Lincoln Park Preschool & Kindergarten

I continue my preschool tours for one of my nanny moms. Next on the list was Lincoln Park Preschool. Apparently, they have a second location which has a kindergarten but I was not tasked with that one. I can only speak to this one.
Very nice people. I spend a LOT of kid time, having nannied for so many years. I could tell immediately that these were real kid people. And real teachers. They have apparently been in the neighborhood for quite a while and really seem to have it together.
The actual classrooms seemed to be a little on the small side but well put together. And the children were all engaged and doing interesting things and playing with each other.
Best of all for this place I think is that they are right across the street from the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Conservatory along with all of the accompanying park space. Very nice for Chicago. I know most downtown schools want to have a park nearby but not many are lucky enough to have this great a park so close.
This one goes on the short list for my nanny momma!

We looked far and wide in our search for preschools for our daughter when she was 2−½. Since it was her first school experience, it was really important to us that she love it (we wanted the first associations to be great). There are many great preschools in Chicago, and particularly the Near North Side, where we live. But LPP was really the right choice for us.
The space is open and full of light (no windowless tunnels of classrooms, as we saw in lots of schools). The kids go to Lincoln Park, Astor Park, the zoo, or the tot lot every day. There is lots of imaginative play. But most importantly, the teachers are AWESOME. They are young, motivated, passionate about what they do, loving and nurturing. When you walk into the school to drop off or pick up, you just start to feel happy. Everyone is greeted and gets a smile (and the kids get hugs). There is a huge teaching emphasis on positive interactions with others — sharing, kindness, laughter. Also, attitudinally, the school (and the parents who seem to end up there) is just mellow and sweet. Highly recommend. My daughter has such a great time there, and we’ve seen her skills and confidence grow in the past year.
Of course, it all comes at a price — but if you can afford it, it’s certainly worth it and not out of line with other schools in the area.
P. S. If you really want your child here, you may have to do as we did — keep calling back after you are waitlisted to remind them of your interest, and be flexible about your schedule — days you are willing to come.