient mindset that empowers us to turn critiques into valuable learning experiences.

We also dive into the significance of clearly articulating the value and philosophy behind our nature programs to parents. Discover how emphasizing the intangible benefits—like fostering deep flow states and promoting non-traditional learning—can help parents appreciate the true impact on their children. Balancing feedback while staying true to our mission is key, and we explain why being explicit about our program’s offerings attracts the right participants. Join us for an insightful conversation on navigating feedback, maintaining authenticity, and ensuring that those who genuinely align with our goals thrive within our program.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

This is part one of a two part episode! You can find Part one over at The Forest School Podcast - we suggest you jump over and start there if you haven't listened to part one yet!
⁠
⁠And don't forget to give them a follow on their socials here:

• The Forest School Podcast Instagram
• The Forest School Podcast Facebook
• Children of the Forest UK Instagram

What happens when educators step out of their comfort zones and embrace diverse perspectives? Get ready for an insightful and playful conversation with Lewis Ames and Gemma Southerden of the Forest School Podcast as we explore the journey of lifelong learning in education. We dive into the benefits and challenges of continuous professional development and reveal the importance of breaking free from our echo chambers. By engaging with diverse cultures we uncover how these experiences enrich our understanding and teaching practices. 

Navigating discomfort and fostering meaningful conversations is a crucial part of professional growth. Together, we address the complexities of Australia's history and the fear of making mistakes due to white fragility. By promoting transparency and the willingness to ask questions, we discuss how educators and business owners can support those with less capacity for continual learning. Creating accessible content like podcasts and handouts is just one way to facilitate these challenging yet necessary conversations, paving the way for significant change and understanding.

Balancing business partnerships with personal values can be a tightrope walk, but it doesn't have to be daunting. Inspired by principles from Marshall Rosenberg's "Nonviolent Communication," we delve into the art of navigating difficult conversations and the concept of shadow values. Reflecting on the dual nature of personal strengths, we discuss how self-care, validation, and community support are vital in maintaining our passion for business and family. Join us for a heartfelt reflection on reenergizing our entrepreneurial spirits through mutual support, creativity, and a shared commitment to lifelong learning.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Discover the transformative journey of Jane McFadden, a former psychologist and founder of ADHD Mums, as she shares her late ADHD and autism diagnoses. Jane's candid recollection of the challenges she faced as a mother of three, and the realization of her neurodivergence when her eldest child started school, provides crucial insights into the intersection of neurodiversity and parenting. This episode is a must-listen for parents navigating similar paths, especially those in alternative education settings like forest schools, highlighting the importance of recognizing and supporting neurodivergent traits in both children and adults.

In this episode, we uncover the chaos and revelations of adult ADHD diagnoses, illustrated by Jane's impulsive decision to embark on a year-long caravan trip around Australia, which brought her ADHD symptoms to the forefront. Her story underscores the unique way ADHD manifests in women and girls, challenging common misconceptions and emphasizing the importance of proper diagnosis and support. From managing a busy lifestyle to persistent psychological consultations, we delve into the real-life impact of living with undiagnosed ADHD and the eventual clarity that comes with understanding one's condition.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Ever reminisced about the simple joys of childhood when a stick wasn't just a stick but a sword, a wand, or a companion on countless adventures? 

In today's episode, Nicki and Vicci will unravel the hidden developmental treasures found in stick play and how adults can prioritise safety without dampening the spirit of creativity.

Listen in as Nicki and Vicci share their extensive knowledge of:

🌱 The benefits of stick play
🌱 How to find 'the perfect stick'
🌱What's a 'blood bubble' and how does it create safety
🌱 Antedotes and insights on guiding children to play responsibly
🌱How and why children must be a part of shaping the safety rules 
🌱Adults roles in recognising children's emotional cues

Bringing the outdoors in can be daunting, especially in childcare settings, but it's not impossible and this episode will renew your appreciation for stick play with practical approaches to make it an enriching part of outdoor learning.

Send us Fan Mail

It's time to gain the confidence to flex your 'uncomfortable muscles' and become an agent of positive change in your family's life – because when it comes to sex education, silence is not an option.

This week we're chatting with Cath Hakanson, mother, sex educator, and founder of Sex Ed Rescue. Cath is all about helping kids and parents have better relationships through empowering conversations. With the right tools, self-confidence, and strategies, sex education can be less threatening, more natural, and much easier.

Cath is a firm believer that if kids can talk to their parents about sex, they can talk to their parents about anything!

In this episode Cath shares:

0:00 Empowering Parent-Child Conversations on Sex
11:38 Talking About Families, Relationships, and Pleasure
19:34 Open Conversations About Sex Education
30:36 Resourceful Parenting and Sex Education
41:34 Importance of Open Communication About Sex

From conversation starters to tackling sensitive subjects like pornography and consent, Cath's knowledge will help you feel supported and ready to make these crucial conversations a natural and normal part of your child's upbringing.

Send us Fan Mail

Rosie Ricketson is a mother and award-winning creative producer passionate about maternal well-being.  With a background in the arts, Rosie curates community-led experiences and projects with a vision for a more connected world. 

In this episode, Rosie shares:

🌱Her Thoughts Investing in Community During Uncertain Times
🌱Creativity's Role in Building Community
🌱Modern Motherhood Challenges and Needs
🌱Balancing Parenting, Education, and Work Support

This conversation served as a tapestry woven with personal anecdotes, the wisdom of voices like Maggie Dent, and the transformative ripples that stem from intentional community engagement, reminding us how vital our bonds are for growth and survival. 

Grab a cuppa, listen in, and let us know your thoughts x

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

As we close the chapter on an incredible year of growth and connection, our latest podcast episode takes you through a heartfelt journey of our key milestones, mistakes and goals for the new year.

Somehow during this time, we have hit an astonishing 420,000 downloads and cultivated conversations that have deeply resonated within the realms of parenting, alternative education, forest schooling and child development. Our little project, birthed in our humble home office, has since spread its wings, touching lives and igniting a global dialogue on the transformative power of playing and learning in nature.

The hustle of running a small business is nothing short of a rollercoaster, and trust us, we've had our fair share of stomach-dropping moments! From the anticipation of launching our Forest School Skills online course to navigating the choppy waters of economic uncertainty, we share our trials and triumphs. Yet, amidst the challenges, we've seen our programs soar to new heights, with over 5,600 children stepping through the doors of our Forest School sites this year alone to the simple joys of bringing on our first full-time team member. It's these victories, large and small, that chart the course for future growth and sustainability.

Fasten your seatbelts as we map out the adventures and aspirations that await us in the coming year. Our heart is set on deepening the roots of our existing projects and empowering educators through our forest school skills course. We're also gearing up for personal travel escapades, including a five-week caravan journey through Tasmania! 

Stay wild and join us on the journey—there's so much more to explore together.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

We're back, baby! Kicking off the 2024 season of the Raising Wildlings Podcast with our friend and fellow business owner Gill Howarth from Born Wise Education.

Gill always brings her wisdom to the table and it's great to have her back for an in-depth discussion on what raising "wild and free" children truly means.

Listen in as Gill shares:

🌱Her experience on the delicate balance of granting our children the space to navigate their fears and the world at large. 

🌱The spectrum of childhood "wildness" from mentorship to fostering autonomy. 

🌱And we confront the crucial question: Are ideas of wildness and freedom more reflective of our aspirations as adults than the experiences of our children?

Listen in and come away with a deepened understanding of nature play, child-centered learning, and the broader movements towards decolonising forest school education. 

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever questioned the traditional education system and its one-size-fits-all approach? If so, this episode is a must-listen as clinical psychologist and education advocate Dr. Naomi Fisher embarks on a deep discussion about alternative pathways to learning.

Dr Naomi Fisher is a clinical psychologist who specialises in autism, trauma and alternative ways to learn. She is the author of two books, both about self-directed education, and she is the mother of two children.

For full show notes head to 👉https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/breaking-educational-boundaries-with-dr-naomi-fisher

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Are you curious about how to reconnect with your inner wisdom and that of the land, seasons, and cycles? 

Today we are in conversation with the wonderful Tiffany Gesler, a proud Gunggari woman passionate about connecting people to their own nature. 
 
Tiffany is a seasoned early years and outdoor learning educator with expertise in Aboriginal health, midwifery, and women's business. 

In this last year, she launched her wild business Sowed and Nurtured, Toowoomba's first private bush school. 

Join us as we delve into the process of decolonizing outdoor education, promoting First Nation perspectives, and the impact of nature play businesses on families and communities. 

Don't miss out on this enriching conversation that is sure to challenge, educate, and inspire!

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Stepping out of the mainstream education system and into the business world is equal parts daunting and exhilarating.

In today's episode, we are talking with one of our founding Your Wild Business students Leanne Webster who has created a community and connection in Bundaberg QLD with her wonderful business Wild Gully.

In this episode Leanne shares:

🌱Her personal journey from the four walls of a classroom into the limitless expanse of the wilderness
🌱The realities of running an early learning business
🌱The power of personal connection when growing a customer base
🌱 The importance of community collaboration when it comes to Nature Play
🌱 How our signature Your Wild Business Course influenced her journey

If you want a behind-the-scenes view into what it's like to start a Nature Play business or simply love a good story, this episode will leave you inspired and full of inspiration.

Full Show Notes Can Be Found Here

https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/stepping-out-of-the-classroom-with-leanne-webster-from-wild-gully

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Ever thought you couldn't run a Nature Play program because your site isn't postcard-worthy?   
 
