Play Nature Podcast
- Épisodes
- 45
- Parution
- toutes les deux semaines
- Dernier épisode
- 10 Nov 2026
À propos du podcast
Welcome to Play Nature Podcast, a podcast dedicated to celebrating the beauty and benefits of outdoor, nature-based play—for all children (and us adults too!) Hosted by Rusty Keeler, a passionate play advocate, with over 30 years of experience designing natural playscapes, writing about nature and risky play, and traveling the world to champion the power of play, Rusty’s Play Nature Podcast is your guide for supporting outdoor play, protecting childhood, and letting kids be kids. From willow huts and mud kitchens to sunflower houses and kale forests, Rusty will delve into the magic of natural materials, loose parts, messy play, and even the value of risky play in children’s lives. You’ll discover practical ways to nurture play in your own backyard, neighborhood, school, or community. Join Rusty Keeler to uncover the wonders of outdoor play and learn what tools you already have to create joyful, natural play experiences for all seasons, all weather, and all children. Let’s make the world a better place by saying “Yes!” to play. Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Épisodes 45
Ep 44 | Hey Technology! Leave Those Kids Alone
Screens, swipes, scrolling, and AI. Oh my! Technology is moving faster than ever, and it's reaching children younger and younger. But what happens when screen time starts replacing mud pies, make-believe, and …
Notes de l’épisode
Screens, swipes, scrolling, and AI. Oh my! Technology is moving faster than ever, and it's reaching children younger and younger. But what happens when screen time starts replacing mud pies, make-believe, and good old-fashioned outdoor play?
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler settles in beside his favorite spot, Six Mile Creek, to ask a big question: Are we trading the real world for the digital one?
Rusty climbs onto his soapbox (watch out!) to explore the growing influence of technology on childhood, creativity, and development. From research on screen time and imaginative play to his own adventures with an electric car and some suspiciously convincing AI scams, Rusty shares stories that make us wonder just how much technology we've learned to accept. And whether that's always a good thing.
Don’t toss your phone into the creek..yet. We’re talking about finding balance and protecting the magic of childhood. Kids don't need another app to discover the world. They need sticks, stones, bugs, friends, and the freedom to play.
Step away from the screen. Get outside. And keep it real!
Top 3 Takeaways from Rusty’s Creekside Soapbox:
- Less Scrolling, More Strolling: Why too much screen time can crowd out the real-world experiences young children need.
- Play Is Brain Food: How imaginative play and outdoor adventures support creativity, emotional well-being, and independent thinking.
- Keep Childhood Real: Why slowing down, connecting with nature, and protecting time for unstructured play matter more than ever.
Links:
- Singapore (screen time, 2026)
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12519-026-01046-1
- University of Sydney (pretend play, 2026)
- Cornell (10 minutes in nature, 2020)
cals.cornell.edu/news/spending-time-nature-reduces-stress-research-finds
- Finland (forest floor in daycare yards, 2020)
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 43 | Let Play Lead: Risky Play, Freedom, and Childhood with Suzanne Axelsson
more than fun and games. It's what makes us human! In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler welcomes Suzanne Axelsson, international play activist, educator, author, and creator of Playarista …
Notes de l’épisode
more than fun and games. It's what makes us human!
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler welcomes Suzanne Axelsson, international play activist, educator, author, and creator of Playarista training to go deep into the magic of play-led play, children's autonomy, and the power of letting kids follow their own curiosity. From risky play and children's rights to the surprising connection between play and democracy, Suzanne challenges adults to rethink what it really means to support children. Spoiler alert: It's not about controlling the fun!
What happens when we stop directing and start listening? Rusty and Suzanne explore how play builds resilience, strengthens relationships, and creates space for mistakes, big feelings, and brave discoveries. They also look at how our own fears and expectations can get in the way of children's freedom to play.
The big invitation? Slow down. Get curious. Let play lead. Because when we give children room to be themselves, we might just rediscover a little of our own playful spirit along the way.
Top 3 Takeaways from Suzanne:
- Let play lead the way. True play is about freedom, joy, and flow. Give children the space to follow their curiosity instead of an adult's agenda.
- Risky play grows brave, capable kids. Climbing, exploring, experimenting, and making mistakes help children discover their limits, build resilience, and develop confidence.
- Pause before you jump in. Observe first. Intervene when safety or children's rights are at stake, but avoid unnecessary interference. Sometimes the best thing an adult can do is simply be present.
Links:
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 42 | Bev Bos and the Art of Standing Back with Stephanie O'Brien
Think about this…the best thing we can do for children is…less and then more. Less directing. Less correcting. Less rushing to the rescue. More mud. More mess. More wonder! In this episode of Play Nature …
Notes de l’épisode
Think about this…the best thing we can do for children is…less and then more. Less directing. Less correcting. Less rushing to the rescue. More mud. More mess. More wonder!
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty welcomes Stephanie O’Brien, longtime educator at the legendary Roseville Community Preschool, where the philosophy of beloved early childhood advocate Bev Bos is still going strong. With a background in occupational therapy and more than two decades at the preschool, Stephanie shares how this one-of-a-kind play space gives children the freedom to take risks, make choices, feel big feelings, and grow at their own pace. And how a school held together with zip ties, duct tape, and a whole lot of love can change the lives of children AND parents.
From the art of being an "unhelpful" adult to the importance of messy play and strong developmental foundations, Rusty and Stephanie explore what happens when we stop controlling childhood and start trusting children.
They talk about creating environments filled with possibilities, supporting big emotions without judgment, and making room for curiosity and discovery. Because childhood isn't a race to kindergarten readiness. It's about building the roots for a lifetime of learning, confidence, and joy. So slow down. Stand back. Let the magic happen!
