Music and Drama
Children explore rhythm, movement, and creative expression through hands-on music and drama. They learn fundamentals like melody and notation while building confidence through storytelling, puppetry, and simple performances.
The Gardner School of Lincolnshire
Where Every Day Sparks New Possibilities
High-Quality Early Learning in Lincolnshire
At The Gardner School of Lincolnshire, children learn and grow in a warm, thoughtfully designed environment created to support academic readiness, social-emotional development, and joyful discovery. As a NAEYC-accredited preschool serving infants through Pre-K, our school blends research-based curriculum with caring teacher relationships to help children build confidence and curiosity. Conveniently located on Barclay Boulevard, we’re proud to serve families throughout the northern suburbs.
Care That Shapes Who They Become
Inside our bright, welcoming classrooms, teachers guide learning through a blend of curriculum-based instruction and child-led exploration. Children enjoy hands-on lessons, creative projects, and meaningful play that build early literacy, math, problem-solving, and social-emotional skills. Designed with safety, visibility, and comfort in mind, our school features expansive indoor and outdoor playscapes, enrichment spaces, and thoughtful details that make each day feel both calm and inspiring.
Location
Inside this School
Learning
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Our research-based curriculum supports early academic skills, social-emotional development, and essential problem-solving strategies. Teachers guide hands-on lessons, purposeful play, and activities that help children build strong foundations for kindergarten and beyond.
Safety and Health
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Multiple secure entry checkpoints, clean and organized classrooms, and attentive routines give families peace of mind. Nutritious meals and snacks are served daily in the Kids’ Café, and a private nursing room offers comfort and privacy for nursing parents.
Movement
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Children enjoy expansive indoor and outdoor playscapes that encourage exploration, climbing, and active play. Daily movement supports gross motor development, coordination, and joyful energy.
Community
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Families appreciate our real-time communication, warm school culture, and daily check-ins that keep parents connected. With highly qualified teachers and a welcoming environment, children feel supported, known, and celebrated.
Academically-Focused Programs
At The Gardner School, learning truly begins with care. Our infant classrooms provide a nurturing start built on a nationally recognized, research-based curriculum that supports early learning and development. With teachers who understand both the science and the soul of early education, babies grow in an environment that builds trust, curiosity, and confidence from the very beginning.
Toddlers are natural explorers, full of curiosity, movement, and new words waiting to bloom. At The Gardner School, our toddler classrooms nurture and celebrate this growing independence through play-based learning and intentional teaching. Each day builds confidence, language, and friendship in an environment that’s safe, structured, and full of joy. Our early childhood education program develops the whole child — encouraging physical coordination, emotional confidence, and early cognitive growth in every discovery.
Two-year-olds are bursting with curiosity and confidence. At The Gardner School, our classrooms encourage this new independence through hands-on learning, nurturing guidance, and joyful discovery. Teachers help children explore, experiment, and build social and self-help skills in a safe environment where learning and laughter go hand in hand. In this two-year-old early learning classroom, children begin to strengthen emotional regulation, independence, and empathy while exploring the world around them.
Preschoolers are natural problem-solvers and collaborators. At The Gardner School, our classrooms inspire curiosity, confidence, and creativity through hands-on learning and purposeful structure. Teachers guide children through new concepts in literacy, math, science, and art, helping them build independence, friendships, and a lifelong love of learning. Our preschool classrooms encourage critical thinking and pre-academic foundations that set the stage for kindergarten success.
Pre-K is a milestone year filled with confidence, curiosity, and preparation for what’s next. At The Gardner School, our teachers guide children through meaningful, play-based learning that builds academic readiness, social skills, and independence. With a curriculum designed around kindergarten preparation, students develop the focus, responsibility, and love of learning that will carry them into elementary school and beyond. Our Pre-K program helps children grow the attention, independence, and social skills they need to feel confident and ready for kindergarten.
Available at select Gardner School locations, our Private Kindergarten program offers a full day of meaningful, research-based learning in a small, supportive classroom setting. With nearly half the student-teacher ratio of most schools, children receive the personalized attention and enrichment that build confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning. Our private kindergarten program represents the culmination of early childhood education at TGS—balancing 21st-century learning skills with the heart of whole-child development.
Enrichment Programs
Sports
Active, structured classes help children build coordination, strength, and confidence. Through sports like soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and yoga, they practice teamwork, listening skills, and healthy movement habits.
Martial Arts
Martial arts introduce balance, discipline, and respectful movement in a safe, beginner-friendly format. Children learn basic stances and controlled motions that build focus, confidence, and body awareness.
Dance and Movement
Children build balance, coordination, and spatial awareness through beginner dance and creative movement. With simple steps, stretching, and expressive motion, they strengthen motor skills while growing confidence and joy in how their bodies move.
S.T.E.A.M.
Hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math experiences spark curiosity and critical thinking. Through simple experiments and creative projects, children explore how things work and discover the joy of learning.
Foreign Language
Through songs, games, and simple vocabulary, children are introduced to the basics of a second language to enable basic conversational skills. Lessons built around familiar themes make learning fun, natural, and age-appropriate.
Seasonal Experiences
Children participate in seasonal, multi-week, or pop-up enrichment classes that may include cooking, gardening, or exciting seasonal activities. These experiences offer fresh ways to learn, create, and discover.
School Leadership
Sarah Smith
Executive School Director
Sarah Smith
Executive School Director
Sarah has been part of The Gardner School family since 2017, growing her career through several leadership roles that reflect her deep commitment to children, families, and teachers. She began as Enrichment Coordinator at our Glenview–Northbrook campus, later serving as Assistant Director before joining The Gardner School of Lincolnshire as Executive School Director in 2019. Each morning, she loves chatting with children about their plans for the day, hearing their excitement, and sharing in those joyful little moments that make every morning special.
Ashleigh Holley
Assistant Director
Ashleigh Holley
Assistant Director
Ashleigh joined The Gardner School of Lincolnshire in September 2023 as Enrichment Coordinator and stepped into her role as Assistant Director in the fall of 2024. Each morning, she loves being greeted by children’s bright smiles and warm hugs, and she makes sure every parent feels equally welcomed with a friendly hello and genuine conversation.
Schedule a Tour
Please select a date and time that works best for you (tours are ~45 minutes). We recommend visiting in the morning between 9:30 – 11:30 am. Of course, we completely understand that is not always possible with families’ schedules and welcome families to join whenever is most convenient for you. If you aren’t ready to tour yet or these times below don’t work for your family, use the Contact Us button below, and we will coordinate a time together.
Contact Us
If you aren’t yet ready to schedule a tour or the available times do not work for your family, please click Contact Us to connect with someone from The Gardner School.