I stumbled upon BCR and Miss Beth via the Chicago Public Library's Instagram and have been…read morefollowing her since. She offered a couple of short, in-person classes in February 2024 so I signed up and packed up the kiddo. Beth is kind, enthusiastic, and has a deep love of teaching and literacy that's palpable. My baby was about 7 months when we were going to this class so not super mobile but had fun with the song-singing and stories. I came away with some tips for how to help my daughter become a reader--or even before, to help teach literacy skills in a way that actually help children learn. I'm planning to purchase access to one of her online courses to continue learning the best way to guide my little one through her exploration of language. I also find the Instagram helpful for reinforcing best practices and educational content for me as a parent.

What a great group, can not say enough about the weekly virtual class with Ms Beth. Our daughter…read morelooks forward to class each week, even started to pull her tea set out while the stories are read. A full 30 min of reading, songs and stories made for a nice appointment during the week. Not only do the little ones benefit but they host a weekly parent night at 8 pm where the teachers go over tips for building good readers and language development. Take a look at the offerings they carry, there is bound to be something for your little reader.

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!

I gave my daughter several options for her 10th birthday party venues and luckily she chose…read moreCircEsteem. I have to say that they certainly made a bunch of kids, and especially my daughter / hero, very happy. The CircEsteem staff totally rocked, from Scott's quick and continued communication leading up to the event to the engaged, happy, and involved staff during the event, and kind communication afterwards to ensure our happiness. Everyone was upbeat, fun, helpful, and excellent. We knew it would be good when one of the kids walked in, looked around and said, "I can tell this is going to be a great party!" She was right. I also have to give a shout out to the face painter and balloon guy. They were tremendous! I've never seen a balloon artist that talented. And one of the kids said re the face painter: "she's a professional make-up artist! Well it's all downhill for me from now on." I wish I were more fluent in 10-year-old, but clearly she somehow meant that as an "epic" compliment. It was great getting the kids together to actually learn some new fun skills, be active, and have fun, even while wearing masks. Where else can kids get on a trapeze, aerial silks, walk on stilts, and act like a clown, all while getting their faces painted and having incredible whimsical balloons twisted for them? I could go on and on about how excellent this was, but let's just say that it was certainly a party that my daughter and her friends will remember. Thanks CircEsteem!!

CircEsteem was once a wonderful organization and has great potential, but that is unfortunately…read morecompletely wasted now due to terrible mismanagement. The teaching staff is amazing, talented, kind and knowledgable. However, those at the top of the administration have demonstrated a complete disregard for the working conditions of the entire staff, and pay themselves a very generous salary but constantly ask their employees to make sacrifices. As a result, the staff is constantly overworked, underpaid and underappreciated for their dedication. The turn-over rate of employees over the past several years has grown incredibly high and is a clear indication of the lack of professionalism and respect shown by upper management. Directors have frequently disregarded safety standards and repeatedly ignored the very reasonable concerns brought forward by staff and students. They also actively discourage whistleblowers from raising awareness on safety issues. This naturally creates a dangerous environment for students. For an organization who's core mission statement is to build self-Esteem, they do an incredible job of destroying the esteem of staff, and blatantly demand silence and compliance, and aggressively bully employees rather than making any effort to find understanding or compromise. This type of upper management class division, discrimination and subjugation has happened before with other nonprofit organizations, which inevitably resulted in strikes and petitions that were widely reported on the news. It is a shame that they would choose to risk this and strongarm employees into submission and lay off those who try to stand up for their rights, rather than have civil discourse. When more than half of the staff is extremely unhappy, and those that attempt to raise awareness of any concerns are fired or pushed out, that is a problem that requires consideration on how to restructure and they have taken zero steps to do so and have shown no accountability. I strongly encourage CircEsteem teachers to strike and unionize as soon as possible, or this trend of exploitation will only continue to worsen. The Executive Director also needs to resign, as it is blatantly evident that he is not qualified for the position and is clearly not upholding CircEsteem's mission of mutual respect, humility, patience, love and self-reflection. Bottomline - do not work for CircEsteem, and consider other options for circus arts.

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.

From the beginning, Nicole was short and sharp with my wife and I, and it was noticeable to my…read moreyoung 3 year old daughter. She clearly had favorites (we weren't one), and we observed her not even address my daughter despite her running toward her yelling her name out of excitement in class. Sure, you might have a couple favorite kids, but never show it. It got to the point that my daughter made comments to my wife and I at home that "Ms. Nicole won't say hi to me." For anyone with young kids or had young kids, for a 3 year old to say this, it must be a pattern of behavior. It broke our hearts. And to cap off the experience, the night of the recital, my wife and I admit we forgot to pay the remaining balance with everything else going on in our lives (expecting baby #2 in 3 weeks to name the biggest). Nicole greeted my wife and mother-in-law in quite possibly the rudest and most disrespectful way imaginable...."I don't have time for this tonight. She can't come in until you pay!" Thankfully we had enough cash to pay, but she released our tickets the day before and would have sent us home for an oversight we clearly were willing to pay. She caused a scene, and it was completely out of line. Her tone, demeanor, attitude, and overall treatment of people she doesn't care for is unbelievably disappointing and unfortunate. Not to mention, the lack of organization at the recital, the lack of food and drinks for young kids, etc. was all shocking (it was from 4-7p). Wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

My daughter has been dancing her for over a year and she LOVES it! I couldn't be happier with the…read moreexperience - from her perspective, or mine! She started at 3 years and has been with the same group of girls since starting. They are now her pals! The atmosphere is welcoming, kind and supportive. Miss Nicole (her teacher and owner) is a savant with the kids. They love her and are always so excited to see her. She teaches a well organized class that covers dance basics in a fun and creative way. The location is super convenient - big parking lot with a Dominics, Old Navy, Marshalls and Starbucks in easy walking distance! The facilities are great and well kept. The business is run smoothly, efficiently, and the communication is fantastic! I never feel like I wasn't notified about something or that I'm out of the loop! I would highly recommend Collective Dance to anyone wanting to put their child into a dance class. What a positive, nurturing and loving place for a little one to learn to creatively express themselves!

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.

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 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.