In this wide-ranging conversation, Lewis and Gemma sit down with legendary Forest School pioneer John Cree—the movement’s first ever Ambassador—to explore how practitioners can support children returning after lockdown. Drawing on decades of youth-work, neuroscience and somatic therapy, John discusses adverse childhood experiences, grief, trauma and “challenging behaviour”, and explains why grounding, resistance play and safe touch are vital even amid social-distancing rules. The trio cover everything from screens and proprioception to semiotics, risk assessments and the chance for a “golden moment” in outdoor education. Packed with practical insights, it’s a timely reminder that compassionate presence and nature’s calming field are key to rebuilding resilience.

⏱ Chapter Timings
00:00 – Sniffles, hay fever and settling in
01:00 – Meet John Cree: Forest School Ambassador & origin story
02:15 – Grief, trauma and behaviour spikes after COVID-19
04:30 – From childhood woodlands to national advocacy
07:20 – Screens, isolation and the need for full-body play
10:45 – Safe touch, tug-of-war and parasympathetic calm
14:30 – ACEs, mental health statistics and outdoor nurture
18:00 – Mirroring, empathy and somatic “unblocking”
22:50 – Social-distancing dilemmas, risk and semiotics
28:40 – Hope, resilience and Forest School’s “golden moment”

🌲 Keywords: Forest School, John Cree, grief and trauma, challenging behaviour, COVID-19 return, ACEs, somatic therapy, proprioception, semiotics of fear, parasympathetic regulation, risk assessment, outdoor play, emotional literacy, resilience building, youth mental health

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #JohnCree #ChallengingBehaviour #OutdoorTherapy #TraumaInformed #SomaticPlay #ChildMentalHealth #NatureResilience #COVID19Education #ForestSchoolPodcast

🌐 More Episodes & Support:
Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com
Join our community and help the show at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast
Questions, feedback or collaboration: [email protected]