Ep 29 | A Bus Tour Through Scotland: What Can We Learn from Stramash’s Outdoor Preschools?
Play Nature PodcastShow Notes
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:
stramash.org.uk
Waitlist for 2027 Scotland Trip: bit.ly/BusTour2027Waitlist
Play Nature Podcast Episode 9 with Cameron Sprauge
fossoplay.org
balticstreetadventureplay.co.uk/home
playscotland.org/schools-childcare/schools/opal
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Rusty’s FREE Outdoor Loose Parts Guide
More from Play Nature Podcast
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!
What if the answer to better learning, happier kids, and even easier classroom management is just outside the door?
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?
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?
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.