If you live in Gladstone Park, Fantasy Island Schools for Kids is right up the road. We are an English-language daycare, preschool, and kindergarten for children ages 2 to 6 at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave – a few minutes north along the same avenue that runs through your neighborhood. Since 2009 we have combined a gifted curriculum, small classes, three meals cooked on-site daily, and Polish and Ukrainian language support for children from those families.
Gladstone Park is a residential neighborhood on Chicago’s Northwest Side, part of the Jefferson Park community area and centered on the Milwaukee Avenue and Elston Avenue business district. Families here enjoy William Gladstone Park, quick access to the Kennedy Expressway, and the CTA Blue Line and Metra at the nearby Jefferson Park Transit Center.
Because Milwaukee Avenue connects Gladstone Park directly to our school, drop-off rarely means a detour. Our doors are open Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM – early enough for commuters and late enough for a full workday.
In our daycare, two- and three-year-olds learn to be part of a group – sharing, following simple routines, and expressing themselves with words. Certified early childhood teachers plan each day around play-based activities, music, stories, and movement, and three freshly cooked meals are included. Full-time and part-time options are available.
Our preschool program is where learning gets ambitious. Following our gifted curriculum, children explore letters and sounds, numbers and patterns, simple science experiments, and the world around them through projects, pretend play, and art. Small classes, weekly music, and twice-weekly Brain Gym sessions keep every child engaged.
For Gladstone Park families planning ahead, our kindergarten is built to prepare children for what comes next – a neighborhood CPS school, or selective and gifted programs through GoCPS. The curriculum is rigorous yet fun, focused on reading, math, independent work habits, and social-emotional growth. An overwhelming majority of our graduates are accepted into gifted programs.
Choosing early education is about trust. These are the reasons Gladstone Park parents most often give for choosing Fantasy Island.
Our program is taught in English so children are ready for American schools, while their home language is respected and practiced. Most of our teachers speak Polish and hold Polish classes every Friday, and Ukrainian-speaking teachers offer language activities for Ukrainian-speaking children.
Our gifted curriculum is activity-focused and collaborative, and it works: an overwhelming majority of Fantasy Island kindergarten graduates are accepted into gifted programs.
Our kitchen prepares three nutritious meals every day from locally sourced ingredients, at no extra cost – one less thing for busy parents to plan.
Small classes let teachers follow each child’s progress closely. All teachers are ECE-certified, all staff are First Aid and CPR certified, and our team completes ongoing training in child development and safety.
Fantasy Island is licensed by the State of Illinois (License #483511). Parents give us 4.8 stars on Google, and 100% of Facebook reviewers recommend us. Read parent testimonials.
Movement, music, and support for every family. Twice a week, founder Beata Bielic – a certified Brain Gym instructor – leads playful movement sessions that build attention and coordination, and every week children enjoy music class with a qualified music teacher. We also accept families in the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), including those receiving help through Illinois Action for Children.
7:00 AM – Doors open; children ease into the morning with puzzles, books, and building.
Breakfast – Served warm from our on-site kitchen.
Circle Time – Greetings, songs, and a look at the day’s theme.
Focused Learning – Literacy, math, science, and art activities from our gifted curriculum, in small groups.
Outdoor Time – Climbing, running, and games on the playground.
Lunch, Then Rest – A freshly cooked lunch, nap or quiet time for younger children, and advanced activities for kindergartners.
Enrichment Hour – Music, dance, STEM, Brain Gym, or home-language activities.
Until 6:00 PM – Afternoon meal, play, and pickup with a short report on your child’s day.
Find us at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646. From Gladstone Park, simply head north on Milwaukee Avenue – for most families it is a drive of just a few minutes. Parents who commute on the Blue Line or Metra from the Jefferson Park Transit Center can fit drop-off into the same route.
Families also join us from nearby Jefferson Park, Norwood Park, Portage Park, Edgebrook, and Sauganash.
We are at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646 – north of Gladstone Park on Milwaukee Avenue, usually a few minutes’ drive.
We serve children ages 2 to 6 in daycare, preschool, and kindergarten. Children must be at least 2 years old.
Yes. English is the primary language of instruction, most of our teachers speak Polish, Polish classes are held every Friday, and Ukrainian-speaking teachers lead activities for Ukrainian-speaking children.
Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Closed on weekends.
Yes. We cook three nutritious meals on-site every day, included in tuition.
Yes, both full-time and part-time schedules are available. Contact us to check openings.
Yes. We accept families in the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), including families assisted by Illinois Action for Children.
Yes. Fantasy Island Schools for Kids is an Illinois state-licensed day care center, License #483511.
Call 773-206-4627 or contact us online and we will find a time that works for you.
Seeing the classrooms is the best way to decide. Stop by for a tour, look around our school, and ask our teachers anything.
Call 773-206-4627 or request a tour online. More answers are on our FAQ page.
