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The FUN-genda! Peruse our full list of FUN programs below -or- use the orange "fast filter" buttons to quickly find just your faves! The FUN-genda Program & Ages Learn More & RSVP Description When Holiday FUN-damentals (inc photos w/ Santa!) http://www.sopofun.com/register/openplay Lock in your spot to take photos with Santa, and enjoy other festive activities! Sat Dec 7th 9-11AM (lock in your 30-minute window for photos) LITTLES: Open Play http://www.sopoFUN.com/register/openplay In the mood to play with some different toys than your own? Come to OPEN PLAY! We have room to run and explore the great indoors...and free WiFi for grown-ups! Times and dates vary LITTLES: Play/Dance/Play http://www.sopoFUN.com/register/openplay Caretakers have a cozy indoor space to bring kiddos of all ages to play! Our Play-Dance-Play program is open play with a fun dance class! Mon and/or Thurs 10:15-11:45AM -AND- Mon and/r Wed 3-3:30PM -AND- and select Saturdays 9-10:30AM LITTLES: Holiday Music Class (0-5YO) https://bit.ly/TheMusicPlayhouseAtSopoFun Celebrate the season with this multicultural holiday music class offered by The Music Playhouse of Chicago for ages 0 to 5! Tuesdays at 10:15AM -and- Wednesdays at 9:30 & 10:30AM LITTLES: Little Book Club (1-5YO) https://www.connectionsacademics.com/little-book-club-chicago This pre-literacy class for 1-5 year olds offered by Ms. Keeley from Academic Connections is a delightful experience for our littlest readers! Tuesdays at 9:15 & 10:15AM LITTLES: Baby Book Club (3-1 2 months) https://www.connectionsacademics.com/little-book-club-chicago This pre-literacy class for 3-12 month olds offered by Ms. Keeley from Academic Connections is a delightful experience for our littlest readers! Wednesdays at 11:15 & 11:45AM LITTLES: Tutu Ballet (3-5yo) http://www.sopoFUN.com/register/0-5yearolds That tutu is too too cute! Learn the basic positions of ballet, technique, choreography (and singing along!) in this beginner level class run by Chicago Loves Dance for 3-5 year olds. November Fridays 10:30-11:15am LITTLES: Let it Out: Self-Regulation Dance (3-5YO) http://www.bit.ly/energyinmotiondance Energy in Motion Dance Lab is offering Self-Regulation Dance Fitness classes on Fridays for 3-5 year olds (4PM) and 5-12 year olds (5PM). Fridays at 4PM for 3-5 year olds LITTLES & BIGS: Skyline Musical Theater Program http://www.sopoFUN.com/register/skyline **REGISTRATION IS OPEN** Lock in your spot today for this wonderful musical theater afterschool program. Options for 3-12 year olds Monday through Friday! BIG KIDS: Math Tutoring for 2nd-4th graders http://www.sopoFUN.com/register/afterschool Connection Academics is offering math homework help for 2nd-4th graders on Tuesdays for Q2. Tuesdays 4:30-5:30PM BIG KIDS: Let it Out: Self-Regulation Dance Fitness (5+) http://www.bit.ly/energyinmotiondance Energy in Motion Dance Lab is offering Self-Regulation Dance Fitness classes on Fridays for 3-5 year olds (4PM) and 5-12 year olds (5PM). Fridays at 5PM for 5-9 year olds ADULTS: Southport Moms Book Club http://www.sopoFUN.com/register/adults Join us for Southport Moms book club where we discuss the selected book, The Ministry of Time, (and other topics!) in a casual environment. Th 1/9/25 from 7-8:30PM ADULTS: Adulting is Hard: Budgeting http://www.sopoFUN.com/register/adults Ms. Risa will share budget management tips for adults and an Excel template designed to manage personal expenses and pay off debt. Tu 1/21/25 at 7PM BIG KIDS + ADULTS: Open Knit (8yo+) Copy Adults and kids over age 8 are invited to come KNIT for just $5. All experience levels are welcome! Email Ms. Risa to schedule a session! BIG KIDS + ADULTS: Spanish Practice (8yo+) Adults and kids over age 8 of any experience level are invited to come practice speaking conversational Spanish in real time with Ms. Risa for just $5. Email Ms. Risa to schedule a session! Info coming soon! School's Out Camps on 11/5 Even when school's out, kids just wanna have FUUUUN! Stay tuned for links to our programs! Future session dates/times coming soon! Info coming soon! Music Discovery (3-5 and 6-8) Small group lessons offered by The Music Playhouse for 3 to 5 year olds and 6-8 year olds. Future session dates/times coming soon! Info coming soon! Sign Storytime (0-4) Language and speech development strategies for caretakers offered by Little Giggles for ages 0 to 4! Future session dates/times coming soon! Programs for Ages 0-5 Afterschool—Age 4-12 School's Out—Age 4+ Open Play—All Ages Skyline Theater—Age 3-12 Programs for Adults Holiday FUN

Welcome to TM A community center located on the north end of Chicago's Southport Corridor neighborhood dedicated to MAKING LEARNING FUN for kids of all ages (grown-ups too)! REGISTER To read about our * PROGRAMS * or to sign up for your next fun learning experience, click the "REGISTER" button above! PARTIES To learn more about * PRIVATE RENTALS * for birthday parties or baby showers, click "PARTIES" button above! PHOTOS There are so many ways to have FUN! At Southport FUNdamentals, we believe that learning should be a FUN experience. Our students engage in interactive lessons -- taught by funny, kind, engaging INSTRUCTORS -- that help them develop a love for learning. With a focus on celebrating progress, rather than perfection, our classes offer students of all ages (yes, even grown ups) the opportunity to explore and learn in a supportive and stimulating environment. Please visit our REGISTER page to learn more about the programs we offer. Or, take a look at our PARTIES page to learn more about private rentals! Give us a try, you might just have a little fun! VIRTUAL TOUR Contact In the News Interview - Wisdom Wednesday - Ms. Risa was interviewed by Leticia Andrade as part of her "Wisdom Wednesday" series, where Latina business owners share their entrepreneurial stories. In this video, Ms. Risa shares how every decision throughout the space was driven by creating an inclusive place where everyone feels comfortable and welcome. Article - Case Study Feature in ChiBizHub - this article was published on 06/09/24 and talks about the owner and the vision. Article - Feature Article in Block Club Chicago - this article was published on 09/28/23 and talks about the opening of Southport Fundamentals, and the all the services we are excited to offer! Press Release - Press Release Fri 08/25/2023 re: Ribbon Cutting on Tues 08/29/23 to celebrate our grand opening. Event photos linked here!

Skyline Children's Theater at SopoFUN We are thrilled to welcome Skyline Children's Theater for another season of musical theater afterschool programming for children. Click here to learn more about Skyline programs! Mondays Moana Broadway Stars (3rd-6th) Mondays 4:30-6:30 1/13-4/21 Tuesdays Moana Broadway Tots (PreK-K) Tuesdays 3:30-4:15 1/21-4/22 Moana Broadway Juniors (1st-2nd) Tuesdays 4:30-5:30 1/21-4/22 Moana Broadway Stars (3rd-6th) Tuesdays 4:30-6:30 1/21-4/22 Wednesdays Moana Broadway Stars (3rd-6th) Wednesdays 4:30-6:30 1/22-4/23 Thursdays Moana Broadway Tots (PreK-K) Thursdays 3:30-4:15 1/23-4/24 Moana Broadway Juniors (1st-2nd) Thursdays 4:30-5:30 1/23-4/24 [FULLY BOOKED] Moana Broadway Stars (3rd-6th) Thursdays 5:30-7:30 1/23-4/24 Fridays Moana Broadway Stars (3rd-6th) Fridays 4:30-6:30 1/17-4/25 Back to ALL programs STAY TUNED! We will soon release information about SUMMER CAMP schedules! - June 9-13, 2025 - June 16-20, 2025 - June 23-27, 2025 - July 28-Aug 1, 2025 - Aug 4-8, 2025 - Aug 11-15, 2025

