diff --git a/autotest/dfns/test_schema.py b/autotest/dfns/test_schema.py
index fa389584..279c5681 100644
--- a/autotest/dfns/test_schema.py
+++ b/autotest/dfns/test_schema.py
@@ -379,6 +379,59 @@ def test_get_fields_and_get_block_include_header(dev3_spec):
     assert wel.get_block("iper") is wel.blocks["period"]
 
 
+def test_block_get_fields_no_recurse():
+    record = Record(
+        name="afrcsv_filerecord",
+        fields={
+            "auto_flow_reduce_csv": Keyword(name="auto_flow_reduce_csv"),
+            "afrcsvfile": File(name="afrcsvfile", direction="out"),
+        },
+    )
+    block = Block(name="options", fields={"afrcsv_filerecord": record})
+    fields = block.get_fields()
+    assert fields.keys() == ["afrcsv_filerecord"]
+    assert fields["afrcsv_filerecord"] is record
+
+
+def test_block_get_fields_recurse_descends_record():
+    inner = File(name="afrcsvfile", direction="out")
+    record = Record(
+        name="afrcsv_filerecord",
+        fields={"auto_flow_reduce_csv": Keyword(name="auto_flow_reduce_csv"), "afrcsvfile": inner},
+    )
+    block = Block(name="options", fields={"afrcsv_filerecord": record})
+    fields = block.get_fields(recurse=True)
+    assert set(fields.keys()) == {"afrcsv_filerecord", "auto_flow_reduce_csv", "afrcsvfile"}
+    assert fields["afrcsvfile"] is inner
+
+
+def test_block_get_fields_recurse_descends_list_item_union():
+    keyword_arm = Keyword(name="save")
+    record_arm = Record(name="print", fields={"rtype": String(name="rtype")})
+    union = Union(name="ocsetting", arms={"save": keyword_arm, "print": record_arm})
+    lst = List(name="steps", item=union)
+    block = Block(name="period", fields={"steps": lst})
+    fields = block.get_fields(recurse=True)
+    assert set(fields.keys()) == {"steps", "save", "print", "rtype"}
+
+
+def test_block_get_fields_recurse_includes_header():
+    header = Integer(name="iper", tagged=False)
+    block = Block(name="period", fields={}, header=header)
+    fields = block.get_fields(recurse=True)
+    assert fields["iper"] is header
+
+
+def test_component_get_fields_matches_block_get_fields(dev3_spec):
+    """ComponentBase.get_fields() is a flatten of each block's get_fields()."""
+    wel = dev3_spec.components["gwf-wel"]
+    expected: list[tuple] = []
+    for block in wel.blocks.values():
+        expected.extend(block.get_fields(recurse=True).items(multi=True))
+    actual = wel.get_fields(recurse=True)
+    assert list(actual.items(multi=True)) == expected
+
+
 def test_render_block_header_scalar(dev3_spec):
     """render() attaches a scalar header to the BEGIN line, matching mf6io.pdf."""
     render = dev3_spec.components["gwf-wel"].blocks["period"].render()
diff --git a/modflow_devtools/dfns/schema.py b/modflow_devtools/dfns/schema.py
index 561d3a0f..0d446cd4 100644
--- a/modflow_devtools/dfns/schema.py
+++ b/modflow_devtools/dfns/schema.py
@@ -169,7 +169,8 @@ def _check_shape_length(self) -> "List":
 
     @property
     def children(self) -> "dict[str, Field]":
-        return {"item": self.item}  # type: ignore[return-value]
+        # item.name duplicates the List's own name, so it's not a useful key here.
+        return self.item.children
 
 
 Field = Annotated[
@@ -183,6 +184,16 @@ def children(self) -> "dict[str, Field]":
 List.model_rebuild()
 
 
+def _collect_fields(
+    fields: "dict[str, Field]", items: "list[tuple[str, Field]]", *, recurse: bool
+) -> None:
+    """Append `fields` to `items`, descending into Record/Union/List children if `recurse`."""
+    for name, field in fields.items():
+        items.append((name, field))
+        if recurse and isinstance(field, (Record, Union, List)):
+            _collect_fields(field.children, items, recurse=True)
+
+
 def _render_shape(field: "Array") -> str:
     return f"({', '.join(field.shape)})" if field.shape else ""
 
@@ -586,6 +597,14 @@ def repeats(self) -> bool:
     def render(self, *, developmode: bool = False) -> str:
         return _render_block(self, developmode=developmode)
 
+    def get_fields(self, recurse: bool = False) -> OMD:
+        """Fields keyed by name, including `header`; `recurse` descends into children."""
+        items: list[tuple[str, Field]] = []
+        _collect_fields(self.fields, items, recurse=recurse)
+        if self.header is not None:
+            _collect_fields({self.header.name: self.header}, items, recurse=recurse)
+        return OMD(items)
+
 
 Blocks = Mapping[str, Block]
 
@@ -651,20 +670,8 @@ def _serialize(self, handler: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
     def get_fields(self, recurse: bool = False) -> OMD:
         items: list[tuple[str, Field]] = []
-
-        def _collect(fields: dict) -> None:
-            for name, field in fields.items():
-                items.append((name, field))
-                if recurse:
-                    if isinstance(field, (Record, Union)):
-                        _collect(field.children)
-                    elif isinstance(field, List):
-                        _collect(field.item.children)
-
         for block in (self.blocks or {}).values():
-            _collect(block.fields)
-            if block.header is not None:
-                _collect({block.header.name: block.header})
+            items.extend(block.get_fields(recurse=recurse).items(multi=True))
         return OMD(items)
 
     def get_block(self, field_name: str) -> Block | None: