Child’s Play Franchise Opportunities in the UK

From language lessons to art classes, cookery schools to sports activities, nowadays, you can find a franchise to cater to a huge range of children’s extra-curricular activities and their overall learning and development. The children’s activity sector is one of the fastest growing in the economy. Even in times of economic uncertainty, parents continue spending money on their children. This is particularly applicable to play activities that help with academic education, personal growth or health. This sector is set to carry on flourishing; what with so many UK households having parents who both work, there is great demand for after school play activities.

Children Activities Industry

Research has shown that parents spend £2,600 a year entertaining their children (The Independent). Six in ten of those surveyed said that they are happy to spend big bucks on their children as long as they are happy, and 13 percent believe that they shell out ‘too much’ (Goodfella). This demonstrates how parents are dedicated to spending a substantial amount of their earnings on their kids and, therefore, there is the opportunity for new franchises to capitalise on this demand.

Read more:

• Our top 5 franchises to keep kids entertained
• The kids that made the royal wedding: Our top 5 children’s franchises

Benefits of Starting a Child’s Play Franchise

As well as there being the benefit of the chance to operate in a highly lucrative market, starting a child’s play franchise is a great opportunity to showcase your creativity. Also, shaping the lives of children is potentially one of the most rewarding jobs out there, not to mention how you will have all the added benefits of being your own boss. The most prominent advantage is the flexible work hours which allow you to strike a better work-life balance and thus promote a happier family life.

Adopting the franchise route can make the start-up process a whole lot easier. It also means you can make the most of a tried and tested business model that is proven to be a hit with parents and kids alike. Therefore, it is less risky than launching a new business where it is uncertain whether it will thrive or flop in the market. Children’s franchises provide the guarantee that consumers already like and trust the product or service, which is invaluable when it comes to asking parents to hand over their hard-earned cash.

Another advantage of child’s play franchises is that they have relatively low investment and running costs due to the majority not involving buying a premises. They also don’t usually require employing a large amount of staff either, with the majority of franchises being run by the franchisees themselves, again saving costs. Therefore, it is a popular choice for individuals who want to pursue a career in something they are passionate about alongside another job or other commitments.

It is important to try to create a brand that is innovative and offers something new - if not something new, something executed extremely well. It is a competitive sector, so it is important to update your business model regularly to correspond with what parents and children want.

Franchise Opportunities

There are plenty of child’s play franchise opportunities in Point Franchise’s UK Franchise Directory.

Monkey Music

Monkey Music is popular children’s music franchise based in the UK. It offers classes dedicated to specific ages, nursery sessions, parties, events and holiday workshops. Monkey Music was the brainchild of Angie Coates back in London in 1993. A teacher and musician herself, she was keen to share the benefits of music with youngsters. The brand adopted the franchise model in 1998 and, after seeing great success, grew rapidly to encompass 11,500 families attending classes in over 300 locations each week.

The franchise support department will provide a six-day training course, bespoke mentoring, ongoing training and much more. The ideal franchisee is an individual who is an excellent communicator and has great leadership skills.

If you want to press play on starting your own Monkey Music franchise, a minimum investment of £12,975 is needed.

Creation Station

Creation Station is a children’s art and craft franchise based in the UK. It is a leader in the fun sector, with over 100 outlets nationwide. Thousands of children attend one of Creation Station’s locations every day to express their creativity and learn about arts. The brand, which was established in 2002, is a popular choice for birthday parties and special events.

The brand’s unique offering hasn’t gone unnoticed. It is a member of the British Franchise Association and it was a finalist in the “Brand Innovation Award” in the 2017 BFA HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards.

Franchisees will undergo an initial training programme that will cover everything from operational processes to marketing systems. There will also be ongoing training to inform about new initiatives, brand expansion and brand awareness. There is a team of Creation Station support managers, who will ensure that franchisees are maintaining brand standards. The franchise is looking for franchisees that are hardworking, hands-on and eager to draw out the imagination and artistic expression of children.

If you have what Creation Station is looking for, you will need to make a minimum investment of £7,999.

Puddle Ducks

Puddle Ducks is a child’s play franchise that aims to teach children how to swim confidently and beautifully. It is the only 100 percent child-led baby and child swim school, which means its unique offering separates it from other swimming lesson businesses. The brand boasts that its franchisees understand the value of hard work and how it results in a lucrative business, not to mention how they have the flexibility to choose their own hours. Puddle Ducks refers to this as ‘The Puddle Ducks Difference.’

Some of the most established franchisees of the BFA-accredited brand made profits exceeding £100,000 in 2017/2018.

Franchisees will be supported in terms of business support, marketing, IT support, retail, pool management and much more.

There are currently 33 Puddle Ducks outlets in the UK. At the moment, it is looking for franchisees in London, Surrey, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Birmingham, Devon, South Scotland and South Wales.

If you wish to make the most of this unique opportunity, a minimum investment of only £5,000 is required. The franchise fees are £24,000.