I had my son's 9th birthday party at Magical Minds Studio in January 2026. Everything about our experience was great- the party planner, the people who worked the party, the crafts used for the party, the flexibility and kindness (and patience!!) of everyone- it was all phenomenal. Thank you so much for everything! We will be back for some more fun :) read more

My child is at summer camp right now and having a wonderful time! Each week is a different theme ranging from baking to famous artists to Harry Potter! Campers enjoy a mix of free time (painting, outdoor time, books, Magnatiles, doll house & dinosaurs) and more structured, project time like origami and wand-making. But it's not just limited to art. They do music play too. The staff members are warm, friendly, professional, attentive and creative! They are all trained artists with experience in early childhood care & education. It's clear they love their jobs and the campers love being there! What a treasure! And it is affordable. We are so lucky to have Magical Minds in Oak Park. read more

I first discovered Magical Minds when my then 3 year old needed some extra pre-school stimulation, but I only wanted one day a week. I enrolled her in the "passport to pre-school" program and was extremely impressed. My daughter cried when I left her the first morning and then begged to go back every day after. I sent two of my daughter's for summer camp one day a week and also Art in Spanish. My almost 6 year old loves it as much as her sister! Both girls have asked to continue taking classes once the school year starts up so we plan to keep going. I also hosted my daughter's 4th birthday at Magical Minds and it was the best party! All out guests were impressed and had a ball. The staff makes everything so fun and easy - they even do the balloons and streamers! I cannot say enough great things about the programs, the teachers and the environment. It is worth every penny! read more

My daughter attended the pre-K program at MM. I can't say enough about how good and well rounded this place is. The teachers are warm and welcoming, the owner, Ms. Haj is wonderful and nice. I felt my child was ready for Kindergarten emotionally and academically because of the program. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a small setting , art based expirence. Oh and they do birthday parties as well, organized, fun and affordable parties! We love this place so much. read more

Where do I start? This place is truly special. I started to take my daughter there when she was 1.5 years old. As a first time parent I didn't know that such a small kid can MAKE something. She made a little bug out of recycled bottle. She was zoomed in the whole hour and and was so proud with the product. I still have it.:) Every time we went there was something new and engaging to make. They have projects set up for kids, but if somebody is feeling like just painting or building something - they are taken care off. Kids can also just play pretend games and be themselves. When she was 3.5 we tried a local preschool that promised great academic success. My daughter folded napkins and did seven steps of hand washing for three months. After school if I asked her what she did, she would say: I don't know. So - we went back to Magical for Passport to Preschool. What a change! She was happy right away, would chat about volcanos and grass eating animals and make great friends. Her pictures developed into intricate stories of colors and shapes. I never did anything like that. Yes, its an Art based studio, but its somehow more then that. Its a way of thinking. The art projects are guided, but every kid does it their own way. Their minds are free, but not chaotic in any sense. Teachers also read stories, teach Yoga and allow kids to play endless Frozen pretend games in the tree house. Now my daughter is in Kindergarden and she is doing great, well ahead in reading and very comfortable with people. Her way of thinking is still creative and focussed. I believe that what she learned in Magical will stay with her all her life. I feel very lucky that we picked a place to live close to such a wonderful child care.:) read more

My son has been at Magical Minds for two years. He adores school but is sometimes difficult. Ms. Haj has mastered ways to motivate him to participate in class. The program is very child interest led, my son once asked for a sleepover and Ms. Haj incorporated his request into the class section on hibernation, they had a daytime "sleepover". My son was so proud the day his sleepover was incorporated into the lesson. The studio space is wonderful, the staff are amazing (I mean Claire emails me monthly receipts so at the end of the year I have everything for tax purposes), and it's a wonderful environment for children. I've had kids attend two other preschools in the area, Magical Minds is far and away the best. read more

This is long overdue, but it's hard to know where to even begin in our family's love for Magical Minds. My oldest started at open studio hours when we moved to Oak Park going on four years ago, and then transitioned into the preschool program when the school year started... fast forward to now & my second born is in his second year at Magical Minds - and my 1st grader is jealous every time he happens to come with to drop or collect his brother, while the little one always begs to stay for *just a little longer*! And they *both* look forward to some camp days during the summer. They love it as much as we do for a lot of the same reasons: it's an incredibly warm, supportive, inspiring place, where beauty and intrigue is in everything from messy art to learning about ear drums or diverse cultures. We also love it for the flexibility with days/hours and the mixed age group. I'm almost fanatical about play-based learning for preschool, but the "academics" that are brought in by Miss. Haj are so seamlessly intertwined their inspirations from art and movement and learning about community and self that they're not only incredibly effective, but encourage learning as a life pursuit and enrichment rather than a chore or quantifiable goal. They support and satiate my more technically minded youngest as much as they did my abstract thinker oldest, and half the time I want to stay past drop off for the immersive lessons in contemporary art and culture. The kids are so comfortable with each other and the teachers that it is a joy to see them treat school truly as an extension of their home and family. And I'm only writing this review now because I've already secured our place for next year, so I can publicly rave as much as I do locally. ;) read more