Top 3 Takeaways from Stephanie:
- Master the art of standing back. Give children the space to solve problems, take risks, and discover what they're capable of. Stay close, but resist the urge to jump in and fix everything.
- Embrace the mess. All of it! Muddy clothes, spilled paint, big feelings, and even bigger frustrations are all part of growing up. Children need room to experience it all.
- Build the foundation before the academics. Climbing, digging, crawling, wondering, and playing develop the physical, emotional, and social skills children need to thrive. Slow and steady. Childhood isn't a race!
Links:
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 41 | Everything Can Be Taught Outside with Dr. Megan Zeni
What if the answer to better learning, happier kids, and even easier classroom management is just outside the door? In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty talks with Dr. Megan Zeni about bringing …
Notes de l’épisode
What if the answer to better learning, happier kids, and even easier classroom management is just outside the door?
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty talks with Dr. Megan Zeni about bringing play, learning, and a little healthy risk into the school day. No fancy outdoor classroom required. A tarp, a patch of grass, and a willingness to try can be plenty.
Megan shares what she learned from decades of teaching outdoors and helping other educators do the same. They talk all about why outdoor learning gives kids more room to move, regulate, explore, and actually engage with what they’re learning. They also look at the spectrum from adult-directed activities to guided play to child-led play—and how teachers can use all three to meet curriculum goals without squeezing the play right out of learning.
And then there’s risky play. Saws. Climbing. Mud. The good stuff. Megan explains how clear routines and strong relationships create the freedom kids need to explore. Her advice? Skip waiting for the perfect outdoor classroom. Take something you already do and move it outside. Start small. Go play.
Top 3 Takeaways from Dr. Megan Zeni:
- Outside can make school work better. More room to move and explore can support engagement, relationships, and classroom routines.
- Structure can create freedom. Teach the skills and routines first, then give kids the time and space to take the lead.
- Start with what you already do. Read a book under a tree. Take a lesson for a walk. Put the Legos on a tarp. Going outside doesn’t have to be complicated.
Links:
@roomtoplay Facebook | Intsagram
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 40 | Stop ’Splaining the Play: Lisa Murphy on Trusting Kids
What if play didn’t need a lesson plan? Or an outcome? Or a grown-up standing nearby explaining what’s supposed to happen next? In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler sits down with longtime …
Notes de l’épisode
What if play didn’t need a lesson plan? Or an outcome? Or a grown-up standing nearby explaining what’s supposed to happen next?
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler sits down with longtime early childhood educator, author, speaker, and unapologetic play advocate Lisa Murphy to talk about what children really need in order to play: time, choice, trust, and adults willing to get out of the way.
Lisa has spent more than 30 years helping educators understand that play isn’t something extra we squeeze in after the “real learning.” It is the foundation underneath it.
Rusty and Lisa are talking about why freely chosen, open-ended play matters, what happens when children (and adults) haven’t had enough of it. Curiosity might be one of the most important things we can protect, so let’s evaluate the danger of chopping a child’s day into twenty-minute pieces. Because play has its own speed.
This conversation is also a rallying cry for educators. Know what you believe. Own it. Stop apologizing for play before anyone has even questioned it. Play doesn’t need an agenda. Sometimes the best thing we can do is give it space and see where it goes.
Top 3 Takeaways from Lisa Murphy:
- Give play time. Real play needs enough room for choosing, negotiating, experimenting, changing course, and deciding when it’s finished.
- Protect curiosity. Children (and grown-ups) need opportunities to wonder, explore, get messy, and follow ideas without always knowing where they’ll lead.
- Know your values. When educators are clear about what they believe about children and play, it becomes much easier to stand confidently behind their practice.
Links:
@OoeyGooeyLady on Facebook | on Instagram | on YouTube
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 39 | Should Kids Go UP the Slide?
What happens when one kid climbs up the slide while another is coming down? Is going up the slide really dangerous? Or is it just one of those playground rules we’ve inherited without thinking too hard about …
Notes de l’épisode
What happens when one kid climbs up the slide while another is coming down? Is going up the slide really dangerous? Or is it just one of those playground rules we’ve inherited without thinking too hard about it?
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler dives into one of the surprisingly spicy debates of early childhood play: Should kids go UP the slide?
Rusty shares stories from risky play conversations with educators, including a triumphant tube-slide climb, a former emergency room nurse who has seen more than her share of childhood injuries, and *content warning* a few genuine playground horror stories involving sticks, teeth, and yes, an eyeball.
The point isn’t to dismiss anyone’s fears. It’s to understand where those fears come from and ask whether a blanket “NO” is always the best answer.
This episode is really about more than slides. It’s about questioning old rules. Making room for different comfort levels and finding thoughtful ways to say yes to challenge without ignoring safety.
Top Three Takeaways:
- Question the rules. Ask why they exist. Then ask whether they still make sense.
- Make space for different perspectives. Our experiences shape how we see risk.
- Find your way to yes. Safety and adventurous play don’t have to be opposites.
Get on the waitlist for Nature Play Academy: rustykeeler.com/the-nature-play-academy
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 38 | Let’s form a Nature Play Community!
What happens when children meet a muddy hill, a dangling rope, and a whole lot of possibility? They climb. They slip. They tumble. They try again. In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty returns to Six …
Notes de l’épisode
What happens when children meet a muddy hill, a dangling rope, and a whole lot of possibility? They climb. They slip. They tumble. They try again.
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty returns to Six Mile Creek and shares the story of Challenge Hill, where preschoolers in mud suits showed him just how capable, joyful, and determined children can be.
That wide-eyed moment is part of what inspired Rusty’s newest adventure: Nature Play Academy. After years of visiting inspiring play spaces, designing natural playgrounds, leading risky play conversations, and collecting stories from around the world, Rusty is ready to get all that goodness off his hard drive and into a living, growing community.
