Des Plaines parents who commute toward Chicago – or who want a gifted curriculum from the very start – choose Fantasy Island Schools for Kids at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave on Chicago’s Northwest Side. We offer English-language daycare, preschool, and kindergarten for children ages 2 to 6, with small classes, three meals cooked on-site every day, and Polish and Ukrainian language support. Families have trusted us since 2009.
Des Plaines is a busy northwest suburb along the Des Plaines River, next door to O’Hare and connected to downtown by the Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line. Many residents work in the city or around the airport, and their days start early.
Our school is on the route many Des Plaines parents already drive toward Chicago, and we are open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday – so a full workday and a long commute both fit.
Our daycare is a calm, caring first classroom for children ages 2 and 3. Certified teachers lead play-based activities, music, stories, and sensory exploration that build language, coordination, and social skills. Families from Des Plaines can choose full-time or part-time schedules, and three fresh meals are included.
Our preschool turns curiosity into skills for three- and four-year-olds. The gifted curriculum covers early literacy, math, science, social studies, and art through projects and hands-on discovery, in small classes with weekly music, dance, STEM, and twice-weekly Brain Gym.
Most Des Plaines children continue in Community Consolidated School District 62 or nearby districts, and our kindergarten prepares them to start strong – reading, math, independence, and focus – as well as for gifted and advanced programs. An overwhelming majority of our graduates are accepted into gifted programs.
Why families from Des Plaines choose a program on Chicago’s Northwest Side:
Children learn in English, which prepares them to continue their education in American schools. Families who speak Polish or Ukrainian at home will find support too: most of our teachers speak Polish, a structured Polish class takes place every Friday, and Ukrainian-speaking teachers lead activities in Ukrainian.
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.
Three nutritious meals are prepared in our own kitchen each day from locally sourced ingredients. They are part of tuition, so families never pack a lunch.
Our teachers are certified in Early Childhood Education, and our staff complete ongoing training in child development, health and safety, and trauma-informed care. Small class sizes let them use it well.
Fantasy Island Schools for Kids is licensed by the State of Illinois (License #483511). Parents rate us 4.8 stars on Google, and 100% of Facebook reviewers recommend us. 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).
7:00 AM – Good Morning – Arrival, hellos, and quiet activities to start the day.
Breakfast – Cooked fresh in our kitchen.
Circle – Songs, calendar, weather, and the theme of the week.
Learning Blocks – Small-group reading, math, science, and art.
Outside – Active play on the playground.
Lunch and Rest – A hot lunch, then rest for younger children and advanced activities for kindergartners.
Enrichment – Music, dance, STEM, Brain Gym, or Polish and Ukrainian language time.
Until 6:00 PM – Afternoon meal, free play, and pickup with an update on the day.
Our address is 6100 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646, southeast of Des Plaines. Families usually drive east via Touhy Avenue, Devon Avenue, or the Northwest Highway area and then take Milwaukee Avenue; the Kennedy Expressway is another option. Try the route at your usual drop-off time before your tour.
We also serve families from Park Ridge, Niles, Edison Park, Norwood Park, and Harwood Heights.
Yes. We are a private, Illinois-licensed center, and families from Des Plaines and other suburbs enroll with us.
Our kindergarten-readiness curriculum prepares children for elementary school wherever they continue, and 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.
See our classrooms and playground, meet our teachers, and decide whether the drive from Des Plaines is worth it for your family.
Call 773-206-4627 or contact us online to schedule a tour, or read parent reviews first.
