Reviews

I have lived in the area my whole life and have always heard good things about Sugar Plum Tree Day Care and Pre-School. I have just had first-hand experience which matched the good reputation it has in our community. We care for children through Safe Families for Children. We had a four year old boy staying with us and needed him to attend preschool and day care afterwards for at least two days each week. Mary Ann and Lynn Waters graciously let us be very flexible with our attendance days and even were extremely generous with the rate they charged knowing his home life was very troubled and our care for him was voluntary. The staff that cared for him were always very friendly and took loving care of him. He loved going to school each day and some days I had a hard time convincing him it was time to go home. Their loving care, flexibility and generosity played a key role in our caring for this sweet four year old boy. I am extremely grateful to Mary Ann and Lynn Waters and the entire staff of the Sugar Plum Tree Day Care and Pre-School.

I have been a parent at sugar plum for about three years now. My child was at The Montessori school on Touhy in Park Ridge prior and was extremely unhappy there. Since moving to Sugar Plum her outlook on life has changed. She is happy, excited to learn and knows she is in a safe and loving environment. The owner and teachers are very professional and responsive. I couldn’t be happier with this school!

Sugar Plum Tree School has been a blessing for our family. My son started when he was a little over 2 years old and now my daughter is attending school/daycare there as well. Every since my son started he has thrived! One day we were driving and he pointed at the stop sign and yelled, “Octogan!” – I could hardly believe my ears- he was barely 3 years old! The teachers and staff are very caring. I believe all are certified teachers or studying to be teacher – either way, they are patient and kind and love what they do. They are always taking the time to tell us about my son’s day and how he is doing.

The kids are active every day – either in the gym, out back in the fenced in private yard, or going on walks. In the summer, the kids can go to the local pool and park with the teachers and have a blast. My son is always excited to go to Sugar Plum – he is going to miss it so much when he goes to kindergarten in fall. My daughter just started this week and I would not have put her in this school if I did not think this little school was the best. It is. We had other childcare (grandma) for my little one that was great (and free) but we chose to have her start at Sugar Plum now that she’s 20 months. She will thrive just as my son has in the Sugar Plum Tree School environment – I have no doubt.

The school also has family nights for parents, siblings, grandparents etc to meet together and make friends. They have Mom’s Day in spring which is a special time for mom and child to spend some time with eachother and its so sweet! There’s also Dad’s day in fall. Every year the school puts on a circus with the older kids- it is adorable and the children have a blast!. We have made a lot of friends with the other parents – Sugar Plum provides a nice community for its families.

Not only have my children gone to sugar plum but so has my sister in law and cousin in law who grew up in Park Ridge. Mrs.Waters remembers them as well! This school has been a part of the community for upwards of 35+years. They must be doing something right!

I also love the location of the school. It is on a side street. No one can just walk in the school without having the code or ringing the bell so I feel extremely safe with my children there. The feeling that your children are in a safe and loving place is priceless. And speaking of price, the school is very reasonable for the amount of time and care they spend with the children, I shopped around – as most people do because, lets face it, childcare costs are equivilant to paying another mortgage when they are young. Sugar Plum Tree is worth every penny! and the value is there. I was lucky to have gotten my children in because they had openings at the time but they fill up fast. There are four classrooms and they want each child to recieve the care they deserve. All the parents we are friends with from Sugar Plum agree with us that this little school/daycare has been perfect for their family and could not be happier!

• This is a great preschool in an area with few options. The facility could be better, but the loving and caring staff more than makes up for it. The school has use of a full sized gym area which is wonderful for the kids to run around in and ride tricycles, especially in winter.

   

• Our experience at Sugar Plum Tree was wonderful. Our son attended as both an acorn and a sprout. We were extremely pleased with the level of care in both classrooms. Our son was very happy here, learned so many things through play and structure and made many friends. They learned so many fun songs that we will never forget. There is also a gym which provided additional room for play and activity. Mrs. Waters has been an educator and running this school for over 40 years. This gave me a lot of comfort and confidence when selecting the school. Most of the teachers have a lot of tenure with the school as well. Very very happy with our experience. We moved out of state otherwise we would have planned to stay until kindergarten.

Our son has been at Sugar Plum Tree since we moved to Park Ridge from the city 2 years ago. He started in Sprouts, so I can’t speak to the Acorn (youngest) room but our experience with the teachers in Sprouts, Discovery, and Koalas has be excellent. As other reviews have mentioned the facilities and billing could use some updates, but the care the school provides more than makes up for it.

In our experience the school has the right mix of education and play. My son comes home excited to share the things he learned that day. There is a full size gym which allows the kids to get their energy out all throughout the year. When the weather is nice, there is a small outdoor play space and they also go on walks. Another thing that stands out is the field trips they take the children on. In addition to things like the pumpkin patch and Exploratorium, they take them to see plays. Watching my son make connection to stories we read and the plays he’s now seen is has been wonderful to see.

I can’t imagine sending my son anywhere else for preschool/daycare. I feel confident that he will be prepared for kindergarten next year. More than that, though, I know he spends each day with teachers and administrators that truly care about him. Useful Funny Cool