Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 6 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

Play Nature Podcast

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by Rusty Keeler

5.0(5 reviews)

38 episodes

Updated Daily

Accepts GuestsHas Sponsors

Podcast Authority

Beta

FairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality41

Social94

YouTube76

Engagement32

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Podcast Overview

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

Language

🇺🇲

Publishing Since

1/8/2025

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🇺🇸 Charts #3

Outreach generated

Apple 142

Spotify 827

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Podcast Authority

Beta

FairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality41

Social94

YouTube76

Engagement32

Learn more

Excellent Areas

Good Performance

Growth Opportunities

excellent

Episode Length

37 minutes

Performing excellently!

needs improvement

Publishing Consistency

Every 16 days

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Recent Episodes

July 28, 2026

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, 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: <ul> <li>Nature-based learning can begin with small, doable changes.</li> <li>Longer outdoor play needs variety, loose parts, and adult patience.</li> <li>Relationships with nature grow through time, attention, wonder, and gratitude.</li> </ul> Links: <a href="https://www.samarael.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">samarael.com</a> <a href="https://www.samarael.com/quiz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rachel's 90 second quiz: </a><a href="http://samarael.com/quiz">samarael.com/quiz</a>    Learn More: <a href="https://rustykeeler.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rustykeeler.com</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rusty_keeler_designs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@rusty_keeler_designs</a>   <a href="https://rustykeeler.com/loosepartslistfd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rusty’s FREE Outdoor Loose Parts Guide</a>

July 14, 2026

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, 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: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Children regulate, learn, and thrive when they have freedom, space, and nature’s rhythms.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Outdoor learning can support children of all ages, not just the wee ones.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Start with what is around you: your weather, your landscape, your food, your community.</li> </ul> Links: <a href="http://www.littlebugs.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">littlebugs.co.uk</a> <a href="http://www.weeforagers.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">weeforagers.com</a> <a href="https://www.scottishoutdoorlearning.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">httscottishoutdoorlearning.co.uk</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/littlebugsoutdoors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@littlebugsoutdoors on IG</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/littlebugsoutdoors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@littlebugsoutdoors on Facebook</a>   Learn More: <a href="https://rustykeeler.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rustykeeler.com</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rusty_keeler_designs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@rusty_keeler_designs</a>  <a href="https://rustykeeler.com/loosepartslistfd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rusty’s FREE Outdoor Loose Parts Guide</a> Sign up for the Nature Play Academy updates: <a href="https://rusty-keeler.mykajabi.com/nature-play-academy-waitlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rusty-keeler.mykajabi.com/nature-play-academy-waitlist</a>

June 29, 2026

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 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: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">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.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Risky play conversations matter. When educators and caregivers talk honestly about fear, licensing, parents, and saying yes, real growth begins.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">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.</li> </ul> Links: Sign up for Nature Play Academy updates: <a href="https://rusty-keeler.mykajabi.com/nature-play-academy-waitlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rusty-keeler.mykajabi.com/nature-play-academy-waitlist</a> Learn More: <a href="https://rustykeeler.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rustykeeler.com</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rusty_keeler_designs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@rusty_keeler_designs</a>  <a href="https://rustykeeler.com/loosepartslistfd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rusty’s FREE Outdoor Loose Parts Guide</a>

38 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

What is Play Nature 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
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 6 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

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