Kids Science Labs

This place is amazing. Everyone who works here is incredibly nice, thoughtful and relate with the kids so well. Kids run in here excited to participate in a new science activity or experiment. And, I love that they are encouraging and cultivating an interest in science at an early age. While it’s in a high traffic area, we’ve never had a problem with parking.

My daughter has been attending classes at KSL for about 1.5 years. Their approach to science is truly experimentation, rather than demonstrations that one would see at other types of kids spaces. At KSL, they guide the kids towards discovery rather than mastery – which fits my family well. I enjoy my daughter seeing the wonder in how the world works. KSL allows her that space in a way we haven’t experienced elsewhere.

Talk about igniting my child’s desire to learn, explore, and grow in STEM! You absolutely see what you are paying for each day when your child comes home full of new ideas and doesn’t stop talking about them until you put her to bed.
We have been going to KSL on and off for about two years and this summer we enrolled our daughter in a 3 week camp. Each week a new topic was covered: dinosaurs v. animals, engineering, and astronauts/​space. I can attest that each day was packed with experiments and builds that made science accessible.
1. Teachers and staff are kind, attentive, and educated. KSL is creative about learning and definitely provides a hands on experience. The teachers & staff show patience with the children and a passion for what they are exploring/​teaching each day. This is definitely a differentiator from other camps we’ve attended/​researched. Every person I encountered at KSL knew my child by name and was by my standards professional & helpful.
2. The quality of the subject matter & builds is unlike any other place we’ve taken our daughter. It feels like the curriculum is designed to allow kids to ask questions and learn through hands on projects, reading, and experiments - (these are the things your child will not stop talking about for days…)
3. The materials used in these projects is so inventive. This year my daughter built a Mars Rover model that is truly better than anything I could have constructed… and she’s 5! Each day I was impressed with the magnitude of engineering and creativity used in the projects that came home… yes there’s still goo and snake venom but the fact that my daughter could talk about what snake venom does to blood blew me away… she took an understanding away from the cool experiments — it’s wasn’t just about making something slimy or gooey.
4. Location: KSL has parking in the Whole Foods North Ave. parking garage. This is an awesome thing for anyone toting around a second child (like me.) It’s truly an easy in and out and their building is very secure. I never left my daughter feeling concerned or worried about her safety.
Honestly, if you child has any spark for creativity (which I think they all do) try out a Saturday drop-​in class. I think they sell packs so that you don’t have to commit to being there every weekend if your schedule is nuts. It’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Last, but not least, here’s the true testament to how great this place is: We commuted from Jefferson Park (Foster Ave.) to KSL on I-​90 during rush hour for 3 weeks… yeah, it’s that good.

Simply the best! My 5 year old son just completed a summer filled with the most engaging, hands-​on camp experiences. I was continually impressed by the creativity and the level of the curriculum for each topic. The staff and instructors are all top-​notch, caring, enthusiastic educators. Not only did my son learn a lot, he had a blast doing it. We will be adding classes after school and we cannot wait for next summer! And, as a bonus, the facility is beautiful and easy to access. Thank you so much for keeping my son’s curiosity sparked!

Our 7 year old son LOVED his summer camps at KSL in Lincoln Park.
The teachers and all of the staff were so pleasant, kind and welcoming. He felt comfortable immediately. This was a big relief to us, as he has attended a variety of camps around the city the past couple of summers. He has handled transitions well, but it is extra special when he greets the new week without any trepidation. Each day on our commute home, he told us all about what he had learned and the projects he had made. He thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to study subjects in depth and to follow through on scientific concepts through hands-​on experimentation and creative projects.
Procedures for pick up and drop off were clear and easy. The space is beautiful. Highly recommended!

Kids Science Lab has been an awesome and fun learning experience for our 9 year-​old daughter, who has been attending KSL for 4 years. The teachers, administrators and facility are all first rate, engaging, enthusiastic, and nurturing! Highly recommended for after school programs, Summer Camps, and school-​day programs for home-​schooled students.

I can’t say enough amazing things about KSL! My 4 and 5 year old both loved super hero camp! They went every morning with enthusiasm and left every afternoon with lots of stories to tell about the amazing things they learned. I was so impressed with the staff and how they welcomed the kids with smiles each morning. I can’t wait to sign the kids up for future classes and they can’t wait to attend.

