1851’s Most Innovative Franchises in 2026: KidStrong

KidStrong is not an indoor playground. It is not a youth sports program. It is not a kids’ gym tucked into the corner of an adult fitness center. KidStrong has built a new kind of children’s enrichment concept around a simple but powerful idea: Kids need more than activity. They need structure, progression, confidence and life skills. By combining physical movement, cognitive development and social-emotional growth in one science-based program, KidStrong has created a franchise model that meets the needs of modern families while carving out a category of its own.

“We’re not offering a one-dimensional experience,” said Josh Patrick, senior vice president of franchise development. “We’re helping kids build strength, confidence and life skills all at once. Parents recognize that immediately.”

What Makes KidStrong Different?

Unlike traditional kids’ programs that may focus on one sport, open play or general fitness, KidStrong was built around a structured curriculum designed to help children develop across multiple areas at the same time. In each class, kids work on strength, balance, coordination, communication, problem-solving, teamwork and confidence.

“You can help kids develop faster, especially during those peak developmental years,” said co-founder Matt Sharp. “That’s when 95% of your brain development happens. So if you can shape kids during that time, you can make a huge impact on their lives, their families and their futures.”

The brand’s curriculum was developed with input from child development experts, pediatricians and athletic trainers, giving franchisees a differentiated story in a crowded children’s activity market. Each class is intentional, milestone-driven and designed to build from week to week, allowing parents to see real progress rather than simply knowing their child was active for 45 minutes.

“We didn’t want a playdate,” said co-founder Megin Sharp. “We wanted something structured and impactful.”

That structure is paired with fun, which is central to the brand’s ability to keep kids engaged. Children run, jump, climb, solve puzzles, practice public speaking and take on confidence-building challenges in a high-energy environment that feels exciting rather than instructional.

“You can’t serve all vegetables,” said co-founder Lincoln Brown. “It has to be fun for kids to want to come back and learn. When you combine real child development with fun, that’s when the magic happens.”

KidStrong also defines success differently. In many youth programs, the goal is performance: scoring a goal, completing a routine or keeping up with the group. KidStrong’s primary outcome is confidence. KidStrong gives kids structured opportunities to try hard things, practice new skills and experience progress in a way that carries beyond the center.

“We start public speaking as early as age three,” Matt said. “It’s about building critical life skills during the most important developmental years — one through nine.”

For parents, that impact is visible outside of class. Children speak up more easily, participate without prompting, take on new challenges and show stronger social skills. According to a 2023 parent survey, 96% of parents saw an increase in self-confidence, 88% noticed improved social skills and 85% said KidStrong is more enjoyable than other programs.

KidStrong was also designed with today’s parents in mind. Families are navigating increased screen time, reduced physical activity, shorter attention spans and lingering social effects of the pandemic. KidStrong responds to those concerns with a structured, screen-free, skills-based program that gives parents a clear view into what their children are learning and how they are progressing.

“We bring parents right into the action,” Megin said. “We want them to feel like part of the team. This isn’t something you just drop your child off at — you get to see them grow in real time.”

Why KidStrong Franchisees Are Winning

From a franchise ownership perspective, KidStrong’s innovation extends beyond the curriculum. The brand is built on a recurring membership model rather than seasonal registration, giving owners more predictable revenue and stronger visibility into performance.

“The largest percentage of revenue is membership,” Patrick said. “Our customer is anywhere from walking to 11 years old. We don’t differentiate the membership based on age. It’s really one membership.”

That model is supported by additional revenue streams, including camps, birthday parties and Parents’ Night Out events. The brand has also continued refining its programming to improve retention, including weekly curriculum updates that keep classes fresh while still giving kids the repetition they need to build skills.

“We changed our programming weekly, but still gave kids the reps they needed,” Patrick said. “When we first went to weekly programming, our churn almost immediately dropped by about two points, which had a huge financial impact for our franchise partners.”

KidStrong has also invested heavily in systems that support scalable ownership. With centralized curriculum, training methodology, customer experience standards, data reporting, real estate support and marketing tools, franchise owners can focus on execution rather than building the concept themselves.

“Because curriculum, training methodology and customer experience standards are developed centrally, operators can focus on execution rather than content creation,” said Joe Pedatella, who operates 18 KidStrong locations across New Jersey, Connecticut and New York. “This reduces operational variability and ensures consistency across locations.”

As the brand continues to grow, KidStrong is exploring new ways to reach more families. One possibility is a smaller, single-floor prototype that could lower build-out costs and make the model a better fit for additional markets. The brand is also rolling out BabyStrong for pre-walking children, giving families a chance to enter the KidStrong ecosystem at an earlier stage.

“If we’re successful, we could open up another 200 to 300 markets in the U.S. alone,” Patrick said.

At its core, KidStrong is innovative because it addresses a real gap in childhood development. Traditional youth sports, gyms and play spaces still have a role, but many leave parents looking for something more intentional, measurable and holistic.

“Just this morning, a mom stopped me while I was dropping off my kid,” Matt said. “She said her son started KidStrong at age two — he was super shy. He’s five now, and he’s a leader. He introduces himself to kids on the playground, to coaches at sports. She almost wouldn’t let me leave — she was so emotional talking about the change in him after three years with us. That’s why we do it.”

Stay tuned throughout the rest of the month for 1851 Franchise's full Innovative Franchise Concepts series to explore the other innovative brands making waves in the industry.