The Little Gym Leaps Up Franchise 500 Amid Youth Enrichment Boom

DALLAS, TX – January 13, 2026 – The Little Gym, a cornerstone in children's physical development for decades, has made a significant leap on Entrepreneur magazine's highly competitive 2026 Franchise 500® list. The brand climbed 73 spots to rank No. 125, marking its seventh consecutive year on the prestigious list and signaling a period of accelerated growth and strategic success.

This notable ascent follows a landmark year for the company, which was defined by aggressive nationwide expansion, record-breaking family engagement, and the reinforcement of its franchise system. The Entrepreneur ranking, which analyzes over 150 data points including growth, financial strength, and brand power, validates The Little Gym's robust position in the booming youth enrichment sector.

The Anatomy of a Growth Spurt

The numbers behind The Little Gym's 2025 performance paint a clear picture of momentum. The company celebrated the opening of 44 new locations across the United States and Canada, expanding its footprint in key markets like Chicago. This physical expansion was driven by strong interest from entrepreneurs, with the brand signing 74 new franchise agreements throughout the year. This influx of new owners highlights a growing desire among business investors to enter a market focused on community impact and child development.

Beyond expansion, engagement metrics soared. The franchise served more than 150,000 members nationwide and hosted over 15,000 birthday celebrations, solidifying its role as a community hub for families. This performance also earned the brand a spot on Franchise Time's Top 400 list, a ranking based on global systemwide sales.

"Being recognized on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500® is a powerful validation of the work our team and franchise owners have accomplished together," said Samantha Musonda, Brand President of The Little Gym International. "2025 was a year of growth, from expanding our footprint and serving more families, to enhancing the systems and support that fuel franchisee success. As we head into 2026, we're excited to introduce new curriculum and continue strengthening our impact on children and their communities."

The Power of the Platform: Inside Unleashed Brands

A critical factor in The Little Gym's recent acceleration is its integration into Unleashed Brands, the youth enrichment platform that acquired the company in late 2021. Unleashed Brands operates a portfolio of category-leading franchises under a cohesive "Learn, Play, Grow" strategy, aiming to provide a comprehensive ecosystem of services for families.

The Little Gym is a key component of the "Grow" pillar, alongside brands like Premier Martial Arts and Water Wings Swim School. This platform model provides significant advantages. Franchisees gain access to a centralized support infrastructure, including proprietary technology for business intelligence, supply chain management, and franchisee training. This allows individual brands like The Little Gym to focus on their core competency—curriculum innovation and customer experience—while benefiting from the scaling expertise of the parent company.

This synergy is designed to create a powerful value proposition for multi-unit and multi-brand owners. Franchisees within the Unleashed ecosystem, which also includes learning brands like Sylvan Learning and play-focused concepts like Urban Air Adventure Park, can potentially serve the same families across different stages of childhood and with varied interests, maximizing customer lifetime value and market penetration.

Beyond Playtime: A Focus on Holistic Development

While the business model is scaling, the core of The Little Gym's appeal remains its educational philosophy. For nearly 50 years, the brand has centered its curriculum on what it calls "Three-Dimensional Learning." This approach aims to foster growth in three key areas simultaneously: physical skills through activities like gymnastics, cognitive development through problem-solving and instruction, and social-emotional learning through group participation and confidence-building exercises.

This commitment to holistic development is set to deepen in 2026 with the planned national launch of Tummy Timers, a new program designed for infants as young as one to three months. This strategic innovation pushes the brand's entry point to the earliest stages of childhood, tapping into a growing trend of parents seeking structured, expert-guided developmental activities for their babies.

By introducing programs for infants, The Little Gym not only expands its market but also positions itself as a foundational partner for parents from the very beginning of their child's life. This move reflects a broader societal shift where parents are increasingly investing in high-quality enrichment programs that offer tangible developmental benefits beyond simple recreation.

Navigating a Competitive Market

The Little Gym's impressive ranking places it in a strong position within a crowded and dynamic youth activities market. It stands out among direct competitors in children's fitness and holds its own against a wide array of enrichment franchises, from academic tutoring like Kumon to sports programs like Soccer Shots. The brand's recent surge in the rankings, recovering sharply from lower placements in 2023 and 2024, indicates that its strategy under Unleashed Brands is yielding significant results.

However, such rapid growth and integration are not without challenges. In 2023, reports emerged of legal disputes initiated by a group of franchisees concerning changes to operational and financial systems following the Unleashed Brands acquisition. While such friction can be a byproduct of scaling a large franchise network, it underscores the delicate balance between corporate platform strategy and individual franchisee operations.

Despite these growing pains, the brand's forward momentum appears undeniable. With a proven curriculum, a powerful parent company, and a clear strategy for innovation and expansion, The Little Gym is well-positioned to continue its upward trajectory. The brand's focus on early-stage development and robust franchise support will likely remain key drivers in its mission to shape the lives of children across the globe.