Newsflash: Picturesque beaches, a bubbling creek, or a lush rainforest are pretty but they are not essential for your Nature Play program.

We repeat they are not essential. 

Today we are discussing place-based learning and how it's actually really important that children connect with their own local environment in a deep and meaningful way.

Nicki and Vicci will share:

🌱The benefits of running programs in dry locations
🌱The three absolute 'must have' facilities for your site
🌱Why picturesque locations could attract 'the wrong crowd' for your programs
🌱Practical ways you can foster deep connections at your nature play site

Join us as we explore why a picture-perfect environment might look great in photos, but can often come with challenges that make long-term engagement difficult. Whether you're a parent, an educator, or simply interested in alternative education and parenting, tune in and we promise to shift your perspective on nature play programs.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

"If nature is free and play is free... Then why would I need to pay $ to insure my Nature Play session? "

😱 - Us

Yes, that was our actual faces when we heard someone was running a Nature Play session WITHOUT insurance.

Not only does this kind of dodgy practice risk people's livelihoods and homes... it also has the potential to completely destroy a whole industry that is supposed to protect childhood and children's right to play in nature.

In this episode, Nicki Farrell & Vicci Oliver (co-founders of The Wildlings Forest School) talk about the elephant in the room when it comes to the potential consequences of neglecting insurance and why it will actually bring you freedom and peace once you have it all sorted.

Nicki & Vicci share their experience on:

💥Why not all insurance coverage is created equal
💥 The importance of aligning your insurance with the unique risks
💥The need to double-check that your insurer covers activities like working with unpredictable outdoor environments.
💥Cutting through the complexity and confusion surrounding insurance coverage

Tune in for this practical episode on the "Business Side" of nature play and how you can best protect your interests and those of the children in your care.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're screaming internally, "Not this!"? You're not alone. Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's empowering post, this episode delves into Nicki's process of courageously saying ,'Not this,' and stepping away from situations that no longer served her and opting for a path of uncertainty over a life of discontent. 

Tune in and unleash the courage within you to say, "Not this."

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

How do you define success as a mother and business owner? What does it mean to find your threshold of "enoughness"?  

We are back this week with Gill Howarth, owner of Bornwise Education, as she uncovers her journey through the peaks and valleys of motherhood and entrepreneurship. 

For Full Show Notes Head To 👉https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/Balancing-Entrepreneurship-and-Motherhood

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Do you ever wonder what it takes to start a business while wrestling with the complexities of parenting young children?

Join us as we delve deep into the journey of Gill Howarth, the founder of Born Wise Education, who remarkably embarked on her entrepreneurial expedition during her maternity leave - just like we did with Wildlings Forest School!

Gill invites us into her world, sharing her story with honesty, courage, and inspiration.

For Full Show Notes Head To 👉 https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/trusting-instincts-in-teaching-and-business-a-conversation-with-gill-howarth

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Ever wondered how to package your passion for nature into a profitable venture?

This week we're uncovering the untapped potentials in the Nature Play industry and  translating your unique gifts into a viable business.

We'll walk you through the diverse niches in the industry, from age-based businesses to corporate events, and even delve into the advantageous role of location in attracting success to your venture.

It's tempting to mirror what others are doing, but we reveal why this could be a dangerous path and why harnessing your unique skills and passions is crucial. 

Full Show Notes Can Be Found At
https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/carving-your-niche-untapped-potentials-in-the-nature-play-industry

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Get ready to be inspired as we journey into the heart of an exceptional early childhood education center with Narelle Dawson, the esteemed Director of Bribe Island Community Kindy.

Narelle offers rare insights into leading a team that's been rated excellent four times in a row, a testament to their commitment, dedication, and unwavering focus on building meaningful relationships. She reveals the secrets behind their success and the transformative power of fostering a nurturing environment and maintaining a balanced focus on learning and growth.

For Full Show Notes Head to👉  https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/mastering-the-art-of-education-and-community-involvement-with-narelle-dawson 

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Buckle up! We are spilling our secrets on how collaborations have been a game-changer in our Wild Play business and how they can be for you too!

Ever wondered what makes a partnership thrive?

Let us share our experience in business partnerships and what we'd do differently if we were starting a new business today. 

Full Show notes can be found here:
https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/unlocking-the-power-of-wild-business-partnerships-with-nicki-farrell-and-vicci-oliver

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever wondered how an educational institution could place well-being at the heart of its ethos and practice?

Join us for an eye-opening talk with Claire Bartlett, the founding Principal of Woodline Primary, as we discuss its journey from ideation to a growing community of students and families. 

Claire opens the door to Woodline's unique perspective on education. She highlights how the school's emphasis on connection, language, and individual attention fosters an environment that nurtures emotional intelligence. We also gain insight into the school's restorative practice and the role of families in the education process. Hear firsthand the challenges faced in setting up a school and the crucial part the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority played in ensuring Woodline met the approval requirements.

