My Only child Just grew up in Oak Park & for many years enjoyed the park district with his friends…read more Justin even worked the Summer at Ridgeland Commons Pool. I also enjoyed him & the guys ice skating there. He's now a Sophomore at Illinois State University. Thank you for the memories! Have a God 2022 & Beyond With Love, JesusjerrijustinBrandon

One of My Bucket List Check Off Of 2018. I found this amazing deal on Groupon. I was super excited…read moreto try out Ice Skating. Sunday Funday for Me & A Friend Our first time getting on the ice with skates. I love to roller skate so I thought to myself what a piece a cake. I was in for a little more hard work and dedication. The staff team was very helpful and attentive. Olivia took the time to show us a few if her technique skills. Even though I was stiff and unbalance it was still worth the effort and fun to do something different and exciting in the New Year The Park District has so many programs and events to check out. Family Friendly atmosphere for everyone. Go check out the website and sign up for your next class and fun filled events to enjoy.

We enjoyed our time at Concordia! Both of our kids thrived in the environment and the teachers…read morecared deeply for our children. We are sad we left due to moving and cannot recommend this center enough for anyone looking for a warm and nurturing environment.

As a lab student [in the Infant & Toddler rooms - on separate occasions respectively], I enjoyed my…read moretime at Concordia's childcare center. Very nice facility - nice, clean campus! Kind and courteous staff (director included!). The teachers (+ the Concordia student teachers who worked at the center as part of their "work-study" they told me) seemed to enjoy what they do & have a love of working w/ children in general. Throughout my observations /lesson plan implementation, the teachers (+ student teachers) spoke to the children in a kind, age-appropriate manner and did fun activities. The smaller class size didn't hurt either =more individual attention w/ the children; good number of hands to help out in the classroom! In addition to structured activities, it was nice to see the children have open play time as well. Going on campus walks with the children was also a treat for everyone. A very positive experience inside & out!

I cannot praise CAST enough. I'm astonished they haven't been reviewed yet…read more So the first thing I'll say is, do this. Get here. Make it work. I don't know how to swim and I knew when I had my baby I wanted them to learn to swim early, because water is so hazardous. I started looking for swimming lessons when she was around six months old, and at that time I had heard of CAST, but getting to Forest Park from Ravenswood daily was just not feasible. When we moved to the northwest side I looked into it again but chickened out because of the kind of rumors I'd heard about ISR ("they throw the baby in the pool!") but committed this year. I wanted my daughter to be safe in the water before taking swim lessons--the one lesson we did do (literally a single lesson) when she was about 10 months old was more about playing, singing, and that sort of thing. I wanted my daughter to be able to save herself if she somehow got into an unsafe situation in the water. And I also want to be able to take her to the pools and splash pads around, because she likes them but I wasn't comfortable with her being in them. CAST teaches Infant Swim Rescue. This is different from a "swimming lesson"--its purpose is to teach children how to flip and find air if they get into the water. Flotation devices, water wings, etc. all provide a false sense of security to children--they think they know how to swim because those items keep them buoyant. I've haven't wanted to let my daughter in a pool with those on because I didn't want her thinking she wouldn't sink. On our first day here, the instructor said that "we want her to be her own floatation device", and I knew I'd made the right decision. Our lessons have been with visiting instructor Gaylynne Sword, and she is fantastic. She's knowledgeable, patient, and kind with kiddos who are unsure and a bit nervous about learning this new skill. Even in the first lesson, my daughter had a noticeable improvement within 10 minutes; the first time she was put on her back to show her to float she was not at all comfortable but by the time the lesson was over, she was much more trusting and went on her back without fuss. I believe CAST also helps provide training to folks who are learning to teach ISR. All the folks associated with CAST whom we've met, including Liz, the founder, have been incredibly welcoming. There have definitely been tears--but who amongst us hasn't cried and/or been frustrated when learning a new skill? Within eight lessons, my daughter has learned to find her way to the surface and successfully float to the surface. She's learning how her breathing helps keep her afloat, and not to panic if she does fall into the water because she can make it safe until someone comes to help her. This has inspired me to take swim lessons myself, because if she did need help I might not be in a position to give it to her. In fact, even during the first lesson I had the thought that I'd love to do ISR training because it is just a vital, life-saving skill. I've loved seeing my baby gain confidence and enjoy the water, and I can't wait until next summer when I'll feel comfortable taking her to the pool and pad. The CAST facility is great. There's a small pool with steps and a couple outcrops which may have been designed specifically to give children places to practice their skills. It's a secure facility, so folks can't just walk in off the street. Although there's no dedicated parking, I've been surprised to see how easy it is to park along Madison here. The south side of the street is the Forest Park side, and there's metered parking there, but the north side is River Forest and there's no charge for parking. On the corner of Madison and Lathrop, less than half a block away, there's a small municipal lot as well.

