Portage Park parents searching for daycare, preschool, or kindergarten can find Fantasy Island Schools for Kids up Milwaukee Avenue at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave. We are an English-language program for children ages 2 to 6, known since 2009 for a gifted curriculum, small classes, three meals cooked on-site daily, and Polish and Ukrainian language support.
Portage Park is a classic Northwest Side neighborhood of bungalows and two-flats, centered on the Six Corners shopping district where Irving Park, Cicero, and Milwaukee meet. Its namesake park – the largest on the Northwest Side – is famous for the Olympic-size pool built for the 1959 Pan American Games, and the neighborhood’s name recalls the old portage between the Des Plaines and Chicago rivers.
Milwaukee Avenue links Portage Park directly to our school, which makes the morning drive simple. We welcome children Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Our daycare gives Portage Park toddlers ages 2 and 3 a warm, consistent first school experience. Days are filled with play-based learning, songs, picture books, and art, guided by certified teachers who help children grow in language, independence, and friendship. Full-time and part-time options are available, with three cooked meals included.
In our preschool program, three- and four-year-olds learn through doing: sounding out letters, counting and sorting, testing ideas in simple experiments, and creating art. Our gifted curriculum keeps expectations high, small classes keep attention personal, and music, dance, STEM, and Brain Gym fill out the week.
Our kindergarten prepares Portage Park children for the next step – a neighborhood CPS school or a selective or gifted program through GoCPS – with strong reading and math skills, focus, and confidence. Our approach is rigorous yet fun, and an overwhelming majority of our graduates are accepted into gifted programs.
Here is what Portage Park parents value about Fantasy Island.
English is the language of the classroom and of the curriculum. Alongside it, we support the languages many of our families speak: Polish, with weekly Friday classes and mostly Polish-speaking teachers, and Ukrainian, with activities led by Ukrainian-speaking teachers.
Children explore ideas through hands-on projects, group work, and multi-sensory lessons designed to challenge curious minds – and an overwhelming majority of our graduates go on to 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.
In small classes, no child gets lost in the crowd. Our ECE-certified teachers tailor activities to each child, and every staff member is trained in First Aid and CPR.
Licensed by Illinois (#483511) and serving families since 2009, we are proud of our 4.8-star Google rating and 100% recommendation rate on Facebook. Read parent reviews.
Included in tuition: Brain Gym and music. Twice a week, certified Brain Gym instructor and founder Beata Bielic leads movement exercises that support attention and learning readiness; once a week, a qualified music teacher leads music class. CCAP families, including those assisted by Illinois Action for Children, are welcome.
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.
We are at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646. From Six Corners, head northwest on Milwaukee Avenue through Jefferson Park and Gladstone Park, and you will find us on Milwaukee itself – no complicated turns. The Kennedy Expressway is an alternative for faster mornings.
Our families also come from Jefferson Park, Gladstone Park, Harwood Heights, Norwood Park, and Sauganash.
We are at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave. From Six Corners it is a straight drive northwest on Milwaukee Avenue; we recommend timing it from your home at your usual drop-off hour.
Yes. Most of our teachers speak Polish and Polish classes are held every Friday, while English remains our primary language of instruction.
We serve children from 2 to 6 years old across daycare, preschool, and kindergarten. Children must be at least 2 to enroll.
English is our primary language of instruction. We also support Polish and Ukrainian: most of our teachers speak Polish, Polish classes take place every Friday, and Ukrainian-speaking teachers lead activities for Ukrainian-speaking children.
We are open weekdays from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM and closed Saturday and Sunday.
Yes. Three nutritious meals are cooked on-site every day and included in tuition.
Both full-time and part-time schedules are available, depending on openings in each age group.
Yes. We accept families participating in the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), including families assisted by Illinois Action for Children.
Call us at 773-206-4627 or request a visit online.
Walk through our classrooms and playground, meet our teachers, and see why Portage Park families make the trip up Milwaukee Avenue.
Call 773-206-4627 or contact us online to book your visit. Have questions first? See our FAQ.