The Academy welcomes everyone from curious seeds to seasoned forests: teachers, directors, parents, grandparents, designers, playworkers, and nature play champions of every kind. Most of all, Nature Play Academy is a place to stop feeling alone. A place to ask questions. Share ideas. Grow confidence. Say yes more often. And go farther together.
Top Three Takeaways
- Nature Play Academy is designed for everyone, from brand-new nature play beginners to experienced leaders growing the movement.
- Community and practical support can help educators move through fears about risk, licensing, parents, and program expectations.
- Small changes, shared ideas, and a little courage can create richer, wilder, more joyful play for children.
Get on the waitlist for Nature Play Academy: rustykeeler.com/the-nature-play-academy
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 37 | Nature-Based Learning Doesn’t Need a Forest with Dr. Rachel Larimore
Nature is everywhere. In the trees. In the rain. In the crack in the sidewalk where one determined little plant is doing its thing. In the tree that looks like a butt. In this episode of Play Nature Podcast …
Notes de l’épisode
Nature is everywhere. In the trees. In the rain. In the crack in the sidewalk where one determined little plant is doing its thing. In the tree that looks like a butt.
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty talks with Dr. Rachel Larimore about helping children build real relationships with the natural world, even when a school does not have a forest, a fancy outdoor classroom, or a flock of woodland creatures waiting at the gate.
Rachel shares simple ways educators can bring more nature into the school day. Start inside with books, pictures, and materials that reflect the actual plants, animals, weather, and seasons outside the classroom window. Then step outdoors. Stay a little longer. Add loose parts. Eat snack outside. Notice the wind. Follow the puddles.
Nature-based learning does not have to arrive all at once wearing expensive rain pants. Rachel and Rusty talk about slowing down, letting play stretch, making room for uncertainty, and trusting children to form their own relationships with the birds, bugs, trees, rainstorms, and wonderfully named “butt trees” in their lives.
Top three takeaways from Rachel Larimore, PhD:
- Nature-based learning can begin with small, doable changes.
- Longer outdoor play needs variety, loose parts, and adult patience.
- Relationships with nature grow through time, attention, wonder, and gratitude.
Links:
Rachel's 90 second quiz: samarael.com/quiz
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 36 | Outdoor Learning, Risky Play, and Food Education with Louise Licznerski
A school that smells like mud, woodsmoke, porridge, and possibility? Well…that sounds perfect! In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty chats with Louise Licznerski about outdoor learning in Scotland …
Notes de l’épisode
A school that smells like mud, woodsmoke, porridge, and possibility? Well…that sounds perfect!
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty chats with Louise Licznerski about outdoor learning in Scotland, where children run, wander, forage, climb, get muddy, and settle into the slow, steady rhythms of the earth. This conversation is all about what happens when children are trusted with space, time, nature, and real play.
Louise shares how outdoor nurseries and school-age nature programs can help children feel calm, curious, capable, and connected. They talk about child-led play, mixed-age learning, emotional regulation, seasonal rhythms, muddy immune systems, and why the forest can sometimes teach better than fluorescent lights ever could. There are sticks as wands. Puddles as science labs. Chickens as bedtime teachers. And children finding their way back to themselves outside.
Louise reminds us that children everywhere need to play, but each place has its own gifts. Start with the land around you. Work with nature, not against it. Dream big. Start small. And maybe, just maybe, go big or go home.
Top three takeaways from Louise:
- Children regulate, learn, and thrive when they have freedom, space, and nature’s rhythms.
- Outdoor learning can support children of all ages, not just the wee ones.
- Start with what is around you: your weather, your landscape, your food, your community.
Links:
httscottishoutdoorlearning.co.uk
@littlebugsoutdoors on Facebook
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Rusty’s FREE Outdoor Loose Parts Guide
Sign up for the Nature Play Academy updates:
Ep 35 | Let’s Go Far…Together
Rusty is back by the creek. The water is moving. The bugs are buzzing. A bald eagle flies by because apparently even the birds know when a podcast needs a dramatic moment. In this solo episode of Play Nature …
Notes de l’épisode
Rusty is back by the creek. The water is moving. The bugs are buzzing. A bald eagle flies by because apparently even the birds know when a podcast needs a dramatic moment.
In this solo episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty reflects on his spring speaking tour where he brought the fire for nature play, risky play, loose parts, and the slow, sparkly magic of childhood.
This episode is part road trip recap, part manifesto, part invitation. Rusty digs into the power of starting small, listening deeply, and building community with other play people who believe mud kitchens, willow huts, risky play, and outdoor adventures can change the world.
He also gives a peek at the upcoming Nature Play Academy, a new community for folks who want to dream big, start small, and never stop. Woo woo woo woo.
Top Three Takeaways:
- Slow down to Earth speed. Children do not need machine-speed childhoods. They need time to play, explore, bump, build, wonder, and be fully alive.
- Risky play conversations matter. When educators and caregivers talk honestly about fear, licensing, parents, and saying yes, real growth begins.
- Small steps are powerful. Add one loose part. Say yes one more time. Build one fairy hut. Change grows from tiny seeds, especially when we grow together.
Links:
Sign up for Nature Play Academy updates: rusty-keeler.mykajabi.com/nature-play-academy-waitlist
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 34 | Adventure Walkers: Why Kids Need Creeks, Logs, Frogs, and Freedom
What happens when a chemist wanders out of the lab and into the woods with children? Adventure, of course. In this episode of Play Nature Podcast Rusty talks with Jim McCullough, founder of Adventure Walkers …
Notes de l’épisode
What happens when a chemist wanders out of the lab and into the woods with children? Adventure, of course.
