OLIVIA

As a mom, I wanted my children to get messy, learn through experience, and make friends, I also wanted to meet other moms and be a part of a loving community.

I grew up in a very creative household always encouraged to be imaginative. My parents encouraged a love of art, entrepreneurship, and reading. I earned my BA at Rutgers University and then an MA from The University of Chicago in English Language and Literature. My plan was to become a professor and keep my writing, art and theater passions as hobbies. Eventually those hobbies broke free and they became my sole focus for over 20 years.

Hugs & Bugs Club was inspired by my son, Jackson, and my hopes for him to socialize more and experience new things regularly. We tried pretty much all the classes and some of them were great, especially in the beginning when they were new. But, once the wow factor of a new drum or bubble wand disappeared, he became super bored, went stir crazy, and entertained himself by finding new ways of tearing down the room or escaping. This became increasingly difficult since I was pregnant with his baby brother, Rex. I started researching sensory games and materials, and their benefits, and I was blown away! You mean he could be entertained, learn something cool and I can take a shower for longer than two seconds!?! That's it! So in 2015, I decided to create Hugs & Bugs Club for a place to for my children and friends to enjoy sensory and hands-on activities.

Our second location expanded to offer a Reggio inspired school, camp and process art classes for older children, and was once again inspired by my own children and how I wanted more independent play for them in a natural environment free of overstimulating decor, toys and technology. I'm a true believer that children learn in creative play and nature. I wish to share my passion of sensory play and process art so they can be inspired and build beautiful memories too! 

MS. LUISA

I recently completed Nursing school last year with hopes of continuing and reaching my ultimate goal of becoming a pediatric nurse. Throughout my experience in teaching I’ve learned that working with children is my true passion and I will continue to pursue that route in my future endeavors. I have been working with children for approximately 10 years and it has been an amazing journey. Not only have I've been a part of their growth and development, but they have also been part of mine. I believe that kids have such an amazing ability of teaching you that every day is a fresh start and that a new day means new opportunities to make new friends. Children have many beautiful ways to find joy all around them and see silliness everywhere, which makes me smile constantly. I love how Hugs & Bugs Club has such a creative environment that helps children develop their senses through exploration and discovery and I love being part of the Hugs & Bugs Club Family! I enjoy being a teacher and experiencing sensory play with my daughter in classes now too.

MS. TENSEL

From a young age, my passion for teaching has guided my educational journey. I hold a BA in Teaching English, Italian, and German as Foreign Languages, along with an MS in Teaching English as a Second Language from the City College of New York. Having taught languages in diverse settings, including schools in Romania, New Jersey, and New York, I've learned the importance of integrating students' interests into the learning process.

Taking a break to actively participate in my children's early learning, I discovered the inspiring Hugs & Bugs Club. This school's emphasis on learning through play and the incorporation of nature deeply resonated with me. Unlike conventional schools, Hugs & Bugs Club embraces individuality, encouraging creativity and a focus on each child's unique interests. As a teacher and a mother, I firmly believe that children are inherently curious learners. By attentively observing their play, identifying what excites them, and understanding their questions about the world, I aim to cultivate a learning environment that fosters their natural curiosity.

At Hugs & Bugs Club, I am privileged to be part of a teaching community that values creativity and prioritizes the children's needs.  When designing my lessons I always think about ways I can bring nature inside, or ways to recycle and repurpose common materials and turn them into learning manipulatives or even art. Each day my Hugs & Bugs Club classroom involves exploring materials, spaces, light and shadows,  experimenting with sensory materials, recreating the work of great artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Pollock, creating beautiful transient art, learning math without even realizing and reading many carefully selected books.

MS. DANI

I’m a true Hoboken girl, growing up listening to stories from my dad about his time growing up here and now living here for over over 10 years growing into the teacher and artist I am today. I have enjoyed being a filmmaker, fitness instructor, personal assistant, babysitter / nanny, film camp director, teacher and so much more. Out of all those experiences, teaching children is the most fulfilling to me. Teaching at Hugs & Bugs Club gives me the creative freedom to inspire through imagination and creation for our students to learn and play. Arts and crafts is my passion, and I believe that all of life's most important lessons can be found and practiced through them. When I’m not at Hugs and Bugs Club, I enjoy crafting, reading, and walking my dogs, David and Darla, around Hoboken of course.

MS. ABBY

I am an educator, actor, and NYU graduate student. I grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, and received a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Astronomy from Mount Holyoke College. As a kid, my favorite story was Peter Pan, so much so that I often tried to figure out how I could learn to fly. I had the faith and the trust, but never got the pixie dust, so I eventually channeled that energy into a passion for soccer, which I still have to this day. When I’m not in classes or at work, I can be found most days crocheting, reading, or watching women's soccer. I am so very happy to join the Hugs and Bugs family and looking forward to days filled with fun, curiosity, and joy!