My five year old son has been going to KSL for almost two years. He has done both the weekly classes and the summer camp, and both have been fantastic! He comes out of class eager to explain what he learned and excited to show the hands on project he made that day. Today he was telling me about «physical chemical reactions» that he learned about in Wizard Chemistry Camp, and we had to test out some of them as soon as we got home. Kids Science Lab is perfect for his curious personality. He is always eager to go there!

Kids Science Labs has added charge to my granddaughter’s step.
She is six and curious so this has been a perfect fit. She loves the classes.
The highly educated staff is fun-​loving and knowledgeable.
I am so glad we are a part of this wonderful endeavor to teach science
to kids.
Donna M.

We had my 4 year old daughter’s party there this weekend and had a great time!
the space is big enough for at least 15 kids and parents were free to move around the space– there was a smaller play space for the little ones to play as well.
The staff was helpful and the science guys kept the kids engaged. The science experiments were age appropriate– some other reviewers stated the science wasn’t that in depth, but for a party of 3 – 5 year olds it was enough!
the parties can be 1.5−2 hrs and themes depend on the age of the kids.
they provide plates and plastic ware, all you need to bring is decorations food and cake.
They don’t allow alcohol now (boo!) but that would have made it even more fun for the parents
Parking was free in the whole foods lot.
they only do parties on SUNDAY, as on SAT they run classes for kids.
Party times are 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm
There is only 15 min turnaround time between parties but it worked out well.

We recently had our 4 year olds boys birthday party there and it was amazing. The staff was so helpful and accommodating. we have never have seen 30 something 4 year olds sit still for 2 hours and enjoy creating and observing science projects. It is a fun and educational place with a staff that is outstanding. We have signed up our son for classes — and he is enthusiastic about science. Amada and Dean

Fun science place for the kids. We’ve now attended a few birthday parties and the place does a really great job in keeping the kids engaged. This is a good alternative to Pump It Up!

I won’t lie. The classes are expensive. But since I spend a ridiculous amount of money on the wonder boy, I guess I can just add it to the list. His organic berry habit alone is quite costly:) They have great classes, with an amazing staff. But the reason I am writing this stellar review is that I accidentally smashed the wonder boy’s science project du jour. We stopped back in for a repair job. They could not have been nicer or more patient! His instructor, a nice French gentleman, Erve (forgive my spelling) basically spent the last part of his lunch break helping us repair a now oblong shaped Earth. So, they are the best science guys in town. And spending money to help my child gain a love for science, well, that’s money well spent.

Our second year doing summer camp for my active 7 year old.
Love, love, love it!
Fab instructors. Fab content.
My son never wants to leave.

Recommend highly!

This is the third summer my son has attended a week of camp at Kids Science Lab. In the afternoon, when I go to pick him up, he takes one look at me and frowns. «Oh, I don’t want to leave. Can you come back later?» He learned about Carbon yesterday, told me no less than 10 times how much he loves it there. The owners are great. The instructors are engaged and enthusiastic. The place is clean and safe and fun. Don’t think twice, sign up your son or daughter and feel comfortable that he or she will learn and have so much fun doing so. If you have a Lego lover — this is your spot. My only beef is that it’s so great their classes fill up the day they are available for sign up, so you have to move fast. I wanted another week in the middle of the summer, but it was gone in a second…

BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE
I don’t get what happen here. I am not quite sure and I am trying to process the craziness of the kids science lab.
I will tell you the best thing about the kids birthday party here was the parents served wine and beer. Now that is what gets 5 stars but that is more for the parents thinking about there guests, then the scientist wanting to party.
The party was suppose to be two hours long. It started at 2:30 and the staff let the kids play by themselves with toys in the lobby. They actually did not invite the kids in until 2:50 to start there experiment. The party was suppose to end at 4:30 but the final volcano was finished by 4:10pm and parents were starting to leave. So the party was closer to 80 minutes and not the 120 minutes I expected. The reason I point that out is because I feel bad for the parents not getting there moneys worth. If I threw the party I would have wanted non-​stop blinding science experiments that filled up the whole 2 hours. I decided to look at the website and apparently this is there policy for the Big Birthday Blowout but at $ 975 that seems a little pricey
Do not get me wrong the staff was very nice and very attentive with all of the kids. I would give them 5 stars on being happy and fun plus there were wearing cool white lab coats. There were 3 staff working with the kids and one manager.
So why my 2 stars? I was watching the experiments and it seemed more like a bad science experiment or a show on Nick where you made slime. Yeah it was messy. The kids hands were covered. Luckily they provided plastic jackets for the kids or else it would have been a real mess.
The second room was even weirder. At first glance it looked like a mafia hit because it was covered in plastic. The kids went in here and were encouraged to whip tomatoes at the wall. Now it would have been exciting if the tomatoes actually splattered but they seemed really hard and kind of bounced back at the kids. Again I kind of found this experiment strange.
The third room was the birthday cake and the finale was the volcano in the lobby, which consisted of a Coke Bottle, mentos and a plastic tarp around a PVC tripod. It happen so fast that if you blinked you missed it. My poor wife missed it because she was busy getting invited to another kids birthday party.
So for a kids birthday party this was the strangest event I’ve ever been to. Would I throw a party here? Probably not! Would my kid want a party here? Yes.
There is also free parking which is a great feature but a total nightmare in the Whole Foods parking lot on a Sunday. The lot was a mess.
So yeah I’m confused as to where to go with my rating. Personally I would never throw a party here and it is purely based on price vs what you get. For $ 975 I think I’d like a rocket launch or something. So my 2 stars is for the value and I just didn’t see any.
I would give the staff 5 stars for there positive attitude with the kids. I would give 5 stars to the appearance of the facility.
In closing, its a nice place but I couldn’t ever throw a party here. Yeah I’m still blinded by the confusion of what I experienced.

2012 — First Review
Our kids (ages 4 and 5) wake up on Saturday morning and say «Can I have chocolate chip pancakes?» and «Do we get to go to Science Class, today?» They love KSL Chicago almost as much as chocolate chip pancakes.
Curriculum is strong and they keep parents outside of the classroom (you can watch through windows) so that kids can really get involved in the learning and experimenting process.
We also had a birthday party at KSL. It was great. Kids all had a great time. Parents were free to speak to each other. Whole Foods can caterer food for kids and adults, so it’s very easy on the hosting parents.
2013 — UPDATE
As a update, we moved from Chicago to Florida, but came back for part of the summer — enrolling our kids into a couple of the KSL science camps.
The place is still amazing. Our kids (now 5 and 6) were there from 8:30am until around 3:00pm — and we couldn’t drag them away at the end of the day. Our son would say «15 more minutes … PLEASE!!! I’m making a (plane, light saber, …) with Mr. Shegan.»
They are opening a second location in the South Loop, but they should come way farther south, to Florida.

I came here for two separate field trips with a 6^th grade class and a 5^th grade class. The sixth grade class did the electricity experiment, where you build a little house out of foam and connect a light switch to it. The 5^th grade class did parachutes. We built our own and tested to see if it could keep an egg from breaking from a certain height.
It is a really cool place for the kids to learn. The drive from Winnetka took awhile, but it was well worth it.

This place is exceptional. We just had our 4 year old’s birthday party there and the entire experience was excellent. The staff is terrific and really knows how to keep the kids entertained (special thanks to Shegan for doing separate experiments with the birthday boy when he started getting grumpy).
We loved it so much we signed all three kids up for classes and they’re already looking forward to going back.

My daughter is a KSL groupie. She’d take classes every day if she could. In fact she has such a great time that we decided to share it with her friends for her 4^th birthday party. And that was an awesome idea.
KSL will custom design your party based on your child’s interests and make the whole event super-​convenient. I didn’t have to set up/​pick up/​pick out anything; just had to enjoy the event. 4 is a tough age for attention spans and while KSL has an open-​play area with lots of fun toys, the kids stayed really engaged the whole time, making gooey messes and seeing giant bubbles. Even the parents were really entranced by a lot of the activities.
I think what makes KSL different from so many other programs (and we’ve tried them all) is the staff. The teachers are incredible and have the patience of saints. The programming is original, creative and designed appropriately for the age of the children. The kids come home talking about water displacement and friction and they’re excited to share the activities of the day.
Free parking is definitely a plus too.