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast Rusty talks with Jim McCullough, founder of Adventure Walkers about forest kindergarten, playwork, risky play, and the wild magic that happens when adults stop steering so much and start saying yes.
Jim shares his story of how working in a preschool turned into taking walks with kids. Soon Jim was on a journey to start a forest kindergarten pilot in the woods behind a preschool, and later building Adventure Walkers, a roaming, creek-splashing, log-balancing, frog-finding laboratory for childhood.
Jim and Rusty talk about risk, trust, reflection, and why “safe enough” may be better than trying to make childhood perfectly safe. Listeners will come away with a big invitation: start small, try a pilot, follow the children, and let the woods do some of the teaching.
Top Three Takeaways from Jim McCullough:
- Risk is not the enemy. Children need space to try, pause, climb, wonder, and decide what feels possible.
- The adult role is quieter than we think. Watch. Wait. Reflect. Step in when needed, but don’t poke holes in the play flow.
- Start with a pilot. You don’t need a perfect plan or a fancy outdoor classroom. Take a small group outside. Find a creek. See what happens.
Links:
Instagram @adventurewalkersrva
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 33 | Mud, Microbes, and the Magic of Nature with Alex Barrable
Nature is not just pretty. It is medicine. It is our teacher. It is mud, microbes, moss, noise-softening, nervous-system-settling magic. In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler talks with …
Notes de l’épisode
Nature is not just pretty. It is medicine. It is our teacher. It is mud, microbes, moss, noise-softening, nervous-system-settling magic.
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler talks with researcher Alex Barrable about the deep and delightful ways humans connect with the natural world. Alex shares how becoming a parent brought her back to nature, how children help adults slow down to “Earth speed,” and why our bodies and brains are still wired for green, wild, living places. Alex and Rusty also explore our invisible microbial friends, the microbiome. Alex explains the benefits of what nature offers us, just by bein nature
Children need time. Space. Soil. Loose parts. Wonder. They need to smell it, touch it, climb it, taste it, and know they belong to it. Because when children feel connected to the Earth, they are more likely to care for it too.
Top Three Takeaways from Alex Barrable:
- Nature helps bodies calm down, brains wake up, and kids settle into that magical “rest, digest, and learn” place.
- Dirty play is not just mess. Soil, microbes, plants, and biodiverse spaces may support children’s health, immune systems, and wellbeing.
- Green schoolyards are not a bonus. They are a big, leafy, non-negotiable step toward healthier kids, healthier communities, and a healthier planet.
Links:
dirtyplay.orgLearn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 32 | Adam Bienenstock on School Forests, Soil Health, and the Future of Nature Play
The best playgrounds are alive. Dirt is medicine. And schoolyards can, and should, grow a little forest where kids can climb, hide, breathe, wonder, and come back to themselves. In this episode of the Play …
Notes de l’épisode
The best playgrounds are alive. Dirt is medicine. And schoolyards can, and should, grow a little forest where kids can climb, hide, breathe, wonder, and come back to themselves.
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler talks with Adam Bienenstock about nature play, living soil, school forests, and why children need more than a break from screens. They need roots. Bugs. Trees. Mud. The good stuff.
Adam and Rusty dig into the big, beautiful, messy connections between child development, gut microbiome, mental health, outdoor education, risky play, and regenerative landscapes. This conversation wanders from schoolyards to soil microbes to forests inside the fence. Adam shares why a single tree is nice, but a living forest system is better. More shade. More sensory play. More life. More chances for kids to build empathy, resilience, attention, and joy.
The time is now to rebuild children’s connection to land. The time is now to start giving kids a daily dose of nature, not just an occasional field trip. So plant the trees. Add the shrubs. Feed the soil. Let the weeds do a little work.
Dream big. Start small. Never stop.
Top Three Takeaways from Adam Bienenstock
- Kids do not just need less screen time. They need more full-body, full-sensory nature time.
- A school forest is more than trees. It is soil, shade, microbes, loose parts, play, and wonder all working together.
- Start with a corner. Plant in communities. Add organic material. Build a tiny forest world kids can touch, smell, climb into, and love.
Links:
@renaturefoundation Instagram | Facebook
@bienenstocknaturalplaygrounds Instagram
LinkedIn @bienenstock-playgrounds
Facebook @BienenstockPlaygrounds
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 31 | My New Play Manifesto! Slowing Down in a Speeding Up World
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler takes us creekside on a warm spring day to think big. Big like gorges. Small like bugs. Slow like trees. This episode is a call to remember the mission …
Notes de l’épisode
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler takes us creekside on a warm spring day to think big. Big like gorges. Small like bugs. Slow like trees. This episode is a call to remember the mission. The mission to give children what they need most: time, freedom, nature, community, and real life under their feet.
Rusty reflects on the strange, speedy blip of modern childhood. More screens. More stress. Less recess. Less mud. But instead of getting stuck in doom and gloom, he asks a better question: What if we are already building something new? Something rooted in play, place, seasons, risk, mess, imagination, and the deep human skills children grow through free play.
Rusty’s NEW Play Manifesto is the mission to slow down and go deeper. He explores how nature play, place-based learning, community, and child-led exploration can help shape the future, even in a world racing toward more technology and AI.
This is your hopeful reminder to stand strong in what we know in our bones: play matters, nature matters, and children find themselves when they have the space to play.
Top three takeaways from Rusty’s time by the creek:
- Slow down to “earth speed.”
- Free play helps children grow the deeply human skills they need: creativity, communication, collaboration, compassion, curiosity, and self-knowledge.
- The future of childhood is not fixed. We can help build it through nature, community, advocacy, and a big playful yes to real life.
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 30 | Claude Stephens’ Nature Play Revolution
Step outside. Feel the mud. Hear the birds. In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler sits down with Playcologist Claude Stephens to explore a simple but powerful idea: children are meant to play …
Notes de l’épisode
Step outside. Feel the mud. Hear the birds.
