In this special episode, I sit down with my good friend and colleague April Pikkarainen to share the story behind our first collaborative book, Learning with the Land: A Nature Playbook.

We reflect on our early days working together, the experiences that shaped our thinking, and the inspiration that led us to bring this book to life. Together, we unpack the Spiral of Inquiry and how it weaves meaningfully with four core nature routines to support authentic, land-connected learning.

We also honour the incredible people who supported this journey—Judy Halbert and Linda Kaser for their foundational work and guidance, Leona Prince for writing the preface, and Heidi Wood for walking alongside us throughout the process.

This conversation is both a behind-the-scenes look at our writing journey and an invitation into the heart of the book itself.

✨ Join us for our virtual book launch on April 28th at 4pm PST. You can also pre-order the book here!
✨ We’ll also share details to register for the NOIIE Symposium on May 8. Register here!

We’re so excited to celebrate this work with you and continue learning with the land—together.

What does it really look like to teach self-awareness… outdoors?

In this first episode of the SEL Outdoors: One Competency at a Time series, I’m sharing how I scaffold self-awareness with my primary students using simple, meaningful outdoor practices. From picture books like The Color Monster, In My Heart, and Listening to My Body, to nature walks, circle discussions, sit spots, and journaling—you’ll hear real, practical ways to help students notice their thoughts, emotions, and bodies in connection with the natural world.

These are approachable entry points you can try right away—while also giving you a glimpse into the deeper, more intentional work that’s possible when these experiences are thoughtfully connected over time.

If this episode resonates with you, I’d love to invite you to join me and Jade Berrill for our 4-part course, Social-Emotional Learning in Nature, offered through the Outdoor Learning School & Store this April. Together, we’ll explore how to build a cohesive, curriculum-connected approach to SEL through outdoor learning.

✨ All sessions are recorded, so you can participate in a way that fits your schedule.

Let’s begin with a simple question:
What are you noticing… within yourself?

On this episode of the Teach Outdoors podcast, I’m joined by Josée Bergeron—founder of Backwoods Mama and author of Beyond the Front Door: Embracing Nature for a Happier and Healthier Family. Josée is an outdoor parenting advocate and writer who is passionate about helping families raise children who feel connected to the natural world.

Josée’s work has been featured on CBC Radio and referenced in parenting books and university courses. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of British Columbia and a Creative Writing Certificate from Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio. Josée is Red River Métis and lives in Kelowna with her five children.

In this conversation, we explore what it really means to go “beyond the front door” when it comes to nature connection. Josée shares the personal story behind writing her book during a time of parental overwhelm and burnout—and how that experience led her to create a more relatable and supportive resource for families who want to spend more time outside.

We also talk about raising outdoor kids, the importance of community when it comes to getting outside with children, and the relationship between home and school in nurturing nature connection. Josée reflects on what surprised her most while writing the book, what she wishes teachers understood about children’s need for nature, and what a truly nature-centered school might look like.

This episode is a thoughtful conversation about simple, meaningful ways to reconnect children—and ourselves—with the natural world just outside our doors.

In this episode, we discuss:

The inspiration behind Beyond the Front Door

Parenting, burnout, and finding community outdoors

What “beyond the front door” really means for families

Designing schools with nature connection in mind

How parents and teachers can support each other in getting kids outside more


If this conversation resonates with you, be sure to check out Josée’s book and explore her website of resources.

Today we’re exploring something that feels simple… but is actually deeply transformative: curiosity.

What does it really mean to be curious outdoors — not as a strategy, not as a checklist — but as a way of being?

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Dr. David Bryan, an educator and consultant with decades of experience across middle school, high school, university, and independent school leadership. He co-founded New Roads School and continues to work with schools and organizations exploring innovation, governance, and learning design.

But today’s conversation isn’t about titles. It’s about posture. Presence. Permission.

So many of us were trained to think of learning as delivering content:

• Clear outcomes
• Clear objectives
• Clear answers

But outdoors, learning doesn’t always resolve neatly.

Questions trail off.
Interests shift.
Students crouch down to investigate something and forget the “lesson.”

David speaks about how curiosity flourishes when we give explicit permission to slow down and follow what draws our attention — even briefly.

What does that permission actually look like in real classrooms?

Curiosity grows when teachers:

• Allow students to linger with an object, sound, or place without needing to name its purpose
• Frame outdoor time as “noticing time” rather than “lesson time”
• Name curiosity out loud: “I’m not sure what that is — I’m curious too.”

This shift may seem small, but it changes everything.

When students are being curious outdoors, they are learning:

• How to pay attention
• How to observe
• How to formulate meaningful questions
• Patience
• How to relate consciously to place
• The value of uncertainty
• What to do when they don’t know something
• What to do when they don’t know what to do

Of course, curricular content is present too.

But genuine curiosity often begins in a quieter place:

And that might be the most important place learning can begin.

In this episode of the Teach Outdoors podcast, I’m joined by Kelly Shuto—childhood friend, educator, and author of the What Does It Mean to… book series. We sit down to talk about our journey of co-writing the fourth book in her series, What Does It Mean to Care About Nature?, and how our shared history and deep connections to the natural world shaped this collaboration.

