The Bit About Us
How two parents and a robot started a happiness movement.
Once Upon a Time…
There lived a clever mum named Marija, who could turn ordinary chaos into organised joy.
Her castle was filled with half-finished coffee cups, tiny socks that mysteriously multiplied, and one small apprentice who considered playtime a full-time job (and nap time a suggestion).
Marija dreamed of a land where playtime stayed bright and fun—and where parents, just once, might finish a sentence without someone scaling the sofa.
Luckily, she was married to Simon—a tinkerer with a toolbox, a prince-charming smile, and a heroic willingness to move heavy things.
Together they built a little workshop—part garage, part wonder lab—where late-night ideas turned into morning prototypes.
Out of midnight sketches (using whatever markers hadn’t dried out) came one cheerful little robot—the very first of his kind.
He had a party hat for bravery, a heart for kindness, and eyes slightly too big for his face.
When they named him Sprog, he practically wiggled off the page.
Before long, more Sprobots appeared—because one robot, it turns out, can’t single-handedly manage an entire soft-play empire.
There was Scrubby, who cared deeply about hygiene (20,000 balls don’t wash themselves).
Stacky, who loved geometry and refused to rest until every shape fit exactly right (slightly obsessive, but useful).
And Splashy, who handled colour coordination (he never met a rainbow he didn’t try to improve).
Each Sprog had a job, a personality, and absolutely no sense of rhythm when Simon tried teaching them the company jingle.
Together, they became the Sprog & Sprocket team—busy building squishy slides, bouncy castles, and soft mountains of balls for tiny adventurers who would one day climb them for real.
They sang (in theory) while they worked, and while they hummed, Marija and Simon realised they’d done something quite spectacular:
They’d found a way to bottle happiness—and deliver it by van.
And that, dear reader, is where our story begins…
Something Nobody Else Had
“What if,” Simon wondered, “we built something that doesn’t exist anywhere else?”
So they did.
They designed the first and only portable indoor playground in North America—patent pending, Canada-made, and 100% original.
It transformed ordinary spaces into extraordinary play lands.
The Sprobots were proud. So were the humans.
The Workshop Phase
Before SproSpro HQ came to life, there was a lot of sawdust.
They’d been working with a Canadian manufacturer to bring their idea to fruition.
But first, they had to make sure their theory worked in real life.
So they did what any sensible person would do: called in Grandpa Bob.
Several test builds later, they had a working design—and a workshop full of half-finished frames.
It wasn’t fancy. But it worked.
Sprogbot Grows Up
The midnight sketch needed to grow into a real logo.
So they called on a very patient designer, who endured countless “But what if the robot looked more like this?” requests.
Many versions later, Sprogbot 2.0 was born. Same heart, new polish.
The hero of the brand, ready for his next chapter.
SproSpro HQ
Warehouse makeover mode began. Floors were laid. Walls were painted.
The first bits of equipment arrived.
An alarming amount of optimism was included free of charge.
They looked at it all and said, “Right then. Let’s see what happens.”
And that’s how Sprog & Sprocket officially put itself on the map.
The Hygiene Obsession
They knew parents would ask, “Do you actually deep clean this stuff?”
So they coined (and lived by) the phrase, ‘We dream of hygiene.’
They perfected their process and became the kind of people who dream about washing 20,000 balls a week.
Weird flex, but okay.
Two Tiny Interns
At first, there was only one Chief Product Tester—small but mighty, with strong opinions on slide height and snack choices.
Then along came a Junior Chief Product Tester, armed with curiosity and excellent climbing instincts.
With two interns on the payroll (paid in Goldfish crackers, of course), feedback sessions got livelier.
Turns out kids are brutally honest consultants.
The First Party
Early autumn 2017. A living room transformed.
Kids climbed, parents actually relaxed, and nobody got injured.
That’ll do nicely.
By the end of the day, they’d learned two things:
- 1Kids can play for hours if you let them.
- 2Dreams are best built in bright colours.
The Friends Who Helped
Some stories are too good to keep to yourself.
As Sprog & Sprocket grew, they began sharing their magic—using their parties, play events, and community partnerships to give back where it mattered most.
With the help of Mommy Connections, The Big Calgary Playdate, The Happy Birthday Project, and The Children’s Cottage Society, they raised funds, generated smiles, and proved that play can change more than just a day… It can change lives.
Plot Twist
Then came 2020.
Parties stopped. Gatherings paused.
For a business built entirely on bringing people together, this was… not ideal.
But they adapted, improvised, and kept the music playing quietly in the background—waiting for the world to laugh again.
One Question
When the world went quiet, a parent asked:
“Could you build something… permanent?”
That one question changed everything.
Marija and Simon said yes—and Custom Builds was born: soothing sensory spaces, one-of-a-kind play rooms, and therapy gyms designed for families, educators, and clinics who wanted the magic to last longer than a weekend.
The Interns Grow Up
The Chief Product Tester became a confident designer-in-training; the Junior learned to walk, climb, and ask very advanced questions about business expenses.
Their family grew, the business grew, and the SproSpro HQ grew into a warehouse full of colour and joy.
And So, to Today
Today, they’re the longest-running soft play rental company in Canada—and still family (and robot) run.
With a brand-new look (hello, rebrand) and an entire division for Custom Builds, they’re growing into the next chapter of play—one made to last.
Every good story has footnotes.
The little bits that tell you what the heroes believe, how they see the world, and why they keep showing up (even on laundry day).
The bit about what we believe.
Every story has a moral. Here’s ours.
The bit about the founders.
Every story needs its storytellers.
Meet Marija
The organiser, visionary, and keeper of the colour palette.
She runs on caffeine, creativity, and spreadsheets that sparkle.
Meet Simon
The builder, problem-solver, and calm (and sometimes the chaos).
He’s happiest with a drill in one hand and a dad joke in the other.
Together, they built Sprog & Sprocket with curiosity, kindness, and the occasional glitter explosion.
The bit about inclusive play.
Fun should never leave anyone out.
That’s why every design, rental, and custom build considers accessibility, safety, and sensory needs. So that children of all abilities can join the fun.
From sensory-friendly setups to collaboration with occupational therapists and educators, Sprog & Sprocket is committed to creating play spaces that meet kids where they are… and help them grow.
Because inclusion isn’t just a value, it’s the heart of our story.
