New indoor Canton playground fantastic space for kids, parents

As the mother of three children 4-years-old and younger, Canton resident Sara Khan is as an unofficial expert on the topic of fulfilling the away-from-home entertainment needs of children and their parents.

So when Khan decided to open Go Grow — a multi-faceted indoor playground for new-borns to 6-year-olds — she used her maternal experience to design the recently-opened business at 43367 Joy Road with a focus on details.

Furnished with play structures built in England (where indoor playgrounds are plentiful); and equipped with cool age-specific spaces and toys (all built in Michigan), a welcoming co-working space for parents, a nursing room for new moms, and a sensory room for children with special needs, Go Grow is a clean and inviting destination for parents in search of a nurturing get-away for their young ones.

“I look at Go Grow not just as an indoor playground, but as a community,” said Khan, who works full time as a cybersecurity specialist for Amazon. “It’s a calming place where parents can bring their children to meet other families like themselves. It’s the antithesis of Chucky Cheese. There are no loud noises or flashing lights.

Unique offerings

“It’s unique in that we offer a co-working space where parents who work remotely can set up a work station in a designated room and watch their children play through a floor-to-ceiling window on the wall facing the play area.

“One of my favorite parts of Go Grow is that we have partnered with CUPSn’CHAI, which is located in the same complex, so parents can use a QR code to order food that can be delivered.”

Born and raised in Windsor and a graduate of the University of Windsor, Khan admitted she’s had an entrepreneurial spirit for as long as she can remember.

“I’ve always wanted to open my own business,” Khan said. “It was just a matter of what it would be. Once I had kids, it was a no-brainer — a comfortable place where kids and parents can visit and enjoy themselves. I look at it, in a way, as a gift to my own children, who absolutely love it here.

“The best part for me is stopping in when I’m off work and — without anyone other than my employees knowing I’m the owner — watching the joy on the kids’ faces. It gives me a chance to receive some unfiltered feedback.”

The responses she has received from parents has been 100% positive, Khan said.

“The phrase I hear most often is, ‘There’s nothing like this around’,” Khan said. “People love the aesthetic of Go Grow, too.”

Filling a void

Go Grow is filling a void, of sorts, in the southeast-Michigan indoor-playground industry as several similar businesses shut down and never re-opened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A significant reason for Go Grow’s mounting popularity is its staff of employees, Khan asserted.

“I have a really good staff,” she continued. “My employees are moms who are allowed to bring one child with them to work. This concept gives stay-at-home moms a chance to socialize, get out of the house with the kids — and get paid at the same time.”

Khan said selecting a name for her business was fun.

“I wanted to come up with something simple that the young kids could actually say, so they could tell their parents where they wanted to go,” Khan said.

First-time visitors love it

First-time visitors Travis and Madison Ealem raved about Go Grow as they played with daughter Genevieve in the toddler section a few days after the indoor playground opened.

“We love that our daughter can play independently and explore on her own,” said Madison Ealem. “She’s also gotten an opportunity to play with and meet new kids, which is something she doesn’t get to do at home.”

“I can see us becoming regulars here,” Travis Ealem said. “We’re within walking distance, which makes it perfect for us.”

All children must be accompanies by a parent or care-giver, Khan informed.

Khan said she is still tinkering with the per-visit-costs for families.

On opening day, families could take advantage of the business’s wealth of playground options for $16 for two hours and $20 for three hours (there is no cost for parents with children under six months).

“I’m very excited about finally opening,” said Khan. “I call this my fourth baby.”

To learn more about Go Grow, visit its website here.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.