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler sits down with Playcologist Claude Stephens to explore a simple but powerful idea: children are meant to play in nature. Not on perfectly polished playgrounds. Not inside neat boundaries. But in messy, wild, living places. The kind with sticks. And puddles. And possibility.
Claude and Rusty imagine playgrounds that feel like ecosystems. Spaces where kids build, explore, get a little lost, and have a lot of freedom. Children truly don’t need more equipment. They need as much freedom as we can give them.
Claude’s message is a hopeful path forward. Start small. One log. One stump. One muddy hole. Build connections between people. Between places. Between kids and the land beneath their feet. In small shifts, something beautiful grows: joy, confidence, and a deep love for the natural world.
Top Takeaways from Claude Stephens:
- Children are natural players. Give them space, not structure, and they will create magic
- Nature play doesn’t require big budgets. Small, simple changes can transform any space
- Real impact happens slowly in tiny shifts. Add a log or patch of dirt and it can change everything over time
Links:
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 29 | A Bus Tour Through Scotland: What Can We Learn from Stramash’s Outdoor Preschools?
Spring rain. Mud everywhere. Kids smiling anyway. Let’s follow the weather! In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler invites us into a world where children climb, splash, wander, and belong …
Notes de l’épisode
Spring rain. Mud everywhere. Kids smiling anyway. Let’s follow the weather!
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler invites us into a world where children climb, splash, wander, and belong. Short answer? It’s messy. And it’s magic.
A bus. The Highlands. Outdoor preschools tucked into hills, meadows, and even swamps. Educators from around the world, LA to Lithuania. Everyone bundled up. Everyone is curious. We’re talking about Rusty’s Scotland Bus Tour!
Rusty takes listeners through places where kids spend all day outside. We hear about willow tunnels. Climbing trees. Risky towers. Compost toilets. Yes, really. And underneath it all? A shared belief: nature is not extra. It’s essential.
This episode is a reminder. Slow down. Step outside. Let kids get a little wild. Let them belong to a place. Let them test limits. Because the good stuff? It’s not perfect. It’s muddy. It’s real. And it sticks. You’ll leave thinking about your own space. Your own students. Your own next small step toward more nature, more play, more yes.
Top Takeaways from Rusty’s recap of Scotland:
- No bad weather. Just better gear. Nature happens in all seasons—and that’s the point.
- Belonging grows outdoors. Kids thrive when spaces feel like theirs to explore and shape.
- Risk builds humans. Graduated challenges help kids grow confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills.
Links:
Waitlist for 2027 Scotland Trip: bit.ly/BusTour2027Waitlist
Play Nature Podcast Episode 9 with Cameron Sprauge
balticstreetadventureplay.co.uk/home
playscotland.org/schools-childcare/schools/opal
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 28 | Kristy DeGraaf on Nature Play, Outdoor Learning, and Advocacy
This episode of the Play Nature Podcast feels like stepping into a backyard where something magical is always unfolding. Mud. Water. Sand. Stories. Host Rusty Keeler welcomes Kristy DeGraff to explore what …
Notes de l’épisode
This episode of the Play Nature Podcast feels like stepping into a backyard where something magical is always unfolding. Mud. Water. Sand. Stories.
Host Rusty Keeler welcomes Kristy DeGraff to explore what happens when we trust children, follow curiosity, and let nature lead the way. It’s about more than play. It’s about belonging. It’s about building spaces where kids can dig deep, take risks, and feel at home in the world.
Kristy brings a powerful blend of experience. Social worker. Educator. Mother. Advocate. She shares how her journey, from supporting families in crisis to designing a nature-rich childcare program, shaped the way she sees children and community.
This conversation stretches beyond the backyard. Into systems. Into advocacy. Into the work of speaking up for children and families. Kristy reminds us that change doesn’t have to be big to matter. A phone call. A small shift. A single idea put into motion. It all counts. Just like in play, we start where we are. And we keep going.
Top Takeaways from Kristy DeGraaf:
- Dream big. Start small. Never stop. Whether you’re building a play space or creating change
- Children thrive in environments that invite risk, creativity, and real-world exploration
- Advocacy doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Small actions, done consistently, make a difference
Links:
Instagram: @kristy.degraaf
Facebook: Kristy DeGraaf
TikTok: @kristykae.childcarepro
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 27 | Getting Licensing and Risky Play to Fit Together
Licensing. Not the most exciting topic. Not mud pies or tree climbing. But if you work in schools, parks, or early childhood programs, licensing is part of the landscape. In this episode of Play Nature Podcast …
Notes de l’épisode
Licensing. Not the most exciting topic. Not mud pies or tree climbing. But if you work in schools, parks, or early childhood programs, licensing is part of the landscape.
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty is answering the question many educators ask: How do we keep nature play, loose parts, and risky play alive when licensing rules feel like a wall? The good news? The wall might actually be a doorway.
Rusty explores the relationship between educators and licensors. At first it can feel tense. Someone arrives with a clipboard. They inspect logs, spoons, mud kitchens, and climbing trees. But licensors are there for a reason. Their job is to protect children.
When we slow down and communicate the why behind nature play, we often discover we’re on the same team. The key is speaking their language. Know the rules. Show your thinking. Share the research. When educators confidently explain the benefits of loose parts and outdoor play, licensors begin to see the bigger picture.
Top 3 Takeaways from Rusty
- Know the rules. Read them carefully. When you understand them, you can design nature play spaces that follow them and still invite adventure.
- Explain the “why.” Share the research and developmental benefits behind logs, mud kitchens, loose parts, and risky play.
- Build trust. When licensors see thoughtful planning and strong supervision, they are more likely to support creative outdoor play environments.
