Talk about igniting my child's desire to learn, explore, and grow in STEM! You absolutely see what…read moreyou are paying for each day when your child comes home full of new ideas and doesn't stop talking about them until you put her to bed. We have been going to KSL on and off for about two years and this summer we enrolled our daughter in a 3 week camp. Each week a new topic was covered: dinosaurs v. animals, engineering, and astronauts/space. I can attest that each day was packed with experiments and builds that made science accessible. 1. Teachers and staff are kind, attentive, and educated. KSL is creative about learning and definitely provides a hands on experience. The teachers & staff show patience with the children and a passion for what they are exploring/teaching each day. This is definitely a differentiator from other camps we've attended/researched. Every person I encountered at KSL knew my child by name and was by my standards professional & helpful. 2. The quality of the subject matter & builds is unlike any other place we've taken our daughter. It feels like the curriculum is designed to allow kids to ask questions and learn through hands on projects, reading, and experiments - (these are the things your child will not stop talking about for days...) 3. The materials used in these projects is so inventive. This year my daughter built a Mars Rover model that is truly better than anything I could have constructed... and she's 5! Each day I was impressed with the magnitude of engineering and creativity used in the projects that came home... yes there's still goo and snake venom but the fact that my daughter could talk about what snake venom does to blood blew me away... she took an understanding away from the cool experiments - it's wasn't just about making something slimy or gooey. 4. Location: KSL has parking in the Whole Foods North Ave. parking garage. This is an awesome thing for anyone toting around a second child (like me.) It's truly an easy in and out and their building is very secure. I never left my daughter feeling concerned or worried about her safety. Honestly, if you child has any spark for creativity (which I think they all do) try out a Saturday drop-in class. I think they sell packs so that you don't have to commit to being there every weekend if your schedule is nuts. It's an experience you won't find anywhere else. Last, but not least, here's the true testament to how great this place is: We commuted from Jefferson Park (Foster Ave.) to KSL on I-90 during rush hour for 3 weeks... yeah, it's that good.

Mr Shegan is AWESOME! His way of handling stressed parent minutes before the big show, his way of…read moreengaging kids VIRTUALLY during the shows, my kid and her friends had a great time celebrating my daughter's birthday virtually. Mr Shegan called the day before to walk me through what would happened, so I appreciated the walk-through and gave me a level of comfort despite the backoffice chaos i experienced the last couple weeks. What's really dampening the supposingly-stress-free experience is the back-office arrangement. Some of the highlights below - So the zoom info was given to me when I booked the party back in May. I called a few times to confirm the zoom info a couple weeks prior to the party to make sure what I had on the invite was still correct. What really caused me a bit anxiety is that when they did "confirm" the zoom info with me over on email, the info sent over contains a couple other kids names and one of their party information. Granted nothing really personal was shared, but this made me wonder how they handles guest information in general. The day of the party, apparently, the guests and I were in a different zoom room from Mr Shegan's, the "registration" page we were sent to had a different party date/time options to pick from, which confused a lot of us. Many parents were texting me just few mins before the party while I was confused myself, and not sure what happened since it was slightly different from what Mr Shegan told me the day before. I think there's a change of personnel post-sales coz I couldn't reach the person who I contacted during the sales to confirm all the logistics. Everytime I contacted KSL, I reached the voicemail, emails were unanswered. Granted they did call you back rather quickly. But that's kinda annoying and added extra layer of stress to a planner like me. And suburb buyers be aware - if you want virtual party, kits pick up time is 9-4 in LP. During sales time, the lady told me that they could arrange weekend pickup given I live in the burbs and DO work regular 9-5. But obviously, this didn't happen. We had to make an arrangement for a quick trip to the city. All in all, the experience was 5+ star DURING the party time, but it was less than desired during the planning phase post-sales. Mr Shegan is def. the saving grace.