Holiday FUN! We’re excited to celebrate the holidays with you! It's the most wonderful time of the year...but only if we do our best to make our OWN fun! Check out what we have planned for the upcoming holiday season! Back to ALL programs MULTICULTURAL HOLIDAY MUSIC CLASS Celebrate the season with this music class offered by The Music Playhouse of Chicago in Nov-Dec! Tuesdays 10:15AM Wednesdays 9:30-10:15 or 10:30-11:15AM for ages 0-5 RSVP today! SANTA CLAUS! We invited "the big guy" to join us for some holiday cheer. We will have arts & crafts, holiday games, a Christmas market and more! Saturday 12/7 9-11AM RSVP today! POLAR EXPRESS Pre-literacy classes (including a sensory bin activity) offered by Connections Academics! Thursday 12/12 4:45-5:45PM (FULL) and 6-7PM (SPOTS OPEN!) RSVP today! OPEN PLAY ON CHRISTMAS DAY! Families with kiddos of any age can come to play with our toys and games in a cozy place! Wednesday 12/25 10:30AM-Noon RSVP today!

Hey, Hey! OPEN PLAY! We offer open play hours for children of any age to come and play indoors with our fun toys and games! For open play, there are no instructors or official lesson plans...just FUN! For our Play/Dance/Play program, we offer 30 minutes of open play followed by a 30-minute dance class, then end with an additional 30 minutes of open play! Either way, for these programs, we ask that a grown-up stay with the kiddos and encourage them to share in the clean-up duties after playing. Otherwise, just enjoy the cozy seating, free Wi-Fi, and the chance to meet with other adults while you supervise! ​ And, we have a few openings for our "Holiday FUN-damentals" event on December 7th with some fun holiday games and arts & craft activities, open play, and photos with Santa! Holiday FUN Back to ALL programs

Afterschool Programs Southport FUNdamentals has partnered with several program providers to offer a range of interesting afterschool enrichment activities for 2nd Quarter of 2024-25 school year. *indicates adult required ​ Back to ALL programs SKYLINE CHILDREN'S THEATER Currently rehearsing for Wizard of Oz and REGISTRATION IS OPEN for Moana with offerings Monday through Friday offered by Skyline Children's Theater ​ RSVP today! AFTERNOON PLAY/DANCE/PLAY ​ This program for ages 0-5 includes: open play, a self-regulation movement class, then more open play offered by Energy in Motion Dance ​ Mondays and/or Wednesdays 3:00-4:30* RSVP today! MATH HOMEWORK Join us for small group math homework club for 2nd through 4th graders offered by Connection Academics. ​ ​ ​ ​ Tues 4:30-5:30 (2nd-4th grade) RSVP today! "LET IT OUT" DANCE ​ Friday afternoons we " Let it Out" after a long week in this self-regulation movement program offered by Energy in Motion Dance ​ ​ ​​​ ​ Fridays 4:00-4:45 (3-5yo*) Fridays 5:00-5:45 (5-9yo) ​​ ​ RSVP today!

Hey, Little One! Let's have some FUUUUUN! We offer a range of high quality programs for our youngest learners! Please see the options below (note that some are for any child under 5 years old, some are for kiddos ages 12 months and older, while others are designed for 3-5 year olds). Most of these are "adult participation required" classes, but a few (indicated by *) are drop-off classes. Please let us know if you have ideas! Holiday FUN Back to ALL programs PLAY/DANCE/PLAY 30-minutes of open play, followed by a fun 30-minute dance class led by Ms. Heather, with another 30-minutes of open play!​ ​ Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays (and some Saturdays too!) for ages 0-5 RSVP today! "LET IT OUT" DANCE ​ ​ "Let it Out" Self-Regulation Dance Fitness Program offered by Energy in Motion Dance Labs ​ Fridays 4:00-4:45PM for ages 3-5 Fridays 5:00-5:45PM* for ages 5-9 RSVP today! BOOK CLUB Pre-literacy classes (including a sensory bin activity) offered by Connections Academics! ​ Tuesdays 9:15AM for ages 1-5 Wednesdays 11:15 or 11:45AM for ages 3-12 months RSVP today! OPEN PLAY Families with kiddos of any age can come to play with our toys and games in a cozy place! ​ ​ Times vary! Email us to let us know what works for you! RSVP today! MULTICULTURAL HOLIDAY MUSIC CLASS Celebrate the season with this music class offered by The Music Playhouse of Chicago Tuesdays 10:15AM Wednesdays 9:30-10:15 or 10:30-11:15AM for ages 0-5 RSVP today! TUTU BALLET ​ Learn the basics of ballet, technique, choreography (and singing along!) in this beginner level class run by Chicago Loves Dance for 3-5 year olds. ​ ​ Fridays 10:30-11:15AM for ages 3-5 RSVP today!

