Founded in 1976 by Joan Barnes in California, Gymboree Play & Music began with a simple mission: to provide a safe, enriching play environment for young children. Headquartered in San Francisco, the brand quickly gained popularity among parents and educators alike. It began franchising in 1978 and has since expanded globally, operating over 700 centers in more than 30 countries.
Gymboree Play & Music offers classes for children from birth to five years old, designed to support physical, cognitive, and social development.
Their programs include parent-child play classes, music and art sessions, and preschool readiness activities, all created by early childhood development experts. The curriculum is centered on the "whole child" approach, aiming to nurture every area of development through age-appropriate, play-based learning.
What makes Gymboree Play & Music stand out is its dedication to research-backed curriculum and active parent involvement. Each class is structured to ensure engagement and developmental value, not just entertainment.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Gymboree Play & Music offers 3 types of franchises:
We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Gymboree Play & Music® Center – Standard and Mini sizes franchise.
For more information on the various types of franchises and its costs, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).
Gymboree Play & Music provides a comprehensive training program to equip franchisees with the necessary skills and knowledge for successful operation. The training includes:
Gymboree Play & Music provide its franchisees a form of territory protection, although it is not fully exclusive. The franchisor agrees not to open or license another Gymboree center under the same branding within the specific territory defined in the franchise agreement.
This territory is clearly detailed in an exhibit and can be based on a set radius or geographical boundaries such as city limits or zip codes. However, franchisees are explicitly told that they do not receive an exclusive territory in a broader sense.
Gymboree reserves the right to operate or license other centers outside of the defined territory, even if those centers are close in proximity. Additionally, franchisees may still face competition from other franchisees, franchisor-owned outlets, or competing brands controlled by the franchisor.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
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Below are some of
Gymboree Play & Music
key competitors in the
Arts / Sports
sector.
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