A day is short when you play… Friends, let’s meet here!

A day is short when you play… Friends, let’s meet here!


Refer Report

Children enjoying indoor climbing at Gangnam Children’s Center. Provided by Gangnam-gu Office

There are a variety of play spaces for children, but it is the parent’s intention to turn to a new place for a child who quickly becomes bored with familiar places. We’ve collected news on newly renovated children’s spaces, each filled with their own strengths. Depending on the region and characteristics, find a play space that suits your child and have time to become new friends.

Child-friendly space ‘Gangnam Children’s Center’

The interestingly named Gangnam Children’s Center is the first children’s complex cultural space in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, which opened last September. The hall, which spans from the first basement level to the sixth floor above ground, provides a variety of play and educational facilities. It is characterized by the fact that it was created by actively reflecting the opinions of the local community, including families, daycare centers, schools, and parents, at the establishment stage.

The space is △Sports play room on the 1st basement floor △Lobby/nursing room on the 1st floor △Seoul-style kids cafe on the 2nd floor △Experience play room, creative play room, and book cafe on the 3rd and 4th floors △Exploration play room on the 5th floor △Performances and events on the 6th floor It consists of a Danuri room for use. The experiential play room and exploration play room are places where specialized education is provided to promote children’s physical activity and emotional development and build emotional bonds with their parents.

From play with the five senses using paint, food therapy to improve eating habits, growth plate promotion program, children’s dance class, traditional game experience festival, world folk instrument experience, making move dolls using emotion cards, color play using personal colors, family You can experience a variety of programs such as book making and family painting drawing.

The English Play Zone, where native speaking teachers participate, is a space that both children and parents will enjoy as they can naturally learn English through a fun experience. It is aimed at infants and toddlers and 1st to 3rd graders of elementary school, and they can learn English while having fun and develop their communication skills.

There is also a sports play room for children who prefer physical activities. You can develop your physical abilities through climbing classes using artificial rock walls and virtual reality (VR) experience classes. The Kids Café is a space where children aged 0 to 6 can safely play, and it also provides play care services for children aged 36 months and older. In addition, Danurisil plans to regularly present programs such as children’s puppet shows, presentations, and children’s performances.

Children participating in an experience program at Gangnam Children's Center. Provided by Gangnam-gu Office
Children participating in an experience program at Gangnam Children’s Center. Provided by Gangnam-gu Office

Meanwhile, Gangnam Children’s Center plans to go beyond being a simple play space and play a role in supporting the integrated development of children by linking with educational institutions in the local community. We plan to provide educational programs in which parents can participate, creating a space where families have the opportunity to grow and learn together. Ahead of the opening of the Gangnam Children’s Center, Gangnam-gu Mayor Cho Seong-myeong revealed the operation plan, saying, “We will establish ourselves as a core facility that leads a child-friendly city where children grow up happily and healthily.”

The operating hours of the program room (3rd to 5th floors) at Gangnam Children’s Center, which opened in earnest in October, are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The Seoul-style kids cafe (2nd floor) and sports play room (1st basement floor) are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fees vary depending on the experience program, and for further details and usage inquiries, please contact Gangnam Children’s Center (02-508-1700).

A kids library where you can freely sit and read books. Provided by Cinema Center
A kids library where you can freely sit and read books. Provided by Cinema Center

A dream space for children, ‘Dullarak’

A new children’s complex cultural space, ‘Dullarak’, was opened within the Haeundae-gu Film Center, one of the representative spaces of Busan, the city of movies. Located on the first floor of BIFHILL, the approximately 470㎡ in-room space is a space where children can play safely, and is equipped with various facilities to foster creativity and learning skills. In particular, as it is located in the Busan Cinema Center, it is characterized by the addition of digital and analog content to cinematic elements.

Inside, there is a variety of content to stimulate children’s interest and adventurous spirit. From play facilities such as ‘Net Playground’, ‘Montage’, ‘Media Table’, and ‘Block Play’ to learning experience spaces, LED studios, and kids libraries, there are many elements that can foster both imagination and intellectual desire. In particular, the Kids Library will be equipped with a wide range of children’s books, augmented reality (AR) books, and multicultural language books, providing children with a special experience where they can encounter various cultures and languages.