School's Out/Day Off Camps & "Parent Survival" Camps We try to offer camps for kids 4 and older on days when schools are closed. Below is what we have planned so far, and we are putting things in motion for other days this Fall when school's out...please keep checking back! ​ Sometimes grown-ups caring for young kids just need some coverage! At Southport FUNdamentals, we offer fun programs on random Friday or Saturday nights so that parents can enjoy a kid-free evening... s tay tuned for our Fall/Winter "parent survival night" offerings! Back to ALL programs

Adult Programs Oh, but you CAN teach an old dog a new trick...you just need to make learning fun! For grown-ups who like learning new things, we offer a range of programs! Back to ALL programs

Meet the FUN-structors Our experienced instructors (aka FUN-structors) are dedicated to providing a nurturing and safe learning environment where kids of all ages (that means adults, too!) can enjoy trying something new, making friends, and celebrating growth! Just a few of them are featured below! Risa McMahon Chief Enthusiasm Officer & President of Shenanigans Risa ( she/her ), a proud mama of two, has been described as "a magnet for fun", is as zany as she is organized (very). With decades of vocal lessons under her belt, she often bursts into song and changes lyrics to suit her mood. She loves parties of all kinds and loves teaching others how to unlock their hidden gifts. Known best for her witty remarks and wacky dance moves, she also happens to be a notary public , a total whiz at Excel spreadsheets, an admirer of cool words, a member of ALA's DEI&A committee , and a relentless problem solver. She picked up a thing or two as the daughter of a seamstress, a Girl Scout, captain of the SPHS cheerleading squad, and VP of the USC Helenes ... and firmly believes she can do anything she sets her mind to! Learn more about Risa's career. ​ Photo credit : Brittany Welch Photography ​ Heather Fronczak Guest Instructor, Dance & Art Ms. Heather (she/her) is a movement specialist and founder of Energy In Motion Dance Lab , which aims to empower children with emotional and mindset skills and strategies to reach their fullest potential. Ms. Heather's programs help children learn to regulate their emotions and build self esteem through dance and movement. ​ Energy In Motion Dance Lab offers workshops, themed dance parties, case-studies, goal planning and execution, mindful movement, STEAM- inspired experiments and art projects and much much more! ​ Click here to peruse her upcoming classes! Jana Pawlak Guest Instructor, Knitting Jana Pawlak (she/her) is one of the owners of A Happy Diversion , an online store offering custom knits and painted barn quilt s. Jana is a mom, a maker, and a knitting/embroidery/baking-enthusiast...and she is especially good at helping others learn! She leads our monthly "open knit" program . If you have never knitted, are learning to knit, or if you just enjoy knitting in the company of others, this is the JUDGMENT-FREE place for you! Once a month, we gather to practice and learn...and Jana can help brainstorm solutions if you've "knitted yourself into a corner" and need help! ​ Michaela Williams Guest Instructor, Dance Michaela Williams (she/her) has been teaching dance, music, and theatre to children ages 3-18 for the past six years across the Midwest. She studied Musical Theatre and Dance at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, where she taught at the local dance studio. After graduation, she toured the Midwest with a traveling children's theatre company, and then moved to Chicago, where she’s been performing and teaching ever since! In addition to performing arts, Michaela is passionate about fitness and works full time at a local athletic club. She is a certified Barre instructor and loves to take all sorts of fitness classes. Bridget Walsh Guest Lecturer, Education & Counseling Bridget (she/her) is a guest lecturer who presents as part of our "adulting is hard" personal development series for grown-ups. She is the Founder of Bridge Academics and works at Francis W. Parker School. Bridget has extensive experience coaching families through difficulties and encouraging students to advocate effectively while taking responsibility for their future. She integrates plans to meet clients' needs and identifies areas of strength to guide families towards paths where success builds confidence and independent skills. She has a wealth of connections and resources to help families overcome hurdles that may have prevented success in the past. ​ Candace Washington Gu es t Lecturer, Leadership Candace (she/her) is a guest lecturer who presents as part of our "adulting is hard" personal development series for grown-ups. Candace