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Nature-Based Director- Preschool | Homeschool | Early Childhood | Nature Play | Outdoor Education: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ade Hofmann
The Nature-Based Director Podcast is for nature-loving, child-centered educators, founders, and directors who want to build and lead thriving nature- and play-based programs without losing themselves in the process. Whether you're dreaming of starting a nature school, forest school, outdoor preschool, or nature-based early childhood program—or you're already deep in the work of leading one—this podcast offers practical guidance, honest conversations, and encouragement for the real-life challenges of outdoor education and program leadership. Each episode explores topics like how to start a nature-based program, forest school leadership, outdoor learning, child-led play, enrollment, finances, staffing, policies, behavior and big emotions, teacher burnout, sustainable leadership, and navigating the unexpected as a program founder or director. Hosted by Ade Hofmann, M.Ed., founder of Nature Play All Day and an educator and leader with nearly a decade of experience in nature-based schools and programs, this podcast is a place for both the practical questions and the things leaders don't always say out loud. Because building something rooted in nature, play, and community is beautiful—but it can also be lonely, overwhelming, and full of decisions you never expected to make. Here, you'll find tactical next steps, real-world stories, leadership support, and encouragement to help you move forward with greater clarity and confidence. We'll talk about how to transition from the conventional classroom to outdoor learning, how to start and grow a nature-based program, and how to build sustainable rhythms and routines that support your children, your team, your families, and you. This work is not about doing it perfectly. It's about learning to trust the process, steward the program you've been entrusted with, and lead without sacrificing yourself in the name of your mission. If you believe that children belong outside, that play is meaningful learning, and that nature has something powerful to teach us, you're in the right place.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago18 min
Taking Sick Days Without Guilt: Sustainable Leadership in Nature-Based Programs
Taking Sick Days Without Guilt: Sustainable Leadership in Nature-Based ProgramsFor nature-based program founders and directors, taking a sick day isn't always as simple as calling out. When you're working with a small team, managing a tight budget, and wearing all the hats, it can feel impossible to step away—even when your body is telling you to slow down. In this episode of The Nature-Based Director Podcast, I'm sharing a recent experience that reminded me why sustainable leadership has to ...
- 3 weeks ago16 min
EP 49: Trusting the Long Game of Relationship-Building
Episode 49: The Families Who Are Watching: Trusting the Long Game of Relationship-Building Not every family who connects with your nature-based program will enroll right away—and that doesn't mean the relationship wasn't meaningful. In this episode, we’re talking about the long game of enrollment, community-building, and relationship-based marketing for nature-based program founders and directors. We’ll explore what it looks like to nurture relationships without constantly feeling like you're...
- Sep 7, 202620 min
EP 48: When Families Un-Enroll: How to Handle the Unexpected Without Spiraling
🎧 Episode 48: When Families Un-Enroll: How to Handle the Unexpected Without Spiraling Grace, practical strategies, and trusting God through enrollment changes. What happens when a family un-enrolls from your nature-based program—right before the school year begins or in the middle of the year? For founders and directors, unexpected enrollment changes can bring more than logistical challenges. They can trigger panic, financial stress, self-doubt, and the feeling that somehow, you have do...
- Aug 31, 202615 min
EP 47: How To Build Sustainable Leadership That Lasts
The Best Nature-Based Programs Aren't Built Around One Person How to Build Sustainable Leadership That Lasts Leading a nature-based program can feel incredibly rewarding—and incredibly lonely. As founders and directors, we often become the person everyone depends on. We answer the questions, solve the problems, carry the vision, and hold countless details together behind the scenes. But sustainable leadership isn't about becoming indispensable. It's about building a community where children, ...
- Aug 24, 202615 min
EP 46: How Nature-Based Leaders Stay Grounded When the School Year Gets Busy
Don't Lose Your Philosophy in September How Nature-Based Leaders Stay Grounded When the School Year Gets Busy Every August, we begin the school year with fresh vision and renewed purpose. But by mid-September, it's easy to find ourselves swept up in schedules, paperwork, unexpected challenges, and the daily demands of leadership. In this episode, we're talking about how to protect the values that inspired your work in the first place. Because your philosophy isn't something you estab...
- Aug 17, 202617 min
EP 45: How Nature-Based Leaders Create a Strong School Culture from Day One
The Culture You're Hoping For Won't Happen by Accident. How Nature-Based Leaders Create a Strong School Culture from Day One The first weeks of school are about so much more than establishing routines. They're about establishing culture. As nature-based founders and directors, we spend time preparing our environments, organizing materials, and planning our days. But the strongest programs aren't remembered because of perfectly labeled shelves or polished lesson plans. They're remembe...
- Aug 10, 202620 min
EP 44: How Nature-Based Directors Can Prepare for a New School Year
Show Notes Your Children Don't Need a Perfect Program. They Need a Present Leader. How Nature-Based Directors Can Prepare for a New School Year It's August, and if you're anything like me, your mind is already racing ahead to opening day. The supply lists. Staffing. Enrollment. Curriculum. Systems. The projects you've been hoping to finish before children arrive. Preparation matters. But over the years, I've realized that the most important thing I prepare each August isn't my classr...
- Aug 3, 202615 min
EP 43: Stop Building a Program That Depends On You
The Summer Reset Series – Episode 3 As founders and directors, it's easy to become the person who holds everything together. We answer every question. We solve every problem. We carry the vision, the logistics, the relationships, and the responsibility. While that may feel like good leadership, over time it can also become one of the biggest barriers to building a healthy, sustainable program. In this final episode of The Summer Reset Series, we're exploring what it means to move fro...
About Nature-Based Director- Preschool | Homeschool | Early Childhood | Nature Play | Outdoor Education
The Nature-Based Director Podcast is for nature-loving, child-centered educators, founders, and directors who want to build and lead thriving nature- and play-based programs without losing themselves in the process. Whether you're dreaming of starting a nature school, forest school, outdoor preschool, or nature-based early childhood program—or you're already deep in the work of leading one—this podcast offers practical guidance, honest conversations, and encouragement for the real-life challenges of outdoor education and program leadership. Each episode explores topics like how to start a nature-based program, forest school leadership, outdoor learning, child-led play, enrollment, finances, staffing, policies, behavior and big emotions, teacher burnout, sustainable leadership, and navigating the unexpected as a program founder or director. Hosted by Ade Hofmann, M.Ed., founder of Nature Play All Day and an educator and leader with nearly a decade of experience in nature-based schools and programs, this podcast is a place for both the practical questions and the things leaders don't always say out loud. Because building something rooted in nature, play, and community is beautiful—but it can also be lonely, overwhelming, and full of decisions you never expected to make. Here, you'll find tactical next steps, real-world stories, leadership support, and encouragement to help you move forward with greater clarity and confidence. We'll talk about how to transition from the conventional classroom to outdoor learning, how to start and grow a nature-based program, and how to build sustainable rhythms and routines that support your children, your team, your families, and you. This work is not about doing it perfectly. It's about learning to trust the process, steward the program you've been entrusted with, and lead without sacrificing yourself in the name of your mission. If you believe that children belong outside, that play is meaningful learning, and that nature has something powerful to teach us, you're in the right place.
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