Somewhere at this very moment, a fellow mom is panicking about what to do with her kids this summer and the standard day camp just isn’t cutting it any more. Kids today want something that is exciting and different—definitely not something everyone else is doing.
With more digital distractions and online activities available at your children’s fingertips than ever before, getting kids to unplug, get active, and socialize can be a real challenge for parents. In fact, it’s reported that elementary school aged children spend an average of 7.5 hours per day on entertainment technology like TV, video games, tablets and other mobile devices.
Parents have always known it’s important for children to engage in active play and are on the hunt for fun and stimulating activities that get their kids to put aside their gadgets and step away from the TV (phone, tablet, games). And those parents are putting their money where their mouths are. It’s been reported that parents will spend anywhere from $1,500 and up annually on extracurricular activities for each child. Clearly, when it comes to their children, parents will spare no expense.
A few franchises have taken notice of this trend and have created experiences that both kids and parents are proud to share around the proverbial water cooler or schoolyard.
“Franchises are responding to the needs of parents who are increasingly looking for extracurricular activities that enrich their children’s lives, nurture their creativity, and expand their minds and social circles,” says Kenny Chan, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for the Canadian Franchise Association. “The beauty about franchising is when you see a franchise succeeding, you know the business has identified a trend and established that their proof of concept meets the needs of consumers.”
When we look at parents’ purchasing habits, it is clear that this will be an upward trend.
Here are some unique, fun, and scalable franchise businesses that let kids unplug, de-stress, get active, get messy, and most importantly, have fun.
Kick It Off
Exciting slides and climbing walls aside, there is always a place in the world for organized sports. But, the Little Kickers franchise will disagree with you if that’s all you think their company is. They have taken the concept of team sports and kicked it on its head.
Creating an environment for kids to build social skills and let their imaginations run wild, this UK-oriented franchise has found a way to blend team sports with creative play in a way that gets young minds engaged, fit and having fun all at the same time.
Bringing the concept to Canada after looking for a high quality program for his 2-year-old son, Frank Stanschus, Chief Operating Office of Little Kickers, quickly realized that this industry was being “underserved and offered lots of potential.”
“Our business meets our customer needs because it blends all the key components that customers are looking for when researching activities for their children – choice in terms of locations and timing, great customer services and a professional program that really develops the children,” says Stanschus.
http://www.canadianfamily.ca/activities/kid-friendly-activities-help-kids-unplug/