is Founder & CEO of Pivotal Impact , a consulting firm focused on helping companies develop, engage and retain their leaders. As a product of under-resourced communities, she immediately connects with her audience through her authentic, infectious personality and her highly energetic and empowering delivery. Her students appreciate her relatable experiences that allow them to see themselves in her, and immediately take action to elevate their outcomes! Jaime Elaine Gannon Guest Instructor, Music/Dance & Painting Jaime (she/her) is an Ohio native who has made Chicago her home. She studied theater and dance at Loyola and is a painter specializing in colorful, floral pieces. She is also celebrates the arts as a dance, theatre, and music educator. ​ She will be joining us as a music instructor for kiddos through our partnership with The Music Playhouse of Chicago . Jaime is the Founder of The Jaime Elaine Creative and displays her floral paintings in our living room when it's they are being featured at local art fairs. ​ Sign up for music classes for babies and littles on our PROGRAMS FOR AGES 0-5 page! Ms. Keeley Guest Instructor, Math & Pre-Literacy Ms. Keeley (she/her) from Connections Academics is here on Tueseday afternoons to take the stress away from homework hour! She leads students (grades 2-4th) in a small group, no larger than 4, and provides personal instruction on math content they may be struggling with. No homework? No problem! Ms. Keeley will provide targeted review and re-teaching instruction using content or curriculum related to their classroom work. Ms. Keeley also leads our Little Book Club and Baby Book Club pre-literacy classes on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Sign up for this afterschool program our AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS page, or for Little Book Club at on our ​ PROGRAMS FOR AGES 0-5 page! Dan Stepanian-Bennett Guest Lecturer, Chess & Guitar By day, Dan is a senior marketing director : social media guru, videographer, strategist and brand storyteller. By night, Dan cherishes "Girl-Dad Time" with preschooler Ella - singing songs, playing board games, along with watching football and taking bike rides on the Lakeshore Trail on weekends. Fortunately, he also happens to be a joy-bomb and a fantastic guitar coach and chess teacher! Adults and kids alike will absolutely love learning from Dan's unique teaching style and soaking up his infectious good vibes. Sarah Zimmerman Guest Instructor, Art Sarah (she/her) has served her community as a librarian and archivist at the Chicago Public Library team for two decades. In her roles, she's managed the Chicago Theatre Collection, developed engaging programs for the public and now leads the Arts & Music and Social Science & History Departments at the Harold Washington Library. In her spare time, Sarah is also an art and music lover (and sometimes baker) and will be joining us for fun classes for all ages to enjoy! She will guide us on paper-centric arts and crafts as well as on paper marbling adventures! Jared Renteria Marketing Intern Jared (he/him) is Southport Fundamentals' marketing intern and helps Ms. Risa with communications and program promotion projects. Jared has resided in the Avondale neighborhood his entire life. He is a Lane Tech alum and current UIC student, who is majoring in Communication and minoring in Criminal Law and Justice. He loves exploring the city and trying out new restaurants in his spare time. A proud father of a Labrador-Pit, you can usually find him enjoying a beautiful day in Logan Square or in the bleachers at Wrigley Field. ​ During the Summer, he teaches at Lil Sluggers, a baseball program for children. He also teaches teens the fundamentals of cooking and baking at Concordia Place. He loves educating the youth, as he believes that young people play an essential role in shaping our society. Sookie (The Robot Vacuum) Vice President, Carpet Maintenance Named after the protagonist in the song "Groove Me" by King Floyd, Sookie (she/her) is SopoFUN's loyal robot vacuum. Sookie works tirelessly to suck up crumbs and dirt to make sure our guests have a fabulous bottom-of-foot experience. Our first floor carpets are dreamy, and Sookie takes the same level of pride in her work as Wrigley Field's lawn mowers. She was recently given googly eyeballs by Xavier (age 8) which helped her see that her true love was right in front of her the whole time. In early 2024, Sookie exchanged vows with a white stick vacuum in an intimate ceremony officiated by Madison (age 9). The children decided he should take her (first) name, so he now goes by "Mr. Sookie". The motto emblazoned on her paper-plate-nametag is, "Sookie is my na me, cleaning dirt is my game".

