To say that Roger and Meghan Stockman have somewhat of a diverse background and childhood would be an understatement. Megan is a Kansas native raised in rural northern Kansas, served in the military and retired with the rank of Major. Roger, whose Father was with the State Department, was born in Singapore…lived in Africa, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Ireland…finally landing in Kansas City. Roger’s initial career was in Law Enforcement, serving with agencies in Lawrence, Kansas and finally in Westminster, Colorado. Meghan on the other hand, followed her education in space science and was employed by NOAA in Boulder, Colorado studying and documenting various solar activities.

Over time and raising their family, Roger and Meghan noticed that their children’s energy level far exceeded the process of walking throughout a museum and getting something educationally out of it. So with that in mind and with Meghan’s space background and Roger’s fascination with space travel, they decided to design and build a place that encouraged a unique learning process while allowing kids to have fun and be rowdy. They met with an SBDC Consultant, discussed their idea, developed a solid Business Plan and thus KidSpace was born. Meghan said that part of the design process was to catch and enhance the imaginations of children that don’t get the concepts when reading, but by allowing them to touch and feel the concepts of physics or the laws of motion, might give them a better understanding. The design and operational purpose of KidSpace is to bring the science of gravity, friction, fluid dynamics, magnetism and angular momentum to life, making words that might sound scary and complicated, much more accessible and understandable to both children and parents.

The actual facility encompasses 9,650 square feet with party rooms and an array of educational science and space areas that kids can play on and learn from.One unique item is an actual Gyroscope Machine, similar to the one astronauts train on, that the kids can ride and control. There is a darkened Planetarium in which movies are shown about outer space. A unique “Ball Machine” is available that illustrates the six simple machine factors of engineering. Roger was able to obtain a full size replica of an Astronaut’s Space Suit which is displayed, so that photos of the kids can be taken standing next to it. KidSpace also offers a snack bar serving an array of items that fit the desire of both young and old. KidSpace is very proud of their Cafe that features Kaladi Coffee from Denver, another local small business that is veteran owned.

The business has continued to grow and enjoy profitable success. KidSpace has been featured on local TV Stations and has received interest from outside areas, which has encouraged Roger and Meghan to begin evaluating opening a second location. Meghan stated that the help of the SBDC has been invaluable and they plan to continue the relationship as KidSpace continues to grow.