This pre-school is is a hidden gem! First of all, being a Nature preschool, the students are…read moreoutside all year (safe weather permitting) exploring the beautiful landscapes of the Chicago Botanic Gardens. They are getting what so many of us and our children are craving-more time in nature, learning and growing and re-connecting. In this preschool children really get to be children, and with that they learn and develop in ways that are appropriate to their age. In a world saturated with screens, this preschool is welcomed reprieve. The teachers are special trained not only in early childhood development, but also specifically in inspiring play through nature education. They definitely provide a nurturing learning environment helping children learn important age appropriate skills. The teachers also encourage a wonderful community within the classroom and amongst the families with various extra activities and opportunities. The facilities are second to none- beautiful and inspiring. I kind of wish I could be a preschooler again! My child attended the preschool for two years and I hope to send my other children here as well. Despite their being numerous quality preschools much nearer my home, I felt the Nature Preschool provided opportunities we could not find anywhere else.

My kids have really benefited from this preschool. Their attention span and love of nature has…read moreincreased so much. For example, when we went to the park last weekend they got a large ice block and decorated it with twigs and soon had the other kids and themselves engaged in a snow birthday party. Their creativity and natural wonder of the world around them has grown so much. It's a wonderful gift for a child to go here!

We feel so fortunate to have found the little blue school! We moved from out of state and were…read moreseeking a warm, inclusive community for our family. Our oldest has thrived at RNS and loves engaging in daily outdoor play and environmental explorations. The teachers are deeply invested in the social and emotional development of each child. Learning is hands-on, inquiry-based, and so joy filled. Our oldest counts the number of sleeps left to return to school on weekends and vacations, and our youngest can't wait to join next year. We are very grateful to be a part of such a nurturing and grounded community.

We have absolutely loved the last three years at Ravinia Nursery School. My son has made so many…read morefriends and I know he will be amply prepared for starting kindergarten next fall. My younger son just started and is already doing great! The teachers are incredible - warm, engaging, and so committed to providing a quality preschool education. I can't say enough about how positive our experience has been.

Dont send your child here unless perfect. Our 2 year old had temper tantrums Can you believe a…read more2 year old having temper tantrums! we pulled her out and the new day care loves her and doesn't understand it. I hear all the time about people not being happy and some others have pulled out. Its really too bad. This has happened since the directors changed. It use to be great!

Called them regarding their daycare program and spoke with C.J. received answers to all of my…read morequestions and felt that they actually cared about my particular situation.

We came here for a singing bowl meditation. We brought yoga mats, lay down on our mats in the open…read moreair pavilion while the instructor (?)/performer/musician gave us a brief explanation. Why meditate with a singing bowl? They are said to promote deep relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance focus, creating a sense of inner peace. Despite the noise from the cicadas and the faraway sound of traffic, it was a gorgeous evening and I found myself lightly dozing?, relaxing while listening to the instruments. This was the last outdoor session of the season, with the fall sessions to be held indoors. If you are open to trying new experiences you may enjoy a singing bowl meditation. I found this listing under Chicago Botanic Garden classes.

From the owner: Art classes and workshops, drawing classes, photography courses and workshops, gardening classes,…read morehorticulture classes, professional development, yoga classes, tai chi classes, fitness courses as well as youth classes, school class field trips, teacher classes, family classes and nature preschool.

I can't say enough good things about NCNS! My son started mid-year last year when a spot opened up…read morein the 2's and he really flourished. He comes home excited everyday in the 3's this year too. He's making friends, learning to share and is especially animated when he talks about the 'job' he has each week. Last week he was the Meteorologist and next he's in charge of the Mystery Box. NCNS really sees the value of creating a community for the families of the students, not just the students. We've met some really wonderful people at events put on by the school!

We moved to Northbrook in the middle of Covid with not much of an idea where to send our daughter,…read moreas safety precautions meant we couldn't visit and we didn't know many people. When we reached out for information, Gail was so welcoming and the experience with the play-based curriculum is everything we wanted. Our daughter has absolutely thrived since starting as a 2-year-old-- her language, imaginative play, and sense of responsibility have grown so much-- and Lunch Bunch classes give her an opportunity to experience other fun classes- like Yoga-- and spend a bit more time at school every day. She's made so many friends and we've had a ton of opportunities to meet socially with families and parents, as well. We're excited for our son to start in the young 2's class next year, and our daughter to move into Pre-K! Cannot recommend NCNS enough!

My daughter has been there for 3 years and we love it. She's starting kindergarten next year so…read morewe'll be saying goodbye but highly recommend them.

