JuneBugs started during the 2020 covid pandemic. After a hard year of teaching kindergarten remotely, I spent my summer as a part time nanny. To reduce the chance of spreading the virus, we wanted to spend as much time outside as possible. The local playgrounds were either fenced off or they were simply too busy for comfort. Me and the 4 year old I was nannying took refuge in spending time catching crawdads, climbing trees, and playing hide-and-seek in the garden. Once word got out about our daily adventures, more and more parents were hoping for the sa
me for their kids.. By the end of summer, I had a group of 4 friends playing entirely in nature for three or more hours a day. After a year of remote learning and no end to the pandemic in sight, I was able to see the social/emotional benefits of time spent outside as well as a deep need in my local community for a safe space for children to play freely in nature.
The first Forest School started in the 1950’’s was also birthed out of a community's need for child-care and an observed benefit of outdoor play. Forest Schools were first started by Ella Flatau in the 1950’s in Denmark. The idea came about after she, her children, and a few neighborhood kids would meet up in a local forest. Interest grew in the community, and a few parents formed the first Forest Kindergarten. During this same time, “Rain or Shine” schools were started in Sweden and Walderkinders in Germany. By 2017, there were 1500 Forest Schools in Germany and today there are Forest Schools all around the world.

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