Buy Rusty’s Book: Adventures in Risky Play by Rusty Keeler
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 26 | How a Playworker Thinks About Play with Marc Armitage
Play is everywhere. It slips through sidewalks and across continents. In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler welcomes playworker, play advocate, and “friend of play” Marc Armitage. Marc is …
Notes de l’épisode
Play is everywhere. It slips through sidewalks and across continents. In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler welcomes playworker, play advocate, and “friend of play” Marc Armitage. Marc is joining from Australia with stories that stretch from Yorkshire to the far corners of playgrounds and city streets.
Together they wander through big questions. What is play? Who gets to decide? And what happens when we simply give children space and time to be?
Marc invites us into the mindset of playwork which is less about outcomes, more about conditions. He shares how playwork is both a profession and an attitude, rooted in history yet alive in every moment a child drifts into flow.
From adventure playgrounds to city design, from the “three frees” to the quiet power of standing back and observing, the conversation reminds us that children don’t need us to script play. They need us to notice it.
This episode reminds us to trust the process, widen the lens, and remember that the spirit of play is already alive in every child, just waiting for room to roam.
Play is universal. Play is ancient. Play is the thing children just do.
Links:
@marc.armitage.at.play on Facebook
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 25 | Junk Becomes Genius with Erik Herman, Founder of the Free Science Workshop
What happens when kids are given time, space, and stuff? Real stuff. Junk. Tools. Magnets. Hot glue guns. In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler is talking to Erik Herman to explore what …
Notes de l’épisode
What happens when kids are given time, space, and stuff? Real stuff. Junk. Tools. Magnets. Hot glue guns.
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler is talking to Erik Herman to explore what play, tinkering, and science can look like when curiosity leads the way.
Erik is a former classroom teacher who followed his passion out of formal education and into the wild, wonderful world of informal learning. He’s the force behind the Free Science Workshop and the Physics Bus. Both places where kids choose what to explore, how long to explore it, and who to explore it with.
Rusty draws connections between Erik’s work and adventure playgrounds, community tinkering spaces, and our deeply human need to make things—together.
This conversation wanders (in the best way) through barns full of junk. And through the difference between explaining and experiencing.
Freedom matters, messes are meaningful, and innovation needs room to breathe. Erik and Rusty agree on letting physics speak for itself, and remembering that we are three-dimensional beings in a very hands-on world
Links:
www.communityscienceworkshops.org
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 24 | Let the Universe Teach: A Schema Play Aha Moment
Winter. Ice cracking at the creek. Water freezing in buckets and balloons. Rusty is back outside, thinking out loud, when an aha arrives. One of those deep ones. The kind that doesn’t land all at once. The kind …
Notes de l’épisode
Winter. Ice cracking at the creek. Water freezing in buckets and balloons. Rusty is back outside, thinking out loud, when an aha arrives. One of those deep ones. The kind that doesn’t land all at once. The kind you keep unpacking for a lifetime.
This episode of the Play Nature Podcast is all about that moment, a shift in how play is seen, felt, and trusted.
Rusty reflects on being a lifelong believer in play. Free play. Messy play. Nature play. Loose parts. Mud kitchens. Risky moments. The real stuff. Yes, research helps. Yes, play checks the boxes for STEM, literacy, social-emotional growth. But those labels only skim the surface.
Rusty reminds us that our role isn’t to interrupt or translate every moment, but to create the conditions, protect the space, and advocate fiercely for play in the adult world. You are not alone. We are believers in play. And we are in this together.
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 23 | Seasons of Play with Rusty: Tips for WINTER Outdoor Fun
Welcome to Season 2 of the Play Nature Podcast! A full circle around the sun. A new season of listening begins. Winter has arrived (at least in Ithaca, NY). Cold. Snow. Gray skies. And…PLAY. In this episode of …
Notes de l’épisode
Welcome to Season 2 of the Play Nature Podcast! A full circle around the sun. A new season of listening begins.
Winter has arrived (at least in Ithaca, NY). Cold. Snow. Gray skies. And…PLAY.
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler bundles up and steps into winter to give us the next installment of his Seasons of Play series, reminding us that this final season matters just as much as the others.
From ice sculptures and colored snow to fairy huts, fires, and winter wandering, Rusty invites us to slow down and notice what winter offers. The angle of the sun. The crunch of snow. The quiet. The light we carry inside when the world feels gray.
With simple stories and practical ideas, this episode reframes winter not as something to endure, but something to experience.
Season 2 is just getting started and Rusty would love to hear from you! Email [email protected] to share pictures of winter play and colorful snow, your favorite moment from Season 1, or a question you would like answered in an upcoming episode.
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 22 | Place-Based Learning: Environment, Culture, and Food with Gemma Nicholl Medina
Some conversations feel like sunshine. This one? Pure magic. Imagine laughter blowing through the trees, college students climbing branches, children splashing in streams, and stories woven into the wind …
Notes de l’épisode
Some conversations feel like sunshine. This one? Pure magic. Imagine laughter blowing through the trees, college students climbing branches, children splashing in streams, and stories woven into the wind.
That’s the vibe of this episode of the Play Nature Podcast. Host Rusty Keeler is joined by the wonderful Gemma Nicholl Medina to explore the wild wonder of place-based learning and how nature, culture, and play connect like old friends. Big ideas. Small moments. Muddy hands. Happy hearts.
Gemma shares how her college students discover something ancient and familiar when they play outside, observe children deeply, and reconnect with trees, soil, stories, and place.
Gemma reminds us that nature play doesn't require a perfect forest, perfect tools, or perfect plans. All you need is curiosity, connection, and courage to say, “Let’s begin right here.”
Top 3 Takeaways with Gemma:
- Start where you are. Nature play doesn’t require a forest — a tree, a park, a garden pot, or a single seed is enough to spark curiosity and connection.
- Place matters. When children learn the stories, plants, language, and history of where they live, they build a relationship with the land — and care grows from that relationship.
- Play is powerful. Whether college students climbing trees or preschoolers exploring mud, joyful, hands-on experiences unlock learning, belonging, and a sense of wonder.
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 21 | Building Deep Connections with Children: Robin Christie on Play, Failure, Curiosity, and Wonder
Welcome to a world where play speaks louder than words. Where adults climb trees dressed as toucans, worms magically become two worms, and curiosity crackles like fairy lights in a cozy home-like space flooded …
Notes de l’épisode
Welcome to a world where play speaks louder than words. Where adults climb trees dressed as toucans, worms magically become two worms, and curiosity crackles like fairy lights in a cozy home-like space flooded with plants and laughter.
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler and guest Robin Christie take us by the hand, skipping barefoot through ideas about playfulness, risk, resilience, and the joyful role of goofy, loving adults in children’s lives.
Their conversation touches on early childhood teaching in New Zealand, playful adult culture, humor as a first connection, the power of failure, and the soulful art of building truly soft, warm, homey learning spaces.
Top 3 Takeaways from Robin Christie:
- Play is a universal language and adults must become playful participants, not observers, to truly connect with children.
- Curiosity and wonder work together with curiosity filling knowledge gaps and wonder creating emotional engagement that drives deeper learning.
- Failure is essential and modeling our own mistakes in front of children teaches resilience, courage, and authentic learning behavior.
Children need to see that adults are still learning too. That they are still curious, still surprised, still full of questions. That is how trust forms. That is how humans grow. That is how joy lives in learning… and in life
Links:
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 20 | Free-Range Kids and the Magic of a Dirt Pile with Lenore Skenazy
It’s time to trust kids more. Let them walk those four houses home, climb that tree, and spend an afternoon conquering a pile of dirt. Freedom, not fear, shapes childhood the childhood we hope to give our kids …
Notes de l’épisode
It’s time to trust kids more. Let them walk those four houses home, climb that tree, and spend an afternoon conquering a pile of dirt. Freedom, not fear, shapes childhood the childhood we hope to give our kids.
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler is chatting with Free-Range Kids author and Let Grow president Lenore Skenazy to explore how we, as parents, got so anxious about safety, and what happens when we let kids reclaim their independence.
Together, Rusty and Lenore laugh, reflect, and get fired up about what it means to be a “free-range kid” in today’s world. They are sharing why playtime has shrunk, how fear has grown, and the beauty of a child’s self-directed adventure.
From bus stop debates to AirTag sneakers, this conversation takes on the cultural shift from trust to tracking, and how we can turn it around.
You’ll hear about the Let Grow Experience (a simple way for schools and parents to nurture independence), the joy of multi-age play, and why every child deserves the chance to say, “I did it myself.”
Top 3 Takeaways with Lenore Skenazy
- Freedom Feeds Growth: Kids don’t need a perfect plan; they need space, time, and trust. A pile of dirt or a short walk home can spark hours of imagination, confidence, and joy.
- Fear Shrinks Play: “Worst-first thinking” keeps kids indoors and anxious. Loosen the grip and help them (and ourselves) build the trust muscle that keeps anxiety in check.
- Communities Can Drive Change: Through Let Grow programs and open-ended play clubs, parents and schools can make independence normal again.
Links:
Free-Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow by Lenore Skenazy
letgrow.org/free-chapter (FREE chapter for Educators from Free-Range Kids)
letgrow.org/resource/more-lenore-skenazy (connect with Lenore for speaking engagements)
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 19 | Schema Play Explained: Why Scooping, Dumping, and Mess-Making Matter with Heather Bernt-Santy
Have you ever watched a child scoop birdseed, roll in grass, or wrap Play-Doh around tiny toys and think, “What on earth are they doing?” In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler is chatting …
Notes de l’épisode
Have you ever watched a child scoop birdseed, roll in grass, or wrap Play-Doh around tiny toys and think, “What on earth are they doing?”
In this episode of Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler is chatting and laughing with Heather Bernt-Santy, THE Early Childhood Nerd, to find out why those moments are more than just mess and motion. They really are the heart of learning. They talk about curiosity, connection, and the magic of letting kids be wonderfully, gloriously human.
Heather shares her journey from podcaster to author and dives into the world of schema play. Those fascinating patterns children repeat as they explore how the world works. From enclosing and enveloping to transporting and transforming, she shows how every scoop, splash, and spin builds brains, confidence, and joy.
Adults just need to step back, trust, and watch the wonder unfold.
In this conversation, you’ll hear about risky play and right-to-play advocacy, how teachers can shift from “doing” to “wondering,” and why grown-ups should trade control for curiosity.
Top 3 Takeaways from The Early Childhood Nerd: Heather Bernt-Santy
- Play is how children make sense of the world. Schema play shows that children aren’t being “aimless, ”they’re testing patterns, discovering physics, and learning about themselves through joyful repetition.
- Our job isn’t to control play. It’s to wonder about it. Trust the process, not the product.
- Children have a right to play—freely and fully.
Links:
Facebook @thatearlychildhoodnerd
Instagram @thatearlychildhoodnerd
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 18 | Climb the Slide: Kisha Reid on How Risk, Play, and Wonder Shape Authentic Childhoods
The magic of an authentic childhood comes from the wonder of the experiences, not the walls they take place in. The best classrooms are fields, forests, and slides climbed from the “wrong” side. In this joyful …
Notes de l’épisode
The magic of an authentic childhood comes from the wonder of the experiences, not the walls they take place in. The best classrooms are fields, forests, and slides climbed from the “wrong” side.