For Full Show Notes Head To: https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/building-community-through-education-woodline-primary-s-success-story  

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

While playtime might seem straightforward, it's fraught with challenges and nuances that parents often overlook. 

In this podcast, we are joined again by researcher, author, and Professor Dr Peter Gray and today we are unraveling the intricacies of play and its influence on a child's growth. 

We discuss why simply taking your child to the park isn't the same as neighborhood play and the difference between 'play' and a 'playful approach to learning'. 

Join us for this enlightening conversation that promises insights that are sure to change how you perceive children's playtime.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Prepare to be captivated by this deep dive into the world of childhood play. In our latest episode, we have the esteemed pleasure of welcoming back Dr Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College. With an impressive track record of studying play's importance, Dr Gray’s insights are sure to fascinate you as he unveils how play shapes children into responsible, creative, and socially adept individuals.

Full Show Notes 👉 https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/Play-Learn-Grow-With-Dr-Peter-Gray 

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

The transformative power of parenthood gives many of us a renewed passion for the importance of advocating for our children's play needs. 

Today’s guest is no different, Dr. Carla Gull is an academic researcher, speaker, and environmental education program facilitator at Goshen College. 

In this episode we will be deep-diving into Dr. Carla’s research work around loose parts play and the importance of unexpected curiosity.

For full show notes head to:  https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/power-of-loose-parts-play-with-dr-carla

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Today, we are delighted to have Dr Arne Rubenstein back to answer your questions about the role of father figures and how to maintain meaningful connections during a boy's journey toward adulthood.

Dr Arne is the CEO and Founder of the Rites of Passage Institute. He has over 30 years of experience as a medical doctor, counselor, speaker, workshop facilitator, and the proud father of two wonderful young men and a mentor to many others.

For full show notes head to: https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/From-Boys-To-Men-With-Dr-Arne

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Dr Kate Grarock is an Ecologist, Hiker, YouTube Creator, passionate storyteller, Mum and most recently, a participant on the incredibly popular SBS TV show, Alone Australia. 

Today, we’ll be talking all about her time on the survival show, the best and hardest parts, and her current ecology work and her tips and tricks for solo hiking – including her favourite hiking treat!

For Full Show Notes Head To https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/Alone-With-Dr-Kate-Grarock

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

At forest school, we often talk about how nature play is so important for our sensory development, but did you know that many of the developmental and behavioural challenges we see in children stem from our nervous system? In today's episode we scratch the surface of sensory integration, sensory processing and retained reflexes with Occupational Therapists, Rachel Harrington and Jessica Hill. 

👉  Rachel and Jess share

• About primitive reflexes
• About retaining reflexes 
• What we can do at home to help this
• Why we need sensory integration and the integration of primitive reflexes
• The kinds of things would you notice in your child if they had retained primitive reflexes
• The retained reflexes that are seen commonly in a classroom
• About sensory processing disorders
• Exercises, Strategies, and Tips to Help with SPD
• Some of the myths around sensory processing
• About diagnosis and how to identify them
• How nature helps in integrating the senses
• About sensory diets
• That parents may notice their own bodies, behaviours or patterns and find out that they too have a sensory processing disorder
• About working with families that have children with opposing sensory processing disorders

👉  Opt In for a FREE Downloadable

👉  Links and Resources

Personal Website

Instagram:
@harkla_family
@allthingssensorypodcast

Youtube Videos
Become a Primitive Reflex Expert 

USE CODE: SENSORY for 10% first purchase at harkla.co

👉 Guest Details

Rachel Harrington, COTA/L, AC, CPRCS and Jessica Hill, COTA/L, CPRCS are passionate Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants and Certified Primitive Reflex Clinic Specialists who host of the popular podcast, All Things Sensory by Harkla. Their podcast, digital courses, YouTube, and blog on Harkla.co covers topics related to sensory processing disorder, special needs, parenting, and topics related to child development and health.
With over 9 years of clinical experience, Rachel and Jessica are on a mission to help parents, educators, and therapists raise strong and confident children, no matter their abilities. They get excited about taking clinical topics (such as Sensory Processing Disorder, primitive reflexes, and sensory diets) and helping us to reframe the way that we see children, how we can help them get their needs met and spreading the word about the importance of sensory integration. 

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Pinterest
Linked In

👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts 

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Today we’re chatting to Sarah Aiono, international speaker, coach, teacher, researcher, CEO of Longworth Education and one of Aotearoa New Zealand's leading play pedagogy experts all about the biological need for all humans to play, the need for us as parents and educators to slow down childhood, how the early academic pushdown is harming children and how Sarah and her passionate team help teachers implement evidence-based play pedagogy in their everyday classroom practices. 