A look at the newly opened net playground. Provided by Cinema Center
A look at the newly opened net playground. Provided by Cinema Center

After completing a month-long trial run in September, Deulaknarak will officially open in October to welcome child users. Reservation required for 4 sessions per day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm every day (closed on Mondays) (1st session 10:00~11:30, 2nd session 12:00~13:30, 3rd session 14:00~15:30, Operates 4 times from 16:00 to 17:30. Applications are limited to 40 people per session, and reservations can be made through the Events website. For inquiries, please contact the Busan Cinema Center (051-780-6097/6).

A child spending time at the Seodaemun Friendly Playground. Provides a friendly playground
A child spending time at the Seodaemun Friendly Playground. Provides a friendly playground

Public kids cafe ‘Friendly Playground’

If you are looking for an easily accessible play space in Seoul, check out the Seoul-style Kids Cafe, a play space created and operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government throughout the autonomous districts. It is a public indoor playground that can be used without weather restrictions at a reasonable price, and is steadily increasing its operating space, starting with the Jongno branch in May 2022, which opened. Last September, the ‘Friendly Playground’, located in Bukgajwa 1-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, opened as part of a Seoul-style kids cafe. It has a variety of play facilities in an area of ​​approximately 484㎡, and provides customized programs designed for children of various ages, from infants to elementary school students. You can have a fun and creative experience through the jungle gym playground, animal jumping ball, and various themed play facilities.

Operating hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed on Mondays. The usage fee is 2,000 won for children and 1,000 won for guardians, and families with multiple children can use it for free. Advance reservations can be made on Seoul City’s Our Neighborhood Kium Portal (website).

Children spending time at the Seodaemun Friendly Playground. Provides a friendly playground
Children spending time at the Seodaemun Friendly Playground. Provides a friendly playground

A Seoul-style kids cafe also opened in Gangseo-gu, Seoul last September. Hwagok 3-dong, a Seoul-style kids cafe opened on the second floor of Harrington Tower at Ujangsan Station on Subway Line 5, has an exclusive area of ​​335㎡, and the interior features Sangsang Madang, a visual play space, Challenge Zone, an active play space, and Play Zone, a social play space. It consists of etc. Among them, the Imagination Playground is a special space that fosters children’s creativity. Pictures drawn by children are displayed vividly on beam projectors surrounding three sides, providing visual enjoyment and fostering imagination.

The Challenge Zone is designed so that you can spend time using various rides such as trampolines, tightrope walking, and hill playgrounds. The play zone is a role-play space that fosters social skills, where you can enjoy a variety of activities such as camping play, kitchen play, and shopping play. Each play space is separated, making it perfect for immersing yourself in the action without losing track of time.

It operates every Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 6 PM on weekdays, and from 9:30 AM to 8 PM on weekends. You can use it after making a reservation in advance at Seoul City’s Our Neighborhood Kium portal.

Jagul Mountain Forest Sky Playground, the largest net play facility in the country. Provided by Uiryeong-gun Office
Jagul Mountain Forest Sky Playground, the largest net play facility in the country. Provided by Uiryeong-gun Office

Travel and play together at ‘Jagul Mountain Forest Sky Playground’

If you are looking for a more special play space, how about looking at Uiryeong, Gyeongnam, where you can enjoy nature trips and amusement facilities at the same time? In Jagulsan Natural Recreation Forest, Garye-myeon, Uiryeong-gun, ‘Jagulsan Forest Sky Playground’, the largest net adventure facility in the country, appeared in early September. Net adventure facilities are amusement facilities made by layering and weaving colorful nets woven from synthetic fibers. They are popular because they can safely stimulate the spirit of challenge and adventure with one’s body without any additional equipment.

Jagul Mountain Forest Sky Playground, the largest net play facility in the country. Provided by Uiryeong-gun Office
Jagul Mountain Forest Sky Playground, the largest net play facility in the country. Provided by Uiryeong-gun Office

Jagul Mountain Forest Sky Playground is 1,500㎡ in size and is the largest net adventure facility among about 20 similar facilities across the country. When you enter the amusement facility, you can spend time freely moving, jumping, and sliding around the net playground, which is similar to a trampoline. Various facilities with slides and ball games are also provided, providing unique enjoyment to children and families. Above all, the view of the natural recreation forest seen from the Forest Sky Playground is another pleasure that cannot be missed.

Uiryeong-gun plans to actively use the Jagul Mountain Forest Sky Playground as an experience program in connection with the Future Education Center of the Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education located in Uiryeong-eup. It operates from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM every day, and is closed every Tuesday.

Guest reporter Park Eun-ah

Source: Korean