Let's PARTY! TAKE A TOUR Whether celebrating a birthday, a wedding shower or baby shower, a family reunion, class playdate or graduation, we offer a party space that has allows you to host all your guests! You can rent our 3,000 square foot party-tastic space (click to view virtual tour!) which is filled with adorable surprises everywhere you look! We have tons of toys, games and kid costumes (not to mention tables and chairs) , so you don't need to bring much to throw a magical party! Just bring enough food and drinks for your guests, and make yourself at home! Move anything you need to move, and let us know how we can help make it a great day for the guest of honor AND the party planners. *Read reviews* *Jump to pics* ​ ​ ​ ​ We keep our pricing simple. ​ ​ ​ ​ We charge $350 for a 1.5-hour party, or $400 for a 2-hour party. ​ If you want a long er party, we'll simply add $50 for each additional half hour. If you want a shorter party to save on costs, we would love to discuss that with you! We keep our pricing as low as we can by offering a "DIY" private space, which means we will mop and take out the trash after your party, but we expect you to leave the space as you found it. If you are not in the mood to clean up the toys and dining tables after the party, you are welcome to just add a $50 cleaning fee to your balance due. For parties with more than 50 guests in total, we will need to add a $50 cleaning fee to your balance. All p rivate rentals inclu de t wo 30-minute buffers (before for set-up, after for break-down ). ​That means, you have the entire space for 2.5 hours in total if you book a 1.5-hour party. Those who book 2-hour parties, have the entire space for 3 hours in total. On the day of the party, you'll bring your own food/drinks/decorations/disposable silverware and plates/tablecloths to suit your theme and you can move our furniture (including folding tables/stools for seating) to your liking. If you want something special like a ring light to set up a photo booth/selfie station -or- to borrow a projector to showcase a rotating PowerPoint deck or a still photo, those add-ons are just $40 each and can be added to your balance due--just let us know in advance if you want us to have these available for you. W e keep the booking p rocess simple, too. You send an email to Ms. Risa at hello@southportfundamentals.com to ask about availa bility on your ideal times/dates. We will respond with the available times/dates that might be a match for you. You select the start/end time and date for your party, and we will email you the link you can use to reserve your spot with a $1 00 deposit which will be applied to the balance unless you cancel ( you'll pay the balance closer to the date of the party). ​ ​ If you aren't the "DIY" type, we are here to help! ​ ​ Ms. Risa , your ultimate party buddy (and event planning compatriot), will be happy to brainstorm ideas or share contact info for people you can hire if you want something special such as balloon artists, face painters, art teachers, music teachers, karaoke jockeys, DJs, magicians, etc. ​ But, bringing in outside entertainers is completely up to you—lots of people have super fun parties at our space without hiring anyone at all because we have so many fun toys and games, so just go with what works best for you! ​ ​ That's it. That's all there is to it! Video credit: Dan Stepanian-Bennett GET STARTED Anchor 1 Want to see MORE pictures? 📷 Click here to see more pictures of our party rooms!

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