👉  Sarah shares

• Her journey to starting Longworth Education
• About play advocacy
• If teenagers do still biologically need play
• About the Play Pedagogy Philosophy
• That childhood needs to slow down
• That childhood is not preparation for adulthood 
• Why we must challenge the rhetoric about meeting certain milestones
• About the biological imperative that play is for children
• Why play outside is so critical for children's development 
• How we can advocate for our children's strengths and passions, ensuring educators and schools recognise the diversity of children's knowledge and skills.

👉  Opt In

https://www.wildlingsforestschool.com/free-downloadables

👉  Links and Resources
Connect with Sarah
Website
Linked In
Twitter @sarahaiono
Facebook
Instagram: longworth_education

👉 Guest Details

Sarah is an international speaker, coach, teacher, researcher, CEO and one of Aotearoa New Zealand's leading play pedagogy experts. She has extensive experience as a classroom teacher, having taught students from all year levels, with a particular focus on those with challenging behaviour and learning needs. She is passionate about helping teachers implement evidence-based play pedagogy with fidelity in their everyday classroom practices. She is a postgraduate course advisor, Neuro fellow and HundrED Academy member and hosts the popular podcast series Play Conversations. She is also 8 years into her journey as a part of a worldschooling family, alongside her husband and two teenage children.

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Pinterest
Linked In

👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly grateful. Thank you so much.

Apple Podcasts 
Spotify
Google Podcasts

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

If you’re anything like us, the title of today’s episode, “Low Demand Parenting”, made you take a hopeful gasp and wonder if low-demand parenting could actually work for your family and take some of the weight and pressure of parenting off of your chest.

Well, after chatting with Amanda Diekman, author and leading voice in the neurodiversity parenting movement, I can honestly say I felt some of that weight lift as she gave me and all our listeners permission to say, ‘It’s too hard right now” and let some things go.

Amanda's wisdom and insight into the realities of parenting uniquely wired children hit a chord for me and I hope you too find the permission you may be seeking today to radically accept your child and family where you and they are at.

For Full Show Notes Head To
https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/low-demand-parenting

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You:

1. Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools?  Bush Kindy Skills is for play workers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training.
2. Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business. 
3. Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

What do you feel when you walk into a perfectly instagrammable Early Years setting, or when you see an education space wrapped in artificial turf?

Today we’re chatting with husband and wife duo, architects and owners of Landings Studio, Emma Healy and David Pratt all about biophilic design, the benefits of it, what we can do instead of laying astro turf and immovable playgrounds, and how we can implement some of these ideas in our homes and early years settings.


For Full Show Notes Head To
https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/How-Biophilic-Design-Connects-Us-All

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You:

1. Ready to learn tried and tested group management skills for children's activities in risky playscapes?  Click here to access our recent masterclass and level up with Forest School Skills.
2. Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values.
3.  Wondering how to navigate your outdoor learning environment with complete confidence? You need our $27 Nature Play Now Workshop and Bundle series (people constantly tell us they love this program and it's an absolute bargain! )

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

If you’ve ever been to one of our Brisbane Forest School sessions, you may have been lucky enough to meet today’s guest, Amanda England. 

Amanda is our Brisbane manager, friend, and business partner. 

On today’s podcast, Amanda is sharing her journey from preschool teacher to kickstarting our Wildlings Forest Kindy Program in Brisbane, Australia.

Amanda will also share how investing her time and energy into building stakeholder relationships helped her successfully advocate for children and play in South East Queensland.

For Full Show Notes Head To
https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/it-takes-a-village-to-run-a-forest-school

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You:

1. Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools?  Bush Kindy Skills is for play workers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training.
2. Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business. 
3. Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

One of the biggest reasons for starting our own business was to be able to jump at opportunities when adventure called. It’s a great privilege to be able to do this and it’s not something we take for granted.

This week on the podcast we are diving into Nicki’s recent unplanned 5-week road trip into the outback with her two homeschooled boys and dog in tow.

The road schooling trip back to Nicki’s own childhood roots in South Australia.

Were they new places to visit? No.

Was it going to have the same awe and wonder that it had 30 years ago? 

Surprisingly, yes!

For Full Show Notes Head To https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/the-journey-home-with-nicki-farrell  

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You:

1. Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools?  Forest School Skills is for play workers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training.
2. Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business. 
3. Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Imagine being labeled America’s worst mother just because you made the conscious decision to allow your child to experience some independence. If you haven’t heard Lenore Skenazy’s story or read her book Free Range Kids, today’s episode is a great introduction to the Free Range Children and Grow Wild movements. 

