What started as a simple Internet search for birthday activities has morphed into a family business that encourages children to get out of the house and engage in fun and educational activities, Giggle Bus co-owner Paul Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez and his brother-in-law, Andy Rivero, founded Giggle Bus in Conroe in 2010. They operate two repurposed school buses filled with child-friendly exercise equipment and games. The owners drive to day cares, private parties and other events throughout Montgomery County.
“I love working out and being outdoors, and I love teaching kids what they can do besides going into a gym,” Gonzalez said. “If you can’t get in a gym as you get older, then taking advantage of the outdoors is great. So I go to a lot of parks with our bus and teach [children] with not only equipment inside the bus, but also utilizing what the parks have to offer.”
Because of their educational background, both owners stress the importance of getting children moving. Rivero holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science, and Gonzalez holds an associate’s degree in respiratory care. Giggle Bus added its second bus two years ago, and Rivero said future fleet expansion is possible.
The main bus features gymnastics equipment and a rock climbing wall. Each bus is also equipped with items such as hula hoops and skateboards. Children ranging from 18 months to 6 years old are able to participate.
Gonzalez operates the second bus. He hopes to incorporate activities and themes from the TV show “American Ninja Warrior,” such as a peg wall—on which participants climb a wall by placing pegs into the holes for leverage.
“It’s really not [about] the money for us; it’s to develop the kids and get them away from TVs,” Rivero said. “If football is not for you, maybe it’s soccer, or maybe it’s rock climbing. We do it all on the bus.”
Giggle Bus routinely visits day care centers and works with small groups of about 10 children at a time, Rivero said. The small groups help the children stay active the entire time and allow Rivero and Gonzalez to give the children individual attention.
Although the brothers-in-law act as the main coaches, Rivero said the company is a family business.
“We are all equal partners—my wife and I and Paul and his wife, Marcella,” he said. “We try to make a decision on what’s best for the company and not what’s best for the individual.”