Our 2 year old started at Kids' Work last year after we switched from another local center. Our…read moreprevious daycare was fine--our son was safe and cared for, but we felt he wasn't getting enough mental stimulation, and our interactions with staff were inconsistent. Once we started at Kids' Work, we realized what we'd been missing. The staff is incredible. Every person we've met has been friendly, enthusiastic, and genuinely seems happy to be there. You can tell management supports their team because the teachers never seem stressed or burned out. It's comforting to know that positive energy trickles down to the kids too. Our son is always so excited to see his teachers and classmates. Every one of his teachers has been warm and knowledgeable--the kind of people who truly love working with children. Leidy, Dina, and Desire were wonderful in the infant room, and he absolutely adores his current toddler teachers, Sydney, Monica, and Ana. He talks about them constantly. We get consistent, clear communication from his teachers about everything that happens in the classroom. They sincerely celebrate milestones with us, and whenever we face challenges, they are quick to ask questions, troubleshoot, and share tips as appropriate. The curriculum is excellent. Music and Spanish teachers come into the classroom weekly, and every day is full of creative projects and plenty of outside time. The facilities are always clean, organized, and filled with high-quality toys. The admin team has also been incredibly helpful whenever we've had questions or concerns. For example, when we were worried about our son's transition to the toddler room, Lindsey took time to reassure us and share resources to make sure he was ready. Their advice was spot on--he thrived in the new environment immediately. Last but absolutely not least, the level of organization at Kids' Work is impressive. Everything from sick policies to daily classroom schedules is well thought out, clearly communicated, and consistent. Nothing slips through the cracks with this team--and everyone is safer, healthier, and more sane because of it. We feel lucky to have found this place. It's not the cheapest option, but if you're looking for a daycare that genuinely goes the extra mile, this is the one.

We sent our little 7 month old to Kids' Work with great trepidation, as any new parent would…read more However, we would have been a lot more nervous had Kids' Work not proactively prepared us for what to expect and do, from the very beginning. As a result, we went to Kids' Work and never looked back. The place really feels like one big family. The environment is clean and welcoming (cleaner than any other daycare we visited), every teacher and administrator knows our son's name (impressive!), we get frequent updates on the daily activities, and most important of all, our son loves it there! The bonds he created with his infant room teachers are so heartwarming to watch. The teachers go above and beyond every day to make the parents' lives easier, and those little things matter, a lot. I would recommend Kids' Work to anyone looking for a wonderful place for their child to grow and learn!

If you haven't been here yet you should absolutely think about making this your next date night,…read moregirls night, parents night etc. it was so fun. It's BYOB and we did the mug making class. You mold your mug and paint it. They fire it for you and you get to bring home your own mug in the next week. They also offer courses of wheel throwing etc.

My daughter has been here for a days out camp and we have been here together for a family wheel…read morethrowing class. All the instructors are so nice but above everything it really feels like a "neighborhood" spot. Where in Chicago things can, at times, feel impersonal... it really feels like a community here. Recommend.

My daughter has been taking classes here for a few weeks and is really loving it! She's learning…read morethe basics of form drawing while also getting to experiment with different materials in a supportive environment. I highly recommend StudioUs!

Studio us is an amazing art studio located south of Andersonville. Rachel is the owner and…read moreinstructor and has an absolute magical way with children. She employs technology to help kids learn to draw one line at a time. She also holds amazing workshops for $10 an hour where kids can do special art projects. Classes are maxed at 6 kids, most have around 4 so your kiddos get lots of attention. Best art studio in the city.

ChooChoo Chicago is a great daycare option for in the Lakeview community. We love that it is…read moreconveniently located within the neighborhood and walkable for pickup and dropoffs. Our daughter started with them around 1 year old and transition fairly quickly from infant to toddler class. We have seen our girl's growth and the teachers give us constant updates on her progress. ChooChoo takes security and the children's wellbeing very seriously. Teachers make sure they know every parent and child, even from different classrooms, to make sure strangers are not allowed into the center. They have a daily check in and out system to make sure every child is accounted for. For the toddler class onwards, they try to take the kids out everyday to the park and i think the kids really enjoy that. We love the Brightwheel app they use and the teachers constantly post updates and pictures throughout the day so we can be updated on our child's day.