👉  Lenore shares

• The incredible story that catapulted her into this movement.
• Some of the most rewarding outcomes she has seen in her own life and in the families she has worked with
• What free-range parenting really is
• The biggest myths about it
• How people can start incorporating its principles into their own parenting style
• Her response to the critics of free-range parenting arguing that it is irresponsible or even dangerous
• The biggest challenges that parents face when trying to give their kids more independence
• How parents can overcome those obstacles
• How you can incorporate safety into free-range parenting
• About the "Let Grow" initiative
• What she hopes to see from parents and families adopting this style in the years to come

Full Show Notes Can Be Found Here:
https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/free-range-kids 

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You:

1. Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools?  Wild School Skills is for play workers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training in May  
2. Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business. 
3. Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Issac Newton once said “What goes up must come down”, but what on Earth are we supposed to do when children climb up too high and call out for help?

Recently, we’ve witnessed several occurrences where tiny climbers reach great heights only to get stuck when it comes to getting back down to the ground.

In today’s podcast episode, we are deep diving into the physiology behind this and what adults can do to coach children down from great heights.

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️ Fear Of Heights vs. Height Vertigo

✔️The physiology behind “Height Vertigo” and its impact on the senses

✔️Our 4 top tips to respectfully coach children down from heights

Full show notes for this episode can be found at:

https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/dizzy-heights-and-how-to-get-down

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You: 

Playworkers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training "The First Steps You Must Take Before Leading A Nature Immersion Program" and steal our signature Gather, Guide & Grow framework for starting your own Nature Immersion or Forest School Program https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/register

Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business. 

Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/Opt-In

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Tree climbing has always been a rite of passage. Whether it was the mango tree in the backyard or the massive jacaranda at the local park. 

Where there were trees…. there were children hanging from the branches.

At least, that’s what is why like in our own childhood.

But did you know that 1 in 4 Australian children have never climbed a tree?

That’s a quarter of Australian children!

Missing out on the pure joy, freedom, and learning experiences that come from being able to scale, swing and hang from nature's original jungle gym… the tree!

Where did it all go wrong?

In today's episode, we are sharing our tips on how you can help children climb trees safely and we are asking some tough questions about whether the presence of adults is actually hindering children’s ability to risk assess.

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️ The shocking decline of tree climbing

✔️Our own experiences with being chastised for our children’s tree climbing

✔️Why you should not lift children into trees

✔️How to coach children’s climbing and what NOT to do

✔️Our game-changing tree-climbing advice for young children

Full show notes for this episode can be found at:

https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/tree-climbing-the-forgotten-playground 

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You: Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools? 

Wild School Skills is for playworkers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/waitlist

Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business. 

Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/Opt-In

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

❌Newsflash: Risky Play isn’t as simple as giving children the old hammer from the rusty toolbox in the garage.

 In fact, doing that will probably cause more accidents and set everyone up for a negative experience. 

We used to think that ‘any’ hand tool was better than none.... until we saw some were too heavy, too bulky, and hindering the learning process for children.

It was a bit like trying to eat soup with a fork. Rather frustrating for all involved.

So today we will share with you the TOP THREE hand tools we believe every child and educator should be using to extend learning with loose parts and adventurous play. 

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️ Why less is more when it comes to resources and loose parts

✔️The benefits of child-size hand tools

✔️How learning injuries are a part of the process

✔️Top Three Hand Tools for young children (3-12 years)

✔️Additional Hand Tools for advanced learning (7-12 years)

_____________________________________________________

Full show notes for this episode can be found at:
https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/right-tools-for-the-job 

_____________________________________________________

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You: Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools? Wild School Skills is for playworkers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders.

 Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/waitlist

Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business.

 Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/Opt-In 

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

"Look, it has pockets!" said the child as they emptied the rocks, shells, and leaves from the pockets of their new skirt.

And we have to admit, as grown women, we too have twirled in excitement when FINALLY finding a dress or skirt that can fit our wallets, phones, and car keys but it makes us ask the question... 

Are we letting "looks" get in the way of "life" and what kind of message is that sending to our children especially when that comes to nature play?

In this episode, we discuss:

✔️Our experiences with children wearing inappropriate clothing in a nature play session and what are the best clothes and shoes to wear

✔️The adulteration of children's clothing 

✔️Our thoughts on the gender discussion when it comes to clothing for boys and girls

✔️Why children need to feel free to move in their clothing and how this impacts their sensory experiences

✔️How dressing children in “hi-vis” vests sends the message that children are separate from nature

Full show notes for this episode can be found at:

https://www.raisingwildlings.com.au/blog/is-fashion-stifling-childhood 

When You're Ready, Here's How We Can Help You:

1. Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools?  Wild School Skills is for play workers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training in May  
2. Are you ready to create your own Wildly Successful Nature Play Business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to start your own Wild Business. 
3. Want to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Sometimes in life you meet people who’s experience and inspiration mirrors your own and that is what I feel about my guest today. Celia Hogan is the founder of Little Kiwis in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and we shared such a rich and inspiring chat today which I think you are going to love. 

