Slime. The colorful, stretchy, and gooey satisfying craze that kids, and some adults, love. If you’ve ever made a batch at home, you know the fun and creativity it can bring, but you’ve also experienced the clean-up. From scrubbing glue off the kitchen table to glue clogging the sink and even finding glitter in the carpet for weeks, slime can be a bit messy.
What if you could keep the creativity and fun, without dealing with the mess at home? That was the same thought Natalie Regan had when her kids returned home from a vacation. Ariel Regan had taken the kids to a slime-making workshop, and they couldn’t stop talking about all the fun they had. That excitement eventually spread to Erin and Carlye Dean's kids, who soon couldn’t get enough slime. This fun memory grew into a bigger conversation between the four moms. Co-founders and owners Natalie and Ariel Regan, along with Carlye and Erin Dean decided to lean into their kids' interests and bring something new to Kansas City. The result is Rainbow Slime Co. at Union Station.
The moment you walk in, you're greeted with a fun scent, sometimes its grape, or calming lavender, or even the sweetness of vanilla. Sunlight streams through the mezzanine skylights, catching the light of disco balls that send sparkles reflecting throughout the space. The atmosphere is energetic yet calm and colorful. “We want Rainbow Slime Co. to be welcoming for everyone, including adults,” Natalie says. “We want adults to come back in the evenings when we have 21 and over events.”
The welcoming atmosphere was built into the design from the start.“When designing Rainbow Slime Co. we thought about different things you can do with slime,” Natalie explained. “You can play with slime using your hands, but we also focused on things you can’t do at home.”
That vision comes to life through the interactive stations designed to break the “house rules” for kids and adults. Guests can find custom Slime Pods that vary in sizes and heights, each filled with slime varying in textures. Beyond the pods, the Mural Room surrounds visitors with uplifting messages, while the Goop Hoops encourages you to roll up balls of slime and throw them into basketball hoops. If you are looking for a little extra adventure, you can step into the squishy slime as you walk through the 55-gallon Slime River. With the colors, textures, and scents changing each week, it keeps the magic alive because no two visits are the same.
For a more personal touch, the Custom Slime Bar in the mezzanine area, allows guests to customize their own slime creation. Here you can choose your slime base, color, scent, and a variety of mix-ins to craft a one-of-a-kind slime creation to take home.
While slime often has a reputation for being messy and chaotic, the founders have created a space that offers chaos in a controlled environment. Kids can push the boundaries and parents can feel at ease, knowing the mess is encouraged, and isn’t on their floors or cabinets. “When families come to experience Rainbow Slime Co. we want them to embrace the sensory experience and be present to create memories together.”
Rainbow Slime Co. has created a space where people from all walks of life can connect. Whether it’s kids, parents, or grandparents, everyone is invited to take part in the same magical experience. As the name suggests, the rainbow represents positivity and creativity, which is what the founders hope to bring to Kansas City, through squishy slime.