In this joyful chat on Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler and Kisha Reid are talking all about the spirit of authentic play. Where children lead, adults listen, and the magic of discovery unfolds in every muddy footprint.
Kisha, founder of Discovery Natural Learning Center and Play, has spent 30 years helping children grow through connection, curiosity, and courage. From her home base on a 300-acre retreat center, she invites kids, and the adults watching them, to rediscover what childhood can be: full of risk, laughter, and endless “what ifs.”
Together, she and Rusty explore how educators can nurture real play anywhere, whether on acres of open land or in a small patch of yard.
Listeners will hear how Kisha builds trust through observation and relationship, how she works with licensing to defend risky play, and how true learning happens when we stop hovering and start believing.
Top 3 Takeaways from Episode 18 with Kisha Reid:
- Authentic play starts with trust. True learning happens when adults step back, observe, and let children lead their own discoveries—even when it looks messy or risky.
- It’s not about the space—it’s about the mindset. Any environment, from a church basement to a forest clearing, can nurture authentic childhoods when educators believe in play and possibility.
- Advocacy begins with intention. When teachers understand the “why” behind play and communicate it clearly, even licensing inspectors can become allies in supporting joyful, nature-based learning.
Links:
@discoverynaturallearningcenter on Facebook
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 17 | Everything is Broken (and That’s Okay!) with Teacher Tom Hobson
Even if everything’s broken, that doesn’t mean the play is over! And that’s the beauty of it. It’s not destruction, it’s deep learning. When we let kids take things apart, we’re helping them put the world …
Notes de l’épisode
Even if everything’s broken, that doesn’t mean the play is over! And that’s the beauty of it. It’s not destruction, it’s deep learning. When we let kids take things apart, we’re helping them put the world together in their own way.
This episode of the Play Nature Podcast is the second half of Rusty’s conversation with Teacher Tom Hobson. Listeners will get immersed into the world of junkyard playgrounds, loose parts, and freedom-filled learning.
Together Rusty and Tom explore how children learn by taking things apart, testing limits, and transforming “trash” into treasure. It’s a celebration of curiosity, connection, and creativity, the kind that grows from hands-on discovery and messy, marvelous play.
Tom shares stories from his playground, a place full of wood scraps, traffic cones, trophies, and treasures. This is where kids explore, build, break, and begin again. He reminds us that every stick was once a branch, every rock once part of a mountain, and every loose part is an invitation to create.
Top 3 Takeaways from part 2 with Teacher Tom:
- Broken things are great teachers!
- Junkyard playground inspire freedom and imagination
- Loose parts=loose minds (in the best way!)
So, say yes to the broken, the wobbly, the weathered, and the wild. Gather your scraps and start your own version of a junkyard playground. Let the children move, stack, glue, and build their dreams. Because when we trust them with freedom, they find wonder in every why, and see beauty in the broken toys.
Links:
Teacher's Tom's FREE Resource for Play-Based Settings
Connect with Tom @theteachertom on Facebook | on Instagram | on X | @thomsas-hobson on LinkedIn
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 16 | Building a Junkyard Playground with Teacher Tom Hobson
Remember the feeling of running outside barefoot, pockets full of Band-Aids, heart full of imagination? That’s where this episode begins. Rusty sits down with the legendary “Teacher Tom” - Tom Hobson to talk …
Notes de l’épisode
Remember the feeling of running outside barefoot, pockets full of Band-Aids, heart full of imagination? That’s where this episode begins. Rusty sits down with the legendary “Teacher Tom” - Tom Hobson to talk about the golden age of play, when kids roamed free, built their own worlds, and learned through scraped knees, laughter, and discovery.
Together they ask: What happens when adults step back? What do kids gain when they’re trusted to lead? How do we bring back the magic of self-directed play?
In this first part of their joyful two-part conversation, Teacher Tom shares how he built a “junk playground”. It’s a wonderland of wood chips, sand hills, and hammers. It is where where children create, experiment, and cooperate.
You’ll hear stories of turning asphalt into a woodland, adding workbenches and saws for preschoolers, and transforming a church yard into a living classroom full of freedom, risk, and delight.
Top 3 Takeaways from part 1 with Teacher Tom:
- Freedom is the foundation of play
- Create environments that invite exploration
- Play builds more than skills, it build people.
Thanks for joining Rusty & Tom for this peek inside a co-op school where parents become play allies, not play police. This is part one of a two-episode journey into play, purpose, and the power of saying yes. Make sure to come back for part two!
Links:
Teacher's Tom's FREE Resource for Play-Based Settings
Connect with Tom @theteachertom on Facebook | on Instagram | on X | @thomsas-hobson on LinkedIn
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Ep 15 | Seasons of Play with Rusty: Tips for FALL Outdoor Fun
The leaves are turning. The ducks are splashing. The creek runs low. Fall is here! Do you feel it in the air? Can you see it in the trees? Can you smell it in the crisp breeze? This episode of the Play Nature …
Notes de l’épisode
The leaves are turning. The ducks are splashing. The creek runs low. Fall is here! Do you feel it in the air? Can you see it in the trees? Can you smell it in the crisp breeze?
This episode of the Play Nature Podcast invites you to pause, marvel, and jump right into the season with joy and curiosity. Host Rusty Keeler takes us creek-side to share top tips for fall nature play: sit spots that slow us down, planting trees and bulbs for seasonal surprise, straw bales for forts and circles, and leaf piles that spark instant delight.
Rusty is also inviting you all to participate in by National Play Day coming up on September 20th. He has a quick interview with Pat Rumbaugh who shares how her Play Day is a great example of Dreaming Big, but Starting Small.
It’s a playful celebration of autumn’s abundance and a reminder to dream big, start small, and never stop.
Links:
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Share this episode, rate and review the show, and email Rusty! [email protected]
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