About Our Studio

Magical Minds Philosophy

Creative Learning for any age

Magical Minds Studio opened it doors in 2008, offering children 18 months and older a chance to experience hands-on creative learning through process-driven art. Over time the Studio has expanded, and we have designed an open floor-plan to cater to the growing child. Our Studio consists of a variety of creative spaces including a maker space, ceramics studio and backyard in addition to our main Studio.

Core Principals

Rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy, our Studio encourages a love of learning through exploration. We offer a unique environment for curious minds that cultivates collaboration and problem solving skills. From toddler to middle-schooler, we champion all stages of a child’s development.

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    Children’s relationships and interactions within a school

    Learning must focus on each child, not considered in isolation, but seen in relation with the family, with other children, with the teachers, with the environment of the school, with the community and with the wider society.

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    Teachers and children as partners in learning

    Teachers are not considered protective baby-sitters, teaching basic skills to children but rather they are understood to be learners along with the children. They are valued for their experience, their ideas and their love of children.

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    The role of space

    The layout of physical space fosters encounters, communication, and relationships. Children learn a great deal in exchanges and negotiations with their peers; therefore teachers organize spaces that support the engagement of small groups.

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    The image of the child

    All children have preparedness, potential and curiosity. They should be considered active citizens with rights, and contributing members of their families and community.

Magical Minds Virtual Tour

Peek inside our studio!

I had my daughter’s 5th birthday party here. Convenient location, awesome and patient staff, and the kids loved it. They provided all of the art supplies, and there was so much to do that kept the kids busy. I would definitely recommend Magical Minds Studio.

Kristie P.

I go to Magical Minds after school it is so fun!

Tyson C.

I had my daughter’s 6th Unicorn Birthday here and it was AMAZING! The staff was extremely helpful from start to finish. They provided all of the art supplies and the space is huge. You can bring your own cake and food! Thank you again for making my daughter’s birthday such a memorable one.

Courtney J.

Magical Minds is fun for both, parents and kids. I love taking my 19-month old daughter to the Friday class and being creative together! There are plenty of different activities for the little ones there, allowing to alternate learning and playing. Our teacher Danielle is a great bonus – she’s very friendly, attentive, and knows how to make kids like her. Every time we leave MM, we bring home a little handmade piece of art, that’s always very special for us.

Irene I.

My daughter has been coming here since it opened. She loves it. She even made up a song about how much she loves going to Magical Minds Studio. This is not just a color with some crayons type of place. The art/activities they have the children do really spark their imagination. The staff is very well trained. One week she learned about pre-historic cave paintings and she painted inside of a paper mache cave. Another week, she learned about puppets of all kinds. She did shadow puppetry and then made her own puppet to take home. Another day they rolled things down a ramp that had been covered in paint. I highly recommend this place.

Krista M.

My daughters (currently ages 6 and 8) have been taking Magical Minds classes since they were toddlers. What’s great about this place is that the art projects aren’t “Here are the materials, here’s the example–make yours look just like this.” Instead, the children are really encouraged to design their own creations. My children are always SO proud of the projects they make at this studio, because they really did them themselves. They put on fabulous birthday parties too!

Julie C.

My son (age 2) frequents the toddler open art class on Friday mornings and just loves it! Danielle is very sweet and patient with all of the children. She is always coming up with something fun/educational for them to work on. We will definitely continue visiting Magical Minds art studio as long as we live in Oak Park.

Michelle J.

I first discovered Magical Minds when my then 3 year old needed some extra pre-school stimulation, but I only wanted one day a week. I enrolled her in the “passport to pre-school” program and was extremely impressed. My daughter cried when I left her the first morning and then begged to go back every day after. I sent two of my daughters for summer camp one day a week and also Art in Spanish. My almost 6 year old loves it as much as her sister! Both girls have asked to continue taking classes once the school year starts up so we plan to keep going. I also hosted my daughter’s 4th birthday at Magical Minds and it was the best party! All our guests were impressed and had a ball. The staff makes everything so fun and easy – they even do the balloons and streamers! I cannot say enough great things about the programs, the teachers and the environment. It is worth every penny!

Heather V.

My daughter attended the pre-K program at MM. I can’t say enough about how good and well rounded this place is. The teachers are warm and welcoming, the owner, Ms. Haj is wonderful and nice. I felt my child was ready for Kindergarten emotionally and academically because of the program. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a small setting , art based experience. Oh and they do birthday parties as well, organized, fun and affordable parties! We love this place so much.

Lily M.

My child is at summer camp right now and having a wonderful time! Each week is a different theme ranging from baking to famous artists to Harry Potter! Campers enjoy a mix of free time (painting, outdoor time, books, Magnatiles, doll house & dinosaurs) and more structured, project time like origami and wand-making. But it’s not just limited to art. They do music play too. The staff members are warm, friendly, professional, attentive and creative! They are all trained artists with experience in early childhood care & education. It’s clear they love their jobs and the campers love being there! What a treasure! And it is affordable. We are so lucky to have Magical Minds in Oak Park.

Siobhan D.

People have ample opportunity for rote memorization and intellectual misery in life. However mammals, especially in their early years, require play to learn. Magical Minds understands this.

Zachary G.

My daughter attended the Passport 2 Preschool program and I couldn’t be more happy with all the amazing things she learned. Most of all, she learned many social skills and her creativity was fostered. It was a great experience for my daughter. So if you are looking for a fun, creative and out of the box preschool program, Magical Minds is for you.

Ivonne A.

We had a wonderful birthday party for our daughter here. The crew at Magical Minds created a great environment for the kids to channel their creativity. The party had just enough structure to keep the kids occupied, but was loose enough that it never felt like homework. One of the most stress free, fun parties ever, and at a very reasonable price. Thanks for a great experience!

Ethan C.

My two year old loved it. Two hours of painting, drawing, stamping and lots of other crafts to take home for grandma and grandpa as gifts.

Izabella W.