Does it take 300,000 yuan to open a children’s playground in Shanghai? Qi Long Amusement Group’s marketing specialist is here to help you calculate the costs!

Shanghai, a city brimming with magic, famously known as the "Magic City," is a captivating metropolis teeming with both opportunities and challenges. It’s a place where countless young people come to turn their dreams into reality. Starting a business in Shanghai—and opening your very own children’s playground there—is an excellent choice. As China’s largest city, Shanghai boasts robust economic development, convenient transportation, and a large population flow, making it an ideal location for entrepreneurship, especially for launching a children’s playground. However, in this bustling metropolis, opening a children’s playground will undoubtedly require a significant investment. Recently, many netizens have been asking Qilong customer service: “Do I really need 300,000 yuan to open a children’s playground in Shanghai?” Since so many of you have these questions, Qilong Amusement Group is here to help you crunch the numbers.

First, let’s determine that the children’s playground will occupy an area of 200 square meters. Taking a shopping mall as an example, the size of the children’s playground will affect the rental cost of the space—especially in a densely populated and expensive city like Shanghai, where even a difference of just one square meter can make a significant difference in rent.

Venue rental: Based on the “two deposits, one payment” rental calculation, the rent is roughly around 100,000.

Franchise fees for brands come in two forms: free and paid. The free option requires no payment, while the paid options can range from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand yuan.

Cost of amusement equipment: Depending on the specific type of amusement equipment, bouncy castles range from 300 yuan per square meter to several thousand yuan per square meter. For a 200-square-meter facility, the cost would typically be between 100,000 and 150,000 yuan. Other amusement facilities have varying pricing structures—some are priced by area, while others are priced by set. For example, “Smart & Brave Challenge,” large trampolines, DIY crafts, and track-based racing cars all have different pricing models.

Promotional Expenses: For a new store opening, vigorous promotion is essential—especially the most traditional methods, such as handing out flyers. Actually, this type of expense is quite low, yet the results can still be quite good. A budget of 3,000 to 5,000 yuan should be sufficient. At the same time, you can also create short videos for Douyin or post updates on WeChat Moments—these can either be done for free or by hiring someone to help, depending on your investment budget and needs.

Personnel Costs: According to Shanghai’s salary standards, the job at the children’s playground does not require highly skilled staff, so the monthly salary ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 yuan. For a space of approximately 200 square meters, you’ll typically need about 3 to 5 employees.

Interior design: Basic renovations can cost as little as tens of thousands, while high-end renovations can easily run into over a hundred thousand. However, themed styles tend to be more popular overall.

Overall, with a budget of 300,000 yuan, it’s entirely sufficient to open a 200-square-meter children’s playground in Shanghai. In fact, the initial investment required for setting up a children’s playground is relatively flexible—you can tailor the plan according to the funds you have on hand, as long as the planning remains reasonable. It would be unwise, for instance, to plan for a 500-square-meter space when your budget only allows for 200,000 yuan, forcing you to cut corners in every aspect. As a result, you’d end up with an investment cost of just 200,000 yuan for a space that’s clearly oversized and underfunded—a scenario that’s bound to create significant operational challenges down the road. You might even find yourself unable to keep the business afloat, ultimately leading to closure. Such an outcome is certainly not what investors want. After all, the ultimate goal of any investment is to make a profit—and to achieve that, you need to take a long-term perspective.

Joining Qilong Amusement Group provides one-on-one guidance throughout the entire process—from pre-opening to post-opening—offering rational planning and well-considered budgets to help investors effectively control every penny of their investment, especially in site planning and amusement equipment selection.