Our conversation weaves together stories from our own childhoods, the role nature and play played in our lives, and why those early experiences matter so much for children today. We talk about care not as something we teach through rules or lectures, but as something that grows through time, relationship, curiosity, and joyful play outdoors.

We also dig into how this book can be used in real, practical ways—with students in classrooms, during outdoor learning experiences, and at home with families. From inquiry-rich conversations to playful noticing and wondering, we explore how the book invites children (and adults) to slow down, ask questions, and build a genuine relationship with the natural world.

This episode is a heartfelt reflection on friendship, creativity, play, and the belief that when children are given space to love nature, caring naturally follows.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Kelly and I wanted to write What Does It Mean to Care About Nature? together
• How our childhood experiences with nature influenced our work as educators and authors
• The role of play in building care, connection, and stewardship
• Ways to use this book with students in classrooms and outdoor settings
• How families can use the book to spark meaningful conversations and experiences outdoors

Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or anyone who cares about helping children build a relationship with nature, this conversation is an invitation to rethink what “caring” really looks like—and how it begins with play.

Play is often treated as something extra — something we squeeze in when the “real learning” is done. But what if play is actually essential? What if, for many children, play is a sanctuary?

In this episode of the Teach Outdoors Podcast, I’m joined by developmentalist, counsellor, and author Dr. Deborah MacNamara to explore the idea of Play as Sanctuary and what true, restorative play looks like in outdoor learning spaces — especially in schools.

Together, we unpack why unstructured outdoor play matters for children’s emotional and developmental health, what’s really happening when kids struggle during free play, and how educators can support regulation and resilience without controlling or shutting play down. We also talk honestly about the tensions teachers feel between holding space for play and meeting curriculum expectations — and why that tension might be worth sitting with.

Dr. MacNamara brings deep wisdom from her work with children and adults, as well as insights from her books Rest, Play, Grow and Nourished, helping us make sense of big feelings, big behaviour, and the role play has in helping children feel safe, seen, and restored.

In this episode, we explore:

• What true outdoor play looks like (and how it differs from structured activities or recess)
• How children’s four irreducible needs show up during outdoor play
• Why some students struggle with unstructured time — and how to support them without directing their play
• What “big behaviour” during or after outdoor time is really telling us developmentally
• Common fears educators have about unstructured play — and what research and clinical experience say about them
• How restorative play builds genuine resilience (not just “toughening kids up”)
• Why play offers children rest — and how outdoor play restores in unique ways
• How teachers can honour play while still feeling accountable to curriculum and learning goals

As we wrap up, this conversation is a powerful reminder that play isn’t optional — it’s a developmental need. For many children, outdoor play is where they regulate, process, and reconnect with themselves and others.

✨ Resources mentioned:
You can explore nature-based resources, ideas, and online courses for educators at teachoutdoors.ca — perfect for pro-D days, staff learning, or self-paced professional growth.

If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with a colleague who could use permission to slow down and trust play a little more.

Until next time — get outside, and keep playing.

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Dr. Mariana Brussoni—Professor at the University of British Columbia, Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, and lead scientist of the Outside Play Lab at BC Children’s Hospital—to examine the critical role of risky play in schools. Grounded in decades of research, Dr. Brussoni explains what risky play truly means, how it differs from dangerous play, and why uncertainty, challenge, and even the possibility of minor injury are essential components of healthy child development.

Drawing from her co-authored book Embracing Risky Play at School, Dr. Brussoni unpacks the six categories of risky play, the importance of time, space, and freedom outdoors, and how educators can use dynamic risk–benefit assessment to create environments that are “as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.” She offers practical insight into when teachers should step back versus intervene, how to design “Yes Spaces” for higher-risk play, and how schools can respond to injuries in ways that support learning rather than shut down opportunities.

Lauren and Dr. Brussoni also explore the connections between the decline of risky play and rising levels of anxiety and mental health challenges among children, as well as the rich cognitive, social, and emotional competencies developed when students climb, balance, build, and explore. The conversation ends with a compelling vision for the future of outdoor education—one where every child experiences meaningful, everyday opportunities for risky play as a fundamental part of their school day.

Embracing Risky Play at School Buy here!

Book Launch - February 5th, 2026. Join here!

UBC Outside Play Teacher Tool

In this episode of the Teach Outdoors Podcast, Lauren MacLean is joined by educator, writer, and author Carolyn Roberts, whose work centers on re-storying education through story, land-based learning, and relational ways of knowing.

Carolyn invites us to slow down and reconsider the stories that shape our classrooms, our relationships, and our responsibilities to land and community. Together, Lauren and Carolyn explore how story is not just something we teach, but something we live — and how children’s literature, particularly picture books by Indigenous authors, can open meaningful conversations about identity, belonging, and land.

This conversation gently supports educators who may feel unsure or fearful about “getting it wrong,” offering practical, grounded ways to begin engaging in decolonizing practices with humility, reflection, and care. From using picture books as entry points, to rethinking land acknowledgements, to honouring children as knowledge holders, this episode offers reassurance that this work doesn’t require perfection — only presence.

This is a reflective and hopeful conversation for educators at any stage of their journey.

Carolyn's Website

Carolyn's Journal Article