Most parents are happy to spend money on fun activities that enhance their children’s wellbeing and equip them with the skills they need to thrive throughout life.

This explains the news that Australian families spend $3.8 billion a year on after-school activities – or $1,859 per household – according to market research from Mozo. These statistics are based on spending on wholesome activities like scouts, ballet, drama, coding, piano, tennis and languages.

Franchise industry analysis

Aspiring franchisees who spy an opportunity in such industry trends will be interested to know that child’s leisure franchises typically provide fun activities that boost cognitive development, social skills and/or physical fitness – ‘edutainment’, if you will. There’s a clear overlap with the children’s education category.

Some children’s recreation franchises tap into huge demand for activities designed to make learning fun and therefore more effective. For instance, Young Engineers conveys STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) fundamentals through the imaginative use of K’nex, Engino and LEGO bricks, while Algorithmics does the same through projects that include creating cartoons and video games.

Creation Station , meanwhile, is an award-winning provider of arts and crafts classes for children of all ages.

Lollipop’s , which operates play centres and cafes, provides a space for less structured play and a chance for parents to take a break in the meantime.

What these kids entertainment franchises have in common is a business model effective enough to succeed for many years and lead to global expansion (which doesn’t, however, eliminate the need for careful due diligence when considering whether to buy a particular franchise).

Benefiting from comprehensive training and ongoing support from a dedicated support team, aspiring franchisees don’t typically need a background in a particular sector to make the grade. Instead, applicants are primarily assessed based on their personal attributes and a willingness to follow a winning formula.