For Sauganash families, Fantasy Island Schools for Kids offers daycare, preschool, and kindergarten a short drive west at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave. Our English-language program serves children ages 2 to 6 with a gifted curriculum, small classes, three meals cooked in our own kitchen, and Polish and Ukrainian language support – a combination Northwest Side parents have relied on since 2009.
Sauganash, in the Forest Glen community area, takes its name from Billy Caldwell – known as Sauganash – whose land grant once covered this stretch along the North Branch of the Chicago River. Today it is a quiet residential neighborhood with tree-lined streets, Sauganash Park, and the Caldwell Woods forest preserve close by.
Parents in Sauganash often have high expectations for early education: they want academic preparation that leads somewhere, alongside warmth and good care. That is exactly the balance our program is built on, Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Sauganash is a Northwest Side neighborhood with a National Register historic district, and our school is a short drive west of it, on Milwaukee Avenue. These are places Sauganash families know.
The Chicago Park District park at 5861 N Kostner Ave covers 5.25 acres with a playground, tennis courts, softball fields, and a gymnasium. Residents petitioned for it in 1926. Families here find our school a short drive away, open 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
This district of about 160 acres was built from 1912 to 1950 by developers Koester and Zander and joined the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 2010. Families who live in homes like these can reach our small classes with a short drive.
At Rogers and Kilbourn Avenues, a plaque marks where the Old Treaty Elm stood, a tree that marked the edge of Billy Caldwell’s reserve. Families who stop here on a neighborhood walk will find our school on Milwaukee Avenue, open from 7:00 AM.
The Sauganash Community Association holds a Fourth of July parade from Kostner and Thorndale Avenues, followed by a picnic at Sauganash Park, and local news has described it as a tradition of more than 35 years. Children ages 2 to 6 love a parade.
The golf course is named for Billy Caldwell, also known as Sauganash, the Potawatomi leader for whom the neighborhood is named. Our school is on Milwaukee Avenue and opens at 7:00 AM, which keeps morning drop-off simple for working families.
The Milwaukee District North Line station at 5438 W Devon Ave is about 1.0 mile from our school in a straight line, so commuters can pair a morning drop-off with the train. See our Edgebrook page for the neighborhood next door.
Our daycare program gives two- and three-year-olds a gentle, structured start. Certified teachers guide children through songs, stories, art, and sensory play that develop words, fine motor skills, and the ability to play with others. Three freshly cooked meals are included, with full- and part-time options.
Our preschool is where Sauganash children begin real academic work – phonics, early math, science investigations, and social studies themes – taught through projects and play. Small classes mean each child gets attention, and enrichment like music, dance, STEM, and Brain Gym is built into the week.
Many Sauganash parents plan for selective and gifted programs early. Our kindergarten is designed for that path – a rigorous yet fun curriculum in reading, math, and independent work that prepares children for CPS options through GoCPS or any school they choose. An overwhelming majority of our graduates are accepted into gifted programs.
These are the strengths parents from Sauganash mention most often.
Our classrooms run in English. Because most of our teachers also speak Polish, children from Polish-speaking homes are always understood, and every Friday they attend a structured Polish lesson. Ukrainian-speaking children get language activities with Ukrainian-speaking teachers.
From early phonics to patterns, experiments, and art, our activity-focused curriculum aims high. The proof is in the results: most of our kindergarten graduates are accepted into gifted programs.
Children sit down together to three home-style meals a day, cooked on-site from local ingredients and included in the price of tuition.
Small groups give teachers time to know every child well. All teachers hold Early Childhood Education certifications, and all staff are First Aid and CPR certified.
We have cared for Northwest Side children since 2009 as an Illinois state-licensed day care center (License #483511), with a 4.8-star Google rating and a 100% Facebook recommendation rate. Read parent reviews.
Movement and music for growing minds. Brain Gym sessions twice a week – led by our certified founder, Beata Bielic – and weekly music with a qualified teacher help children focus, coordinate, and express themselves. We also accept the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
From 7:00 AM – Welcome – A calm start with free play.
Breakfast – Served warm.
Morning Meeting – Greetings, songs, and a look at the day.
Learning Time – Small-group lessons in reading, math, science, and art.
Outdoor Time – Running, climbing, and cooperative games.
Lunch and Rest – A freshly cooked lunch, then rest or advanced activities by age.
Afternoon Enrichment – Music, dance, STEM, Brain Gym, and language activities.
Pickup Until 6:00 PM – Afternoon meal and a quick chat with your child’s teacher.
Our school is at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, near Sauganash. From the Old Treaty Elm marker it is about 2.2 miles in a straight line, to the west, and the drive is a little longer.
Step by step:
Metra’s Milwaukee District North Line stops at Edgebrook, and the CTA Trip Planner shows bus options to Milwaukee Avenue. Driving times change with traffic, and we are open 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday.
We are at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646, a short drive west of Sauganash via Peterson or Devon Avenue.
That is a core goal of our kindergarten. An overwhelming majority of our graduates are accepted into gifted programs.
Children ages 2 to 6: daycare for ages 2-3, preschool for ages 3-4, and kindergarten for ages 5-6. We do not enroll children under 2.
Lessons are taught in English. Children from Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking homes receive language support – weekly Friday Polish classes and activities with Ukrainian-speaking teachers.
Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. We are closed on weekends.
Yes – three freshly prepared meals a day, made in our kitchen, at no extra cost.
Yes. We offer full-time and part-time schedules. Contact us to check availability for your child’s age group.
Yes. CCAP families are welcome, including those receiving assistance through Illinois Action for Children.
Call 773-206-4627 or send us a message to schedule a tour.
No. We are at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646, near Sauganash in the Norwood Park area. We serve many families from Sauganash, and the drive is short.
From the Old Treaty Elm marker at Rogers and Kilbourn Avenues, our school is about 2.2 miles away in a straight line, and the drive is a little longer. The map on this page shows the exact route from your address. We are open Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Tuition is approximately $300-$400 per week, depending on the program and schedule. It includes three meals cooked on-site, music, Brain Gym, and our Gifted Enrichment Program. We also accept CCAP.
Yes. We are an Illinois state-licensed day care center (License #483511). All of our teachers hold Early Childhood Education certifications, and all staff are First Aid and CPR certified.
No. We enroll children ages 2 to 6 only: daycare for ages 2-3, preschool for ages 3-4, and kindergarten for ages 5-6.
Fantasy Island Schools for Kids has a 4.8-star rating on Google. Here is what some parents wrote.
“The staff is outstanding, loving and caring. The environment for the children is kept clean and organized, not just by the staff but by teaching the children to help clean up. They have a very nice private outdoor space and home cooked meals. Highly recommend!”
Feather N., Google review, 2018
“Amazing daycare, both of my kids were there until Kindergarten and they loved it. Everyone there is very compassionate and loves what they do.”
Magdalena T., Google review, 2023
“Teachers are fantastic and show patience towards the little ones. My older son went to this place for almost 4 years, now it is his brother's turn. Highly recommend this day care.”
Martin S., Google review, 2021
Tuition is approximately $300-$400 per week, depending on the program and schedule. It includes three meals cooked on-site every day, music, Brain Gym, and our Gifted Enrichment Program. We accept families in the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). See Tuition & CCAP for details, or schedule a tour to talk about your child’s schedule.
Leave your phone number and your child’s age. We will call you to pick a time to visit our classrooms at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave. Prefer to talk now? Call 773-206-4627.
Visit us, explore our classrooms and playground, and see how our teachers work with children every day.
Call 773-206-4627 or contact us online to arrange a tour. Read what parents say before you come.
