So glad to have this space back open! I rented it out for my son's 2nd birthday party. We had a…read moregreat experience and would highly recommend. The kids loved racing around the open space and exploring all of the toys. The toddlers loved climbing through the tunnels. The adults enjoyed the space to gather in the party room. As the host, I had a terrific experience! The owner allowed me to drop in early to store some of my supplies in the fridge. She was very helpful during the party supplying me with things I'd forgotten and checking in to ensure all was well. I look forward to dropping in for classes in the future. As I was dropping things off, there was a cute baby sign language class taking place. The environment is so fresh, clean, and calm! Welcome to the neighborhood, Southport Fundamentals!

We recently attended a birthday party and the kids (and adults) had a great time! The space is set…read moreup to allow children to be active, creative, and engaged. We would highly recommend this space for birthday parties, as the party room is perfect for decorating, storing food/drinks, and mingling. Fun aside, the space is exceptionally clean and the owner was on site to help with the flow of the party. This space would also be ideal for hosting adult gatherings (classes, parties, meetings, etc.). Welcome to the neighborhood!

Three cheers for Miss Jess -- this woman is a marvel!…read more Easel Art Studio is a fab little place to burn an hour or so of child curiosity. I've attended several classes here with my 2-3 year old and it is just the right bite sized chunk of artsiness to keep young kids interested -- with cute byproducts to boot! My favorites have included the little fireplace we made before Christmas and the ladybugs on International Women's Day. I like what you're throwing down here, Easel - I like it. Well organized, friendly, fun, well priced -- I'm a huge fan and always look forward to bringing my little guy here (though its a close competition for him as to what's more fun 1. the class or 2. riding the bus home -- the bus!). Easily 5 stars. I found it through Pearachute so we've generally done drop-ins as schedule allows, but I would not hesitate to sign up for a session and attend open art given how much we all enjoy it.

This place is SO amazing!!! My 6 year old son did a week of camp here and he came home with some of…read morethe most amazing art pieces! They were unique and used all types are art supplies! He was so proud of his masterpieces. Will for sure be back next summer!

Went to an art opening and all the interactive things were a blast!…read more Made my own rorscharch or whatever they are and got to paint and eat! YAYA

Had my 4 year-old's birthday party here today and all the kids and parents had a blast. Alexis and…read moreMegan and Ava (I hope I got your names right) we're great at planning, preparing and hosting.

This was great spot for kids in the Lakeview area. $30 day pass but you can shop and come back and…read moreeven bring food here. This is a spot that's great for families wanting a break or play dates. The place is calming and friendly staff.

The owner is incredibly kind and interactive with the kids. You can tell she understands how they…read moreplay and she provides a space where they can be kids. Really grateful I found this location and got to meet the owner. It's refreshing to meet someone who truly enjoys kids and puts their all into their work.

I love the concept of the Music Playhouse of Chicago. I love music and wasn't sure how to expose my…read moredaughter to it since I don't want to force her into Suzuki strings or something, and the Wiggleworms program at Old Town School appears to be geared toward slightly older babies (mine is just two months). In the newsletter for Family Picnic there was an advertisement for the fall term of The Music Class for Babies, which is led by an employee of Music Playhouse at various locations. I was a bit on the fence about going (why is everything for babies/small children in the early hours of the morning--have some sympathy for those of us who aren't early birds!). Luckily Family Picnic is only a few blocks away and I'm so glad went. At this weeks' session there were two other families in attendance and the children ranged from two to six months. This particular class is geared toward children aged 0 to 18 months. It was led by Miss Juliet, who had a variety songs to sing; rhythmic patterns to explore; as well as shakers, sticks, and scarves to dance and play with. We did activities whilst standing and sitting, including various songs and dances. It was great fun and my little one seemed to enjoy it as well. After leaving, we signed up for two more drop-in sessions; though the term is 10 weeks long, I unfortunately have to return to work in a couple weeks so I won't be able to attend a Friday morning class. I wish they had late afternoon or weekend sessions so that we could participate more often. The only negative thing I have to say is that the class took place sitting on the floor or standing. I am not the most limber and I was able to get up and down but it was really uncomfortable for me, both sitting on the floor and trying to get up from it (and I'm not sure how it would work if there were many more people there). I didn't really feel as though I had the option to sit on a chair as opposed to the floor. I'm not sure how it would work for someone who, unlike me, truly cannot sit on the floor for whatever reason, so I'm not sure if it's fully accessible.

Love, love, LOVE Ms. Erin!…read more We've been taking our son to Ms. Erin's classes on Saturday mornings and he loves the songs. Classes have been outdoors at Tuco and Blondie and they are socially distanced. Ms. Erin provides instruments or seating if you forget yours. Everything is cleaned before and after you use it. I would highly recommend the music classes for littles who love movement and singing.

We will always be grateful to KidsWork for the impact they had on our son and family for the past 2…read moreyears. From the caring staff to the nurturing environment, our child has grown so much in confidence, independence, and happiness. Knowing our little one was safe, loved, and learning each day gave us a peace of mind that you can't put a price on. Special thanks to Lindsey and Michelle at the front desk for making our son feel important every morning. Also, thank you to a variety of amazing teachers: Ms. Karla, Ms. Tiadora, Ms. Faeth, Mr. Ezra, Ms. Tiana, Ms. Alaina and Ms. Olyvia just to name a few. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And Bear Down.

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.

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.

I had my son's 5th birthday party and we all had an excellent time!! The planning process was…read moreincredibly easy and Laura was great to work with! She incorporated all of my son's request and he had the party that he wanted! Chef Laura was great with the kids! We had a large variety of ages and they all were attentive to her through the party. She demonstrated multiple techniques and clearly answered all the kids' questions. Finally, the food was delicious. She made a little extra for the adults and the fresh quesadillas and freshly squeezed juice were a big hit. If your child wants a cooking class party, this is the place to have it!

This was terrific! Had our 6 year old's birthday party here. First they went over some rules and…read morestarted the pizza dough. Then they decorated their aprons, mixed cupcake batter, prepped the pizza dough and put on toppings. Finally they made the cupcake icing and decorated them and ate everything! Well run and the kids had a great time.