We highly recommend ChooChoo Chicago for child care…read more Both of our children have attended ChooChoo since infancy--our older daughter started at 2 months old, and our younger daughter is scheduled to begin at around 3 months old. Because of work, we spent a year out of state with our older daughter and had the opportunity to experience another daycare. That comparison made us appreciate even more how special ChooChoo is. What stands out most is the warm and supportive community. The teachers, parents, and children create a genuinely friendly environment where everyone is kind and willing to help one another. Our experience with the teachers has been exceptional. One of our children was born with low birth weight and needed physical therapy during infancy. The teachers were incredibly accommodating with therapy schedules and consistently helped reinforce the exercises recommended by our physical therapists throughout the day. Thanks to everyone's teamwork, she successfully met her developmental milestones and is now doing just as well as her peers. As first-time parents, we truly felt that the teachers were our partners in raising our children. We worked together toward the same goal: helping our kids thrive. Mrs. Mia deserves special recognition. She takes rules and standards very seriously and does not make exceptions based on personal relationships. Because of her leadership, ChooChoo consistently maintains high standards for cleanliness, safety drills, and illness policies. As parents, that gives us tremendous peace of mind. If we had to mention one downside, it would be that the facility is smaller than many daycare centers we saw elsewhere. That said, this is simply the reality of childcare centers in the city, and nearby daycares are generally similar in size. When we moved back to Chicago, we didn't even consider other options. We are grateful for the care and dedication of everyone at ChooChoo, and we wholeheartedly recommend it to any family looking for a nurturing, safe, and professional daycare.

I just want to add that after re-opening during this time of COVID-19, they have done a great job…read moremitigating infection risk at their summer camps. They require the kids to wear their own masks, provide shoe covers and face shields, put up walls between computers and spread them out, limit class sizes, check temperatures on arrival, require parents to fill out a form asserting their child is not infected or exposed to infected people (to their knowledge), and keep parents outside during pick-up/drop-off. Also, my son said they made him wash his hands 5 times today haha. They are doing everything I could think of and more to help us feel safer and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Oh, and my son still likes the classes too.

My son loved digital adventures! For a long time I've wanted my son to get out of the consumer…read moremindset and shift to the developer mindset. I believe that shift is now underway D.A. does a phenomenal job of integrating the fundamentals of coding with his favorite video games, Roblox and Minecraft. The prices are also quite reasonable. I was very impressed with my son's progress and we were looking to give him a more specialized focus in terms of his interests and strengths with the classes they offer. I was so impressed seeing the 4th graders code full robotics applications after only 1 year of these classes. My son also enjoyed bonding with the kids there, and seem to enjoy working with them more than the kids at his school. He made some friends. I highly recommend this place.

My three year old son has been attending Concordia since November. He absolutely loves it!…read more Starting a new preschool during Covid times was nerve wracking for sure, but Concordia has plenty of excellent policies in place to make a safe and healthy environment. All of the employees we encounter on a day to day basis are friendly, caring, and efficient. Communication from the teachers and administrators is excellent. I'm thrilled that we found Concordia, and looking forward to seeing our son learn and grow with them!

We have been thrilled with our experience at Concordia these past three years. While the pandemic…read morehas made childcare much more difficult, the administration and staff at Concordia has been up to the challenge. Our first child has been at the school since they turned 13 months old (now 4 years old) and our second since infancy (now two). We've loved all of the teachers that our kids have had and appreciate the continuity (teacher turn over is very low compared to most centers). The kids stay active throughout the day and they have access to different outdoor playgrounds (different play lots for the younger versus older kiddos). There is also an annex room that can be used for indoor play during the colder months. The teachers set up the most wonderful art projects - I'm always amazed at their creativity and energy! The communication has been great with the teachers - we had trouble with our eldest napping at school but we worked with the teachers to try a few strategies we use at home and significantly improved the number of nap days (which makes for a nicer kid at the end of the day). The front staff is great as well - everyone is welcoming and will get to know your kiddo by name. The school has clear COVID-19 protocols (which I like) - they follow Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and CDC guidelines. If they didn't follow IDPH guidelines they could risk losing their license. The school is also very diverse and does a lot to support the community. I whole heartedly recommend Concordia - this recommendation comes from a parent of two children who attend, a person who worked at a private daycare for seven years, and a graduate of an elementary education program. I know I am sending my kids to a warm, supportive, structured and fun environment.

Also the most expensive camp among dozens of other great options in Chicago. Communication was…read moresloppy and programming disorganized. Did not appear the staff had much training. We obviously will not be back and I cannot recommend Freda to friends.

We've sent out two older kids to Fred's for two summers now, and next year we're excited that the…read morelittle one will be old enough to join them. Every day, the kids were so excited to get to camp, they repeatedly validated our decision to choose Fred's. We couldn't be happier. They simply do everything right.