Juniper Root Preschool and Microschool

10/16/2026

It was so great to connect and reconnect with everyone at the Juniper Root Trick or TREE last weekend:)

10/14/2026

Over the summer, a few of our learners discovered that our kale was being devoured by the sweetest little caterpillars! They immediately launched a mission to capture as many as they could find. We already knew that they liked to eat kale, and so we created a habitat with kale and damp paper towels for hydration. We then did a bit of research to discover that 2-3 weeks after hatching, these cross-striped cabbage worms will form a chrysalis and transform into a little brown moth.

One of our amazing volunteer teens helped our learners document the process. This teen has been helping out every summer for the past few years. I was her guide at a different school when she was 2 years old! She is unbelievably attuned to the needs of these younger learners. We are so grateful for her.

After gathering the cabbage worms and preparing the environment, they waited. The caterpillars became chrysalises right around the time that one of the stewards of this project graduated from 3 years of Juniper Root. Just before starting her new adventure, she came back to visit and we released the tiny brown moths in honor of the occasion. *

This project has sparked quite the interest in caterpillars and their lifecycles of transformation. We have since found an American Dagger Moth Caterpillar and a Saddled Prominent Moth Larva, among a few others. We’ve been keeping an eye on a few of them to see how they transform. We’ve also been careful not to handle the American Dagger since that fuzzy exterior can cause a nasty sting!

Amazing projects develop when with time, space, and support for young learners’ ideas.

We still have a few slots available this school year for 3-12 year olds!
2 days/ week (Tues/Thurs)
or 1 day/week (Fridays)

Email [email protected] to schedule a tour or free trial day!
JuniperRootSTL.com

*The moths also happened to lay eggs before they were released, so this project actually put a small dent in the population of these garden pests:)

10/13/2026

10/07/2026

We are so lucky to have a fossil expert joining us for this session of forest school at Juniper Root!
We have loved having Jon Porter’s grounding presence to help guide our crew around the property this fall. Today, he also brought in some of his fossil collection to share with us! The crew examined and worked to identify some of the common fossils found in this area using the Field Guide to the Creek Gravel of the St. Louis Formation booklet that Jon brought along to share. Such a concise and accessible guide to stick in your back pocket on creek walks: tinyurl.com/stlfossilguide

Jon also demonstrated how some minerals found in Missouri can glow under UV light!

After the demo, the crew set off to hunt for fossils and minerals in the creek.

If you’d like to get a taste of this fossil magic, Jon is also a co-founder of the St. Louis Prehistoric Life Show. They will be hosting a FREE event at the St. Louis Science Center on Saturday October 17th, 9:30am-4:30pm! Come check out some amazing fossils and bring in your own finds for experts to identify.

10/06/2026

This round of forest school at Juniper Root is off to such a beautiful start!

Such fast friendships form in this supportive space. What a wonderful way to connect with nature and each other.

Our current session of forest school is full, but Juniper Root still has open slots available!
We are now enrolling ages 3-12 years old: 2 days/week (Tues/Thurs) or 1 day/week (Friday).

This is a great opportunity for young children who would like to ease into a group care setting, or homeschoolers seeking a space to explore different interests and connect/collaborate with a consistent group of peers.

More details here: JuniperRootSTL.com

Email [email protected] to schedule a tour or free trial day!

09/23/2026

It seems the weather got the memo that FALL IS HERE! (For now:)

There is so much to say about this amazing summer.

For now, here are some pictures that capture at least a fraction of the joy and learning that’s been going on around here lately.

09/21/2026

So grateful for the opportunity to offer a presentation called "Nature Nurtures" at this beautiful event.

09/19/2026

And we’re ready for action!!
Come join us from 1-4pm!
With the shade and the breeze it’s actually quite pleasant out here.

See you soon!

09/18/2026

Tomorrow's the day!!
Forecast looks a bit toasty, but we'll have the sprinkler running to beat the heat! Feel free to wear swimsuits if you please.

Conquer the inflatable obstacle course from 1-4 pm, free snow cones and ice cream from 2:30-3:30pm!

Last school year our learners raised funds by putting on an art show and hosting a booth at the U City Farmers Market . They took part in every step of the process, from brainstorming product ideas, budgeting supplies, creating the products, coordinating the events, operating the ticket booth, and selling their wares at the farmer's market.
At the end of the year we brainstormed ideas and voted to spend the funds on an inflatable bounce house and snow cone/ice cream truck for our 2nd Annual Student-Funded Fun Day.

If you're curious about Juniper Root, come on out and chat with us about what we have to offer!

09/17/2026

“We need a lot of milk crates to build this. We need to make sure we don’t get dirty again after we take a shower!”

“How many more do we need?”
“4!”
“How many is 4?”

She slowly counts out four on her fingers, giving him a concrete visual of the quantity she needs.
He brings 4 more milk crates.

“Oh wait! 2 and 2…we actually need 4 more than that!”

Having internalized the concept of “4,” he skips over to bring enough crates to finish out the platform.

They spent a good portion of the afternoon playing—beating this late September heat in the creation they dreamt up and built all on their own.

What a gift. Selfishly, for me to witness all of this unfold. And for them to have this time and space to realize that they can bring their dreams into reality.

Juniper Root has just a few Tuesday/Thursday or Friday slots available for 3-12 year olds.

Feel free to reach out to [email protected] to schedule a tour or free trial day.

JuniperRootSTL.com