‘Bubbles and Goo’ adds inclusive play to one of KC’s busiest districts

A newly mixed River Market business opens the doors to a bubbly (and delightfully slimy) space where children of all abilities can play, explore, and make a joyful mess together, said Antoinette Redmond, offering families a gathering space during the FIFA World Cup in Kansas City.

Brayden Redmond, son of Bubbles and Goo co-founder Antoinette Redmond, plays with slime in the new River Market space at 512 Delaware St.; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

“We are going to be seeing thousands of visitors. Our hope is that they are going to be looking for a fun play experience for their children,” explained Redmond, co-founder of Bubbles and Goo Fun Factory. “We are that destination for them.”

Located along the KC Streetcar line at 512 Delaware St., Bubbles and Goo is the city’s first immersive and inclusive bubbles and slime experience.

Redmond launched the business June 6 in partnership with her sisters, Arielle Houston and Ashley Johnson — with each sibling bringing her own unique talent to the slime table. Houston, for example, has been branded “the techie” while Johnson earned the moniker “the creative.”

“We believe that play is fundamental and our space was curated just for that,” explained Redmond, “the architect.”

The trio secured their prime River Market location in April through the city’s Open Doors! program — part of the broader City of Entrepreneurs strategy led by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC) and the City of Kansas City, Missouri.

Open Doors! aimed to keep Kansas City’s local business ecosystem at the epicenter of World Cup action by moving nearly two dozen small businesses, artists, and organizations into vacant storefronts ahead of the games.

Sisters Arielle Houston, Antoinette Redmond, and Ashley Johnson, pose together for a City of Entrepreneurs portrait; photo by Adrian Bermudez

Redmond and her sisters had seen similar experiential play concepts in other cities, she recalled, noting they had been working to bring Bubbles and Goo to Kansas City for nearly a year.

Open Doors! fast tracked their plans, cutting its expected time to market from three years to just six months.

“We applied with a hope and a dream,” Redmond said, crediting additional partners that include Pathway Financial, Spectrum, and Airbnb for making the shared vision a reality.

“They really allowed us the opportunity to make this pop.”

The 5,000-square-foot River Market space — which most recently housed a series of coworking spaces — features several slime stations, a dry ice bubble station, a pulley bubble maker, a life-size bubble center, a sensory room, a separate zone for littles and non-walkers, and a retail space stocked with supplies for DIY slime creations.

Sweet treats from Kansas City-churned Fifth & Emery Frozen Yogurt and Chocolate, which serves confections at multiple locations across the metro, are also available for guests to enjoy.

“When families come to River Market, there is not a whole lot for kids to do,” Redmond said. “You bring your family to the farmers market, you go around, you may eat lunch, and then you’re out of here.”

Bubbles and Goo solves the problem by giving them a place to pause for a while, she added.

“We are looking forward to staying here long term and continuing to serve and bring fun to families in Kansas City,” she added.

Antionette Redmond, founder of Neuru, accepts the 2025 Pathfinder Best Pitch Award at the 2026 Pipeline Innovators Gala at Union Station; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Part of such service is a standard commitment to accessibility and inclusivity — the heart of Bubbles and Goo, noted Redmond, who also founded the health-tech startup Neuru, a digital platform built to help families who have children with disabilities navigate the healthcare system by centralizing their therapeutic, medical, and educational records. Redmond was moved to launch the company after her son and daughter were diagnosed with autism.

“When you have children who are neurodivergent or have disabilities, you often don’t feel welcomed,” she shared. “There’s frequently no intentionality set up to ensure that they have a space — or it’s an afterthought and you really feel that afterthought.”

Bubbles and Goo employees guide children at a dry ice bubble station within the River Market space; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

Bubbles and Goo intends to burst such poor experiences by offering exclusive sensory hours on Thursdays, Redmond said, expanding on how far Bubbles and Goo has gone to ensure an experience available to all.

A child who uses a wheelchair, for example, toured the space before its opening to give advice on its design, prompting immediate tweaks to things such as table height.

“A family can come and experience something that will bring them joy — while feeling supported and safe,” Redmond said.

“That’s exactly what we want to bring to kids in Kansas City and young visitors from across the globe.”

The fun factory’s June 6 opening celebrated its founder’s family too, Redmond said. The sisters chose to cut the ribbon on the 61st wedding anniversary of their grandparents, immigrants from the Philippines who arrived in the United States in 1970 with a hope to live the “American Dream.”

“This place is — and we are — their legacy,” she said.

Bubbles and Goo is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.