This place brings me so much joy and relief! I'm so grateful for their help with my kids learning…read moreto swim! I had truly misunderstood this place's philosophy and tactics but I'm glad they finally made it. I have 3 kids who went here (1.5, 5, 7 when they started) and they basically all hated Goldfish and FOSS (truly no diss at those two, they just hated that class structure even with me in the pool). I thought this was a "throw the kids in and they'll naturally figure it out" kind of place. (Do those exist anywhere not in my imagination?) They rigorously get the kid in the pool and habituated them to resting in a back float no matter how they got into the pool. It's so neat to see kids under 1 so quickly getting it. Soon my 5 yo was so good he looked ready to join a swim team and same with my 7 yo. My 1.5 yo would cry, don't get me wrong. They're doing some gentle flips, simulating falling into the pool but boy do they learn fast and having a 1:1 student to teacher ratio really helps. I even got to go in and learn how to reinforce things when we're were away from CAST. They also got to practice in full winter clothing to know what it might be like weighted down. One last thing, they were so accommodating with kids with intellectual and emotional needs. They could have told me they were special ed teachers cuz they were such pros with the couple of kids I saw. Could not recommend this place and style of learning more.

When I went to hatch when I was about 7 years old I started there in 2nd grade. All of the teachers…read morewere very kind to me and treated me well. I Loved my 3rd grade teacher Ms.Lyles.She was always so kind,funny and she was a very good singer. I would really recommend Hatch Elementary School.

My son was at Sunny Days from 6 weeks old until he started Kidnergarten. Everyone there was…read moreoutstanding. They are very reliable and really care about the children. I highly recommend Sunny Days.

We have used Sunny Days for around four years now. I cannot give them enough stars. All classrooms…read moreare very clean, and their playground for the tots has an amazing treehouse my son still loves. He is now 5 and although we now longer need full-time child care we opted to send him for pre-school; after having less then desirable experiences at other preschools. He is truly a different child while at Sunny Days; compared to other programs where he was sad, disengaged, and even refusing to go! When he comes home from SD he is happy and full of stories of how much he learned, and the fun he had. When we did have him enrolled there full-time we could not have been happier. My husband and I went to work each day knowing he was in excellent hands. When he was younger and still in diapers we never once thought the room smelled, or was unsafe in any way. We found all of the staff there to be friendly, professional, and never once saw any negative attributes out of a staff member. From the administration: Mrs. Pat, Jennifer, Maryann; to all of the teachers, including Kim, Mary, Monica, Dana, Ofe ( just to name a few) we looked at them as if they were part of our son's family. I cannot stress how wonderful and welcoming they are. I know it will be a sad day for my little guy when he is too old to attend!

It took me a minute to write this review, but after careful thought I decided to help out anyone…read morewho might be considering care for their child. My daughter was enrolled here through COVID and looking back on our time here, I realize it was a mistake. My daughter was 2 at the time and would come home saying things like "shut your mouth." There was also an incident where she came home with a bite mark on her arm, and when I asked her teacher (who I believe no longer works there) she stated that they had to stop her biting herself. Later came to the conclusion, it was a child who's grandmother worked at the center that she was covering for her. They always had her (the little girl who was biting) sitting in a high chair in the mornings to avoid interaction with other kids. Anyways, although my review is a bit dated, I would advise others to think twice about enrolling their children in this center. As a mom, who now has my second child enrolled in another center, I regret choosing Little Magnolias. Originally, I was impressed with how the center looked and how clean and colorful it seemed, but the staff is not who I would choose to care for any child.