I think Ms. Paula is nepotistic. I got replaced by her daughter at my job. During Lisa's time…read moreeverything was for children, but with the new management is all about making it comfortable for themselves. The best teachers are Mr. Leverick and Mrs. O'Day. They are the best teachers in this school towards both students and other teachers. The parents and kids are lucky to have teachers like them.

My son is in his second year here and also attended camp this past summer. We love the school and…read morethe teachers. My son is happy and excitheted to go to school every day. They are very flexible with days/times each child attends so we could set a schedule that works well for our family.

Love HP Montessori! Both of my daughters have been to HP Montessori for the past few years. We…read moremoved from the city mid-year; they were able to accommodate my older one easily. My younger one started the following summer in their 2-3 classroom and has progressed to their 3-6 (she's in her 3rd year now). We love how kind the teachers are and helpful the entire staff is. It is a well-oiled machine, but takes the time to work with each family's unique needs. They have been very helpful when my work schedule fluctuated - allowing me to switch days or add hours as needed. My younger daughter is reading now - not because anyone is pushing her, but because she enjoys it because of the Montessori process. Their educational model is American-style Montessori, so even though there are rules to be followed, their is much nurturing and compassion that accompanies learning activities. She has learned about all different cultures and some French, Spanish, & Italian! Lunches are amazing - Chef Don makes gourmet food that your kid will actually eat. I am so impressed by how dynamic my girls' palettes are now & I'm almost certain its because of those lunches. We have also really enjoyed the Fun in the Sun Summer Camp. Affordable, fun, and - a big for working parents - reliable with quality instruction and care. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area looking for a preschool that prepares kids well for elementary education.

The craziest thing happened the other day... My 2 year old…read moredumped out her container of bows (this is a daily occurrence). I waited for her to move on and create yet another mess in my house (sigh), but she said "I need to clean this up." And then she actually started cleaning up after herself. She must have noticed that my jaw hit the floor because she said "Miss Jacqueline taught me how to clean up at camp." And that's when I decided every penny I've spent for camp @ GJK this summer was well worth it! After we had a contract on a house in Glencoe I started exploring pre-schools in the area. I checked out GJK, The Park District ,Am Shalom and even asked around about the Glencoe Montessori school (opening in September). I don't think you can go wrong w/ any of those options, but after touring GJK with the Director, Debra, I felt most at home here. I also really liked that the majority of the kids who go to this school are from the Glencoe area (rather than the entire North Shore) since that's who my kids will be going to school with later on. While we don't start pre-school until the fall, we've been in camp all summer and I'm 100% confident I've made the right choice. My daughter LOVES camp and I don't blame her. I'd love to spend 2 hours playing, doing art projects, etc as well. When I drop her off I know she's well taken care of and at times between the head counselor, assistant counselor, CITS etc looks like there's more "big people" than 2-year-olds. I've heard several parents who send their kids to other camps comment that their kid seems happy, but they're unsure of what really goes on there. When Miss Jacqueline isn't teaching the kids to clean up (among other things) she does a fantastic job of keeping the parents in the loop and often sends personal emails with pictures/updates. Like most 2 year olds mine has a few issues with sharing and listening. We've still got some room for improvement (then again I could learn to share/listen better myself at 32), but I"ve noticed a huge difference just seeing her interact with other kids during playdates over the past few weeks. The structure and social interaction @ GJK has been really wonderful for her...and me! :) I've also gotten to know many of the parents and it's such a warm, friendly community! Between both my kids we've got several years at GJK ahead of us and I'm looking forward to it!

Great teachers and an incredibly kind, welcoming staff. From the moment you walk in, you can feel…read morethat the school truly cares about the students and their success. The teachers are patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping every child learn and grow. The staff is always friendly, helpful, and makes both parents and students feel comfortable. What stands out the most is how excited my kids are to go to school every single day. They come home happy, talking about what they learned, and looking forward to the next day. That alone says a lot about the positive environment the school has created. It is clear that the school focuses not only on academics but also on building confidence, character, and a love of learning. We are very grateful to be part of such a supportive and caring school community. I highly recommend this school to any family looking for a place where their children will feel valued, encouraged, and excited to learn.

