Funtastik Labs: Crafting Unforgettable Experiences in an Exploration-First Environment

Founded by parents to meet their own needs, Funtastik Labs has grown to be a favorite of many families seeking an entertainment and exploration experience for their children. While the franchise does offer STEAM activities for kids, including robotics, slime and painting, it does not focus so intently on the learning or evaluation aspect of the experience. Rather, it presents a unique model to the $11-plus billion U.S. children’s entertainment market in which children are encouraged to get involved, get messy and have fun. In a supportive environment where, if they’re enjoying themselves, they’re “doing it right,” children are able to do what they love and develop valuable skills without the pressure of a traditional academic environment.

“Growing up, our kids loved doing messy science experiments, building robots and art projects. As parents, we loved seeing them having fun with it but it would make these big messes at home,” said Roli Sangal, co-founder and CEO. “There were very few platforms that we saw that offered these kinds of activities for kids. We focus on letting the kids have fun and explore. We encourage them to figure out what they like to do best and follow their dreams with an experimental model rather than an academic one.”

A Revolutionary Solution for Fun, Messy Play

Naturally, kids have a great time at Funtastik Labs, but it also offers respite for parents who are looking to avoid a messy home. While many parents love seeing their children have fun, exploring exciting science and art experiments and projects, this play can quickly create a mess, ending in more hassle for the family in the long run.

Raj Gupta, co-founder and managing director of Funtastik Labs, explained that this exact scenario played out multiple times in his own household and ended up being a key driver of Sangal’s motivation to create a facility specifically designed for this type of play and fun.

“When our kids were growing up, we could see that they were really interested in creative activities. Whether it was bricks, art or slime, our place was always a mess,” said Gupta. “Most of the time, we would find the mess, and the kids would say, ‘No, don’t clean that up! We’re still working on it!’ Then we would find ourselves two or three days later, and we’re working harder to clean that mess up.”

STEAM activities can be demanding for parents to research, plan, gather materials, and ensure safety. It's also challenge aligning a child's interest of the day with available time and resources, especially when specialized materials and equipment is needed. Funtastik Labs simplifies this. Parents can choose from over a hundred different projects, experiments, and challenges. All the supplies, guidance, and instructions, and support is readily available ensuring a hassle-free, exciting experience for kids anytime families visit.

While this was an inconvenience, Sangal and Gupta both recognized the joy this exploration brought their children and the value of low-pressure exploration. Funtastik Labs centers are specifically designed to accommodate this kind of exploration and play while allowing kids and families to be as comfortable in the centers as they are at home. Equipped like an art studio for canvas, ceramic and wood art; a slime bar featuring hundreds of add-ins; a science lab with multiple fun and easy experiments; and a robotics area to build and code, children can comfortably explore their interests in a low-pressure environment that allows parents a break, too.

“When it comes to science and arts, some kids are exposed to the activities at home, but a lot of the exposure comes in schools and daycares that have a different structure than us. They have tests, homework, and grades,” said Sangal. “We do away with all of that and just create an environment where the children come in and experience the activities for the sake of the experience. They can discover for themselves whether they find art, science or engineering excruciatingly tedious or if they find flow within the activities.”

Funtastik Labs’ Growth and Future

After experiencing incredible demand at its flagship Katy, Texas location, Funtastik Labs is working to open another corporate center in Texas to cater to additional traffic. However, it sees an opportunity to grow in multiple major markets across the States given the lack of access to fun-focused concepts like Funtastik Labs on a widespread basis. In addition to awarding a few franchises by the end of 2023, the franchisor is targeting 10 new agreements in 2024 to bring its offerings to even more families.

With multiple ways to engage, Funtastik Labs makes it easy for kids to have fun. The franchise does not require a semester-long enrollment like other children’s programs, so families can take advantage of individual walk-in sessions, birthday parties, field trips and camps.

Whether a child first experiences Funtastik Labs on a field trip and later returns independently or falls in love with the experience during a walk-in visit and requests a Funtastik Labs party for their next birthday, the team has proven the strength and versatility of the model. Positioning franchisees to build a strong, loyal customer base and develop repeat streams of revenue through its diverse, engaging offerings, Funtastik Labs is prepared to take off with franchisees and customers alike as it pursues expansion through franchising. 

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit 1851franchise.com/funtastik-labs/info