If I can leave 0 stars, I would! Please.... PLEASE do yourself a favor and avoid this daycare at…read moreall cost! The owner is so unprofessional and nasty! She insults kids for crying and feels she can talk to you like you're stupid! I recently registered my son for part time care and it was by far the worst mistake I've ever done. He was in Taronda's toddler class for just two weeks and now I'm starting to wonder how those days there were for my son! On October 10, I dropped him off like usual and of course he cried dropping him off like he always does because he's still trying to adjust and is away from his mother. Or so I thought. I didn't think much of it, I picked him up 7 hours later and got home and do my usual inspection on his body and noticed nail marks that look like they were dug into his skin, through his T-shirt And another on his wrist! Fresh still with blood, I was livid. I asked for the video footage to be reviewed, they stalled stating they needed a pin for the camara to check back later. I show up following day and Taronda says "she might have scratched him while changing his diaper before pick up." And the one on his wrist was possibly from him scratching the table. Proceeds to wave her hands showing me her nails and saying they're getting long and that's what might've happened Because he moves so much. Duh, he's a child and that's what they do. Also, said I have him used to the bottle as if that was relevant! When not one time did he ever take or use a bottle there. There is no way that was an accident, for it to pierce through his skin it must have been done aggressively!!. I go in next day because they say they got the footage and they didn't see any wrong doing, the owner is there and I ask how much of the video they viewed if it was the whole time or just the 2 minutes of around the time I picked him up. The owner says she's not about to waste her time for that many hours! Wtf. You obviously do not care if they have an abusive teacher or not. I'm furious. The owner continues to yell at me to sit down and watch the video, I most definitely didn't like the way she was talking to me like if I was stupid! Mind you all this time my child is sleeping on my shoulder, I yell back because clearly I'm gonna defend my son and need answers for what happened to him under their care! That lady shouldn't be allowed to work with any kids or run a business at that! She does not care about them!! I pick up my sons stuff that same day, and when I got home notice his cup that Taronda clearly said she washes everyday, with spoiled milk and mold on the inside and so stained. Howwwww!!! This is unacceptable, just to think that they had my son drinking out that cup like that makes me cry. He could have gotten sick! I regret ever making this choice! Please, be careful with daycares like this one.

My son is in his second year at La Casa, and we plan to enroll our daughter when she is old enough…read more The building is clean and beautiful, and the teachers are communicative and caring. They respond promptly to text and email, and post pictures weekly on the closed FB group. I know that as soon as my son steps into the classroom, he will be treated with dignity and kindness. He loves all his teachers and gets so excited to see them - he even wanted to invite them to his birthday party! La Casa does a great job of following the Montessori methods, and I have been impressed by what my son has been learning (and is excited to learn!) - at 3, he is teaching Spanish to US! He has become quite and eager helper at home, too. La Casa is excellent at working with parents on potty training, and is much more flexible than most schools at working with the parents of kids with special needs to make sure they are learning to their full potential. Probably what I love the most is how active the kids are every day. They go for walks and to the park nearly every day, usually twice a day. When the weather isn't cooperating, they play "pelotas" and games inside, and they have Zumba at least once (if not two or three times!) per week, which my son LOVES. They also have options for yoga and additional directed art on top of the regular classroom art (and this all starts at age 2!). The only reason I would not give La Casa 5 stars yet is there is still room to improve in terms of administration. They would benefit from FT rather than PT administrative staff, as the organization can be a bit lacking at times. As a parent, you need to be a bit persistent to get all the information you need at the beginning - but at least the staff is very responsive. My son and our family have made some wonderful friends through this school, and we would recommend it to other families looking for a flexible, full-day, reasonably-priced, Spanish immersion school starting at age 15 months.

Best most loving teachers and great classes! We've been at this school for 3+ years. The lessons…read moreand classes are diverse and so rich. Art, yoga, field trips, science for the older kids! I can't say enough about the loving teachers and staff. They're true family.

We are thrilled with Kindness Creators!…read more They're a preschool located at the Oak Park Arms retirement community where the retired residents volunteer in the classroom and the kids go visit the residents who aren't physically able to come down. It's like my daughter has 50 grandparents watching over her at preschool and it is heart-warming to see the seniors light up around the kids. Jaime and Pam do a fantastic job educating our daughter. With more and more research highlighting how critical social skills are to kids' success in school, we were excited to see that the emphasis is on social/emotional and empathy. Since she's started school, our daughter has done a great job making friends at the park and dealing with disagreements. She's still a 4 year old, but it's fun to see her confidence grow. Of course, she's also getting great with her numbers and letters. There are a whole lot practical conveniences to Kindness Creators that are a great bonus. They are really flexible on their hours, you can have your kid go to preschool year round (if you like), they meet you outside for pick up and drop off which definitely saves time and the kids don't have to be potty trained when they start. Kindness Creators is great for my daughter with the added benefit of bringing a lot of joy to Oak Park's senior citizens.

We have been at no less than five preschools in the area, and are just in love with Kindness…read moreCreators. Pam and Jaime are both early childhood certified, and have special ed and ESL endorsements, so they are very qualified to be teaching our kiddos. KC focuses on social/emotional development, which is why we have moved our son here this year rather than a traditional after-kindergarten program, since that is very important to us. The program is in a senior citizens home, so my kid gets to mingle with seniors, which is a win-win for everyone involved in my book. There are ice cream socials every Friday ;) In addition, there are education college students helping out in the classrooms as well as seniors from the center. It is well-run and I love that I get to spend as much time as I need every day talking to Pam and Jaime at pick up. I haven't found that anywhere else. We love it so much, we are transferring my other son here next year. I wish it had been around years ago when we first started in preschool!