If you are thinking of sending your child to Goddard Deerfield, please read this review and…read moreconsider other options. About us: Hard working blue collar parents of 2 kids and one more on the way in July 2022. Our daughter attended Goddard Deerfield for over 1 year and we initially enrolled our son to start in August of 2022. Problems: The owners of this location, Jane and Genia, consider your child a walking dollar sign and nothing else. They will put the economics of getting every dollar out of you rather than creating a safe environment for your child or respecting any of your parental concerns. The situation and response: Goddard's AC system had broken during a 90+ degree week. Goddard has no extra classrooms so their response was to have the children in the classroom at that temperature for 30-40 mins at a time. We decided to not send our daughter to school until the AC situation was fixed due to extreme heat and ventilation issues that could lead to spread of COVID (my wife is currently pregnant with a high risk pregnancy). The AC repair took over 9 days and no surprise, there was a COVID case in the classroom during this time. This left our daughter out of school where we had to pay for additional childcare for 2 weeks. We reached out to the owners for a credit of our tuition for the time and that is when Jane's true colors showed. Over a phone call a screaming and angry Jane claimed: -"AC breaking is an Act of God and that they had to pay $5,000 to repair it so they are not liable." -"It builds character for children to be in that heat because life isn't always perfect" -When I told her again that my wife was pregnant and our own doctor said this an unneeded risk. Jane claimed "COVID is overblown and it's just an excuse now. My sister in law had COVID during her pregnancy and was fine, so your wife shouldn't be worried" We were so shocked by this response. After that last bizarre call, my wife had a 1-1 in person conversation where Jane took ownership of the things she said but the damage had been done. We knew our daughter would not be safe in their hands and that ownership would potentially target our children. Even worse ownership behavior: Our daughter stopped attending Goddard in June and our son was enrolled for upcoming August start - we asked what the process is for terminating enrollment and how we would receive our refund of enrollment fees and they took that as an opportunity to immediately cancel his enrollment, keep the enrollment fees, and take money from another family to fill his spot. Not only did they not return the money, they cancelled his enrollment and filled his spot in a breach of their own enrollment document/parent handbook. We now have to consult a legal expert to recoup our fees. I am a small business owner myself and would never ever target or leave a negative review unless it was 100% necessary to warn others. There are other schools in the area that will look after your child, look elsewhere. During the last few months of dealing with Goddard I felt like a failure of a parent to have not seen the other red flags and cannot believe I allowed my child to be in the care of Goddard Deerfield. The worst part of it all is that this is all I know about, what about all the other things that may have happened while my daughter attended school here that owners with this character may have put their own business in front of my child or any child? If you think maybe this is a one off situation and your child could be okay, Google search "Goddard Deerfield Indeed reviews" to see how their own teachers review the school. It is very evident that this is a common theme. Reach out to me if you have concerns as I have documentation of all of this.

I've been hearing murmurings of Kid-Motion for months now and finally asked a mother in my…read moredaughter's ballet* class what it was all about. Another mother overheard and said "You don't know about Kid-Motion? You must be new in town because EVERYONE goes to Kid-motion. Kid-motion day is my kid's favorite day." Mom #1 agreed that Kid-Motion was pretty special and recommended I sign up for January as soon as possible since the classes tend to fill up quickly. I went home feeling guilty I"ve been denying my almost 3 year old of "kid-motion day" and emailed them letting them know I"d be interested in signing up my daughter for the next session starting in January. It was our lucky day because minutes later I received an email that there was a spot in the 2 1/2-3 year old class and we could start next week. Hooray! I listed Kid- motion under "pre-school" here on Yelp, but it refers to itself as a movement program. For my daughter's class it's a 2 hour drop-off, which is pretty awesome since most of the classes at her age are 30 minutes (aka: way too short for mom to get anything done!). Each week has a different theme - this week they learned about pumpkins cause of halloween, which my daughter has decided is her favorite holiday (i'm sure soon to be replaced by her upcoming bday). When my daughter got home she came running into my home office (my next review will be for a locksmith:)) to tell me all about pumpkins and show me her "fridge worthy" picture of a pumpkin. For my daughter's age they spend 65 minutes in the gym where there's lots of equipment that you'd find in a kids gymnastics studio (rings, low balance beam, etc) followed by 55 minutes in the playroom where they do more typical pre-school activities (ex: art, play with water, playdoh, parachute, snack etc). Kate and Lois are my daughter's instructors and they seem very patient and capable, which is probably why so many people are raving about Kid-motion. And I don't blame all the children for being such fans. I'd like my own version of adult-motion day! * http://www.yelp.com/biz/baby-take-a-bow-winnetka

Mary and Kate are remarkable and have created a program known around the North Shore as the gem of…read moreWinnetka. An absolute must for parents with young children who are looking for something special for their children a couple days a week.