👉  Celia Shares

• Her journey that brought her to where she is today
• About Little Kiwis Nature Play
• Her inspiration to start her Wild Business
• The nature play landscape in New Zealand?
• How she embeds Maori culture in her programs
• Why it is important to for children to have adventure in their lives
• Why risk is essential in child development
• The largest hurdles she has had to overcome in her nature play journey
• The benefits of starting a nature play business in your community

👉  Opt In for FREE Downloadables

👉  Links and Resources

Connect with Celia and Little Kiwis on:
Website
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram

Learn more about Celia
Read more here
Listen to Celia here

Book Recs:
Disobedient Teaching: Surviving and Creating Change in Education by Welby Ings

Wild Skills Course
Wild Business

👉 Guest Details
Celia Hogan, Founder of Little Kiwis Nature Play is a Nature Education Specialist, Consultant, Speaker and Parenting Coach. She is passionate about connecting children to nature and is a strong advocate for nature play, risky play and improving mental health and well-being through nature. For the past 24 years, she has worked for a variety of outdoor education organisations internationally, setting up, developing and running outdoor programmes, wilderness expeditions, leadership development programmes and establishing risk management and safety systems. She splits her time with professional development training for teachers, coaching parents, running her Bush Kindy and taking her own tamariki on lots of adventures. She is chair of Nature Education Aotearoa, co-chair of Education Outdoors New Zealand and is an advisor for ECE Reform.

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly gratef

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

You’ve all heard the saying, ‘If you play with fire, you’re going to get burnt,' well we have another saying at Wildlings, and that’s, ‘If you don't play with fire you WILL get burnt.’ Today’s episode is all about why we must teach children fire safety.

👉  Nicki and Vicci Share: 

• Some striking facts about fire danger in Australia and around the world
• Why it is important to teach children about fire safety
• The importance and power of fire and how to teach responsibility in children around fires
• The harms of misusing fire in front of our children
• Flow on effects of generations that don’t understand fire safety
• About acknowledging First Nations uses of fire from an ecological perspective
• That knowledge is power and how to equip yourself and your children to be fire savvy.

👉  Opt In for FREE Downloadables

👉  Links and Resources

Join the waitlist for our new course Wild Skills

Learn more about our course offerings here

👉 Guest Details

Vicci Oliver and Nicki Farrell are adventurous nature play makers, risk-takers, children’s rights advocates and the co-founders of Wildlings Forest School. We are the hosts of the ‘Raising Wildlings’ podcast and we put the dirt back in childhood.

During any Wildlings Forest School program, you are likely to find Wildlings up trees, sliding down mud slides, whittling with pocket knives, lighting fires and building rafts. We let kids, be kids - because children can’t learn to protect nature if they’ve never had a childhood in it.

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Pinterest
Linked In

👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly grateful. Thank you so much.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Imagine making play your life’s work. In today’s podcast, I talk with professional playworker and child advocate, Marc Armitage, who has done just that. We are chatting all about the role of adults and he asks us what is our agenda when it comes to providing play opportunities for children. 

👉  Marc Shares: 

• How his journey got started
• How playwork differs from other approaches to working with children
• That playwork is a unique way of connecting with children
• How playworkers balance the need for children to have autonomy with the need to ensure their safety
• The role of playworkers in play in developing and maintaining play environments
• How playworkers can create play spaces that are open-ended and allow for a wide range of play opportunities
• His definition of risky play
• About the risky play diet.
• Strategies to help children develop a sense of risk assessment and decision making when it comes to risky play
• The new types of risky play
• Why is it critical that we allow children the opportunity to play on their own terms
• His favourite type of adventurous play

👉  Opt In for FREE Downloadables

👉  Links and Resources

Connect with Marc
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Marc at Play on TOUR

👉 Guest Details

Marc Armitage is an consultant, researcher and writer in children’s play, playing and Playwork. He began his professional career as a playworker in the early 1980s with a local organisation in the UK, Hull Community Playschemes Association, and since then has worked as a field playworker, an adventure playground worker, a double decker playbus worker, a local authority play development officer, a university lecturer, research associate and a company director. 

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Pinterest
Linked In

👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly grateful. Thank you so much.

Apple Podcasts 
Spotify
Google Podcasts

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Nature schools are on the rise here in Australia and around the world and I am not just talking about Forest Schools like Wildlings. These schools have to follow Australian Curriculum, but are prioritising getting kids outside! Today I want to introduce Joanna Griffith from Kwoorabup Nature School in Western Australia.