Wow! I am suprised I am the first to review this. So this business opened about 2 years ago in the arts district on Harrison in Oak Park. The space is really beautiful and well equipped for young artists getting started. When my daughter took classes (2 years ago) it was pretty empty still and the teacher at the time (not the owner) struggled a bit with engaging little ones. My daughter seemed bored...although it could have been her age. That said, the place is well respected and well liked among moms I know. The prices are steep (sometimes prohibitive) which is why we have not been back in awhile. I definitely keep it on my radar though because the place has a lot to offer. read more

My daughters (currently ages 6 and 8) have been taking Magical Minds classes since they were toddlers. What's great about this place is that the art projects aren't "Here are the materials, here's the example--make yours look just like this." Instead, the children are really encouraged to design their own creations. My children are always SO proud of the projects they make at this studio, because they really did them themselves. They put on fabulous birthday parties too! read more

My son (age 2) frequents the toddler open art class on Friday mornings and just loves it! Danielle is very sweet and patient with all of the children. She is always coming up with something fun/educational for them to work on. We will definitely continue visiting Magical Minds art studio as long as we live in Oak Park. read more

My daughter has been coming here since it opened. She loves it. She even made up a song about how much she loves going to Magical Minds Studio. This is not just a color with some crayons type of place. The art/activities they have the children do really spark their imagination. The staff is very well trained. One week she learned about pre-historic cave paintings and she painted inside of a paper mache cave. Another week, she learned about puppets of all kinds. She did shadow puppetry and then made her own puppet to take home. Another day they rolled things down a ramp that had been covered in paint. I highly recommend this place. read more

Haj and Claire and everyone else at Magical Minds are just the best! My daughter has been going there for preschool for just about a year now and she loves it. The kids spend a small amount of time going over "school things" (like the days of the week, the months of the year, the seasons, clock time, the alphabet, numbers, a word and letter of the day), they play outside pretty much every day weather permitting, they practice a yoga pose and mindfulness, and the vast majority of their time is spent listening, following instructions, playing with their peers and socializing, and getting to make lots of choices and follow their own creativity. The instructors treat the kids with respect, intelligence, and love- and it shows. Magical Minds is safe, friendly, challenging, exciting, fun, and nurturing. You can't go wrong entrusting your kids to them. read more

I can not say enough great things about Magical Minds Studio. My two sons (now 5 and 3) have been going to the studio since it opened. While the studio was very nice from day 1, I have noticed that over the last year they have really improved the activities and the boys continually come home with art projects that blow my mind. The instructors are very good with kids (caring and helpful but also allowing them to be independent and to create on their own). The regular hourly classes are great and the Passport to Preschool program is the highlight of my son's week. If you have not taken your child to the studio I highly recommend that you do soon. They will have a great time!! read more

As a former art teacher I was impressed. My children are grown, however my grandchildren are the perfect age. I took them in one weekend for some open studio time and they were hooked. My grandson now attends the new preschool program. What I enjoyed most was there were open ended projects and my grandchildren kept elaborating on their artwork. There was raw and man made materials and it was exciting for me to see how they put them all together to make a "functional" piece. We left with mosaics, a castle made out of wood, foam and paper and an underwater diorama. This is truly a wonderful idea and a great space for children to move around. The owner is also very sincere; she has children of her own and was very knowledgeable with the importance of art in a child's development. I hope this studio makes it big and more people are exposed to this kind of art. Process driven art is the best way to learn! If I had the spunk I may have done this back in the day! read more

I love Magical Minds. Have never had a bad experience there. Went to a birthday party when it opened and loved how clean and open the space was. Did an art class two years ago with my 3 year old son and he still has in his room on the wall the paintings he did there. Have done the "drop in" days too and always leave with new ideas for projects we can do and nice artwork. Haven't been going as much (younger sister would be too young, but about to be right age so both kids can go). Birthday parties there are fantastic. Such a great way for the kids to have fun and be active. read more

Magical Minds is fun for both, parents and kids. I love taking my 19-month old daughter to the Friday class and be create together! There are plenty of different activities for the little ones there, allowing to alternate learning and playing. Our teacher Danielle is a great bonus - she's very friendly, attentive, and knows how to make kids like her. Every time we leave MM, we bring home a little handmade piece of art, that's always very special for us. read more

My sons and I just finished the five week family ceramics class. It was awesome. We worked with two different clay types and plenty of paints. Our teacher Emily was the best. She taught us many different techniques and was so hands on. I liked spending time with my children- unplugged and creating. Now I need to go build shelves to hold our masterpieces! read more