👉  Joanna Shares:

• Her philosophy and the inspiration behind Kwoorabup Nature School
• The significance of the land on which they learn and play
• About the meaning of the school name, indigenous connection and what they are actively doing to embed indigenous perspectives at Kwoorabup
• The importance of connecting with other changemakers in education
• About her staff including what kind of teachers or mentors work with the children at Kwoorabup and the kind of training they have
• The biggest challenges they face
• Her favourite moments working with and observing the children and how she balances the administration side of her job and her involvement with the students

👉  Opt In for FREE Downloadables

👉  Links and Resources

https://www.kwoorabup.wa.edu.au/
https://www.facebook.com/KwoorabupNatureSchool

Book Recc:
Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature

Head here if you are interested in starting your own Nature School!

👉 Guest Details

Joanna Griffith is the principal of a new nature school in WA called Kwoorabup. She has a passion for nature based learning, inquiry teaching and has a compassionate and collaborative leadership style. 

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Pinterest
Linked In

👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly grateful. Thank you so much.

Apple Podcasts 
Spotify
Google Podcasts

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

Honestly, our kids get a rough go. What we often expect of them at a young age can far outweigh what their brain can actually manage — and we don’t even realise we’re doing it! Today we’re finishing our chat with Allison Davies.
Today we’re chatting about the importance of predictability for children, Hyperactivity and her family’s journey from homeschooling to schooling.
You can catch the first part of our conversation in last week’s episode. 

👉  Alli Shares

• About Brain = Behavior
• Why predictability in a child’s life is so important
• What happens in the brain when it can predict
• How to create more predictability in even the most chaotic environments
• About Hyperactivity: why it happens and how to support your child’s hyperactivity without ever having to focus on its’ related behaviours
• Her journey from homeschooling to schooling

👉  Opt In For FREE Downloadables

👉  Links and Resources

Connect with Alli

Your Wild Business is a business kickstarter program like no other. 
Specifically designed for Teachers, Forest School Leaders, Outdoor Reccies and Early Years Educators who are are ready to leap into the big, wide world of business.

If you want to take the guesswork out of starting from scratch and more importantly if you want to AVOID the three most common mistakes others have made when they started their nature play business - Head to hwww.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness and check out our exclusive training to get you started on the right path towards your wild business journey.

👉 Guest Details

Allison holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Teaching, a Master of Music Therapy and Neurologic Music Therapy training. A former Registered Music Therapist of 16 years, Alli left the Allied Health industry in 2021 in order to align her work more deeply with culturally responsive practices and to switch her focus from individual change to socio cultural change. She is an independent liberatory scholar currently exploring the gatekeeping and classism of the social construct ‘musical vs non musical’.

Alli is an autistic person with attention, sensory processing and executive functioning difficulties. She works within a neurodiversity framework that favours deep acceptance and regulation over assimilation and intervention, and shares her lived experience of autism openly within her seminars, workshops and conferences as part of her ‘emotive storytelling mixed with science’ approach to education.

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube

👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly grateful. Thank you so much.

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we chat to former Neurologic Music Therapist Allison who stepped out of the allied health system after 16 years, and now focuses on enacting societal change by dismantling harmful musical myths. To get a sense of what Alli is all about, I thought I’d read one of her quotes which I love.

‘As a woman I was suppressed by the systems that told me to ‘be seen and not heard’, to ‘stop being hysterical’ and to ‘not give up my day job’ in response to my musical expression.
Others were led to believe that not being able to play an instrument, sing in tune or access lessons meant they were ‘not musical’. Some were told to mime in the school choir. Many were punished for using their voice to speak up.
These systems are coming to an end.
AND WE ARE THE ONES DISMANTLING THEM.”

Oof. Did you feel that? Yes? Then let’s chat to Alli about music and the brain, how to use music to help children regulate and how we are all musical. This is episode one of two of our chat together.

👉  Alli Shares

• About the connection between music and the brain
• That music is a tool for healing
• How  we as parents and educators use music in different ways to help children regulate
• Her work to dismantle the myth that people aren’t “musical”
• Why we listen to music on repeat

👉  Opt In for FREE Downloadables

👉  Links and Resources

Connect with Alli on her website

Book Reccs:
Kissing the Hag: The Dark Goddess and the Unacceptable Nature of Women by Emma Restall Orr

👉 Guest Details

Allison holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Teaching (University of New England, 2003), a Master of Music Therapy (University of Queensland, 2005) and Neurologic Music Therapy training (Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy, 2016). A former Registered Music Therapist of 16 years, Alli left the Allied Health industry in 2021 in order to align her work more deeply with culturally responsive practices and to switch her focus from individual change to socio cultural change. She is an independent liberatory scholar currently exploring the gatekeeping and classism of the social construct ‘musical vs non musical’.

Alli is an autistic person with attention, sensory processing and executive functioning difficulties. She works within a neurodiversity framework that favours deep acceptance and regulation over assimilation and intervention, and shares her lived experience of autism openly within her seminars, workshops and conferences as part of her ‘emotive storytelling mixed with science’ approach to education.

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Pinterest
Linked In

👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode? 

If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. 

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.