School vacation is coming. It’s a time when parents are a little tired, but children are looking forward to it. Here are some fun things to do with kids to keep the whole family calm and happy.
1. COEX Aquarium
This is a great place to spend a couple of hours with your kids, away from the heat or cold. It’s a great place to go on a day trip with your kids because it’s an educational experience where they can learn about the ecosystem. There are various events such as mermaid underwater performances and penguin feeding times. You can explore the underwater world of COEX Aquarium through various themed zones. For prices and details, visit the official website.
📍 14-3, Songwol-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Naver map)
2. Don’s Gate Museum Village
A place where the analog sensibilities of the 6080s come alive Don’s Moon Museum Village is a place that brings back childhood memories for adults and new experiences for children. There are places where you can feel old-fashioned sensibilities, such as a comic shop, stationery store, game room, movie theater, and service center, as well as the ‘Don’s Gate Room’ where you can play chess and pool, etc. There’s also a cafe and restaurant inside, so you can take a break for lunch, and the village information center in the center of the village is where you can try your hand at hanging kicks and scabbing.
Admission is free, and paid artist time activities such as traditional games and crafts can be booked on the website or requested on site. It’s also very close to Gyeonghuigung Palace and the Seoul Museum of History, so it’s a great day out for kids to not only learn about history, but also to have a playful introduction to our ancient culture.
📍 14-3, Songwol-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Naver map)
3. National Hangeul Museum
The Hangul Museum, located right next to the National Museum of Korea, is a fun and easy place to learn and play about our unique writing system. The museum displays 33 tangible examples of the Hunmin Jeongnyeom, giving visitors an insight into why King Sejong the Great created Hangul. There is a Hangeul library, a Hangeul learning center, permanent and temporary exhibitions, and a Hangeul playground, which is a great way for toddlers who don’t know the letters yet to learn them. You can reserve the Hangeul Playground in advance on the website or at the door, but keep in mind that the latter usually fills up quickly. Admission is free.
📍 139, Servinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Naver map)
4. Kids Run Museum Exhibition
If you’re looking for a more in-depth experience in the same space as the museums on this list, we recommend the KidsRun Museum Exhibition, an indoor activity center for learning and play. KidsRun is a brand of activities and learning games for kids and teens. Their museum exhibitions are designed to be a fun way to learn about history, culture, and science while exploring every nook and cranny of the museum like a board game.
Kids’ Museumsis designed for children in grades 2 through5, and features cooperative and competitive team challenges using the provided workbook, skill cards, and quizzes as a guide. The three-hour program is designed to help children develop observation, problem-solving, short-term memory, and imagination.
You don’t have to worry about canceling due to bad weather, and it’s held at museums across the country, including the National Museum of Korea and the Gwacheon National Science Museum . For more information, including reservations, check here.
5. Kids Run Campus Race
One more kids’ program. It’s a fun way to foster self-motivation and healthy admiration that’s not forced. There’s no better way to do that than to visit schools and talk to current students. The Future Alma Mater Project Kids Run Campus Raceis a program that pairs you with a student mentorto explore the school andgo on a mission together.
It’s open tothird graders through first gradersand lasts six hours. Set against the backdrop of the school’s main buildings, the race features hidden missions, crossword puzzles, real-time leaderboards, and a championship game to keep kids on their toes. The Kids Run Campus Race is held at major schools such as Seoul National University. Check out more information here.
6. Seoul Children’s University Park
This is a large park with a zoo, botanical garden, grassy plaza, and amusement park, and while there is a fee for the amusement park, the rest of the facilities are free, so you’ll see a lot of families out for a casual stroll. The zoo is free, but it’s well-maintained and includes monkeys, elephants, tigers, cheetahs, bears, pelicans, and other animals that kids will recognize. The botanical gardens are also worth a visit, with succulents, houseplants, bonsai, wildflowers, and other rare species of plants that you wouldn’t normally see.
There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat and you can even bring your own mat to sit on, making it an easy day out with the kids. Please note that scooters, inlines, and bicycles are not allowed. The park is much larger than you might think, so if you’re a first-time visitor, I recommend picking up a map at the entrance.
📍 216, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Naver map)
7. Achasan Forest Playground
A playground is a great place to spend time with your kids. For kids who need to burn off some energy, we recommend Acha Mountain Forest Playground. Located behind the Achasan Management Office, it is located in the middle of the forest, and the large trees provide cool shade, making it refreshing even in the middle of summer. You can get your hands in the dirt and run through the trees, something you can’t do in the city center. There are trampolines, climbing poles, slides, and hammocks for kids of all ages to enjoy. There’s also a cafe just a five-minute walk away where you can grab a quick snack or drink. If your kids aren’t too young, you can climb up to the middle of Mount Achasan.
📍 3-19, Guui-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
8. Tteok Museum
This is a museum where you can learn about the process of making rice cakes, a delicious and nutritious traditional Korean food. Whether you like rice cakes or not, this is a great place for kids who love to make things with their hands, as they can try their hand at making rice cakes at their own level. Admission is free for children up to 36 months old, 2,000 won for children from 36 months to 19 years old, and 3,000 won for adults.
📍 71, Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Naver map)
9. Seoul Imaginationland
As fun as its name suggests, Seoul Imaginarium is a place to stimulate children’s imaginations. There are three floors from the first to the third basement, but we recommend starting on the third floor and working your way down. On the third floor, there are science and cultural activities, such as putting a ball in a wind tube, playing with the wind, making food, experiencing a veterinarian, and making business cards. On the second floor, you can experience educational activities related to energy through physical imagination. The first floor is for art, space, and nature play, where you can paint, stack blocks, spin a spinning top, and more. The basement level is the Sensory Play Center, which features activities related to sound. Children up to lower elementary school age will love this place. Admission is free for children up to 36 months old, and 4,000 won for those older.
📍 Inside Children’s Grand Park, 216 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Naver map)
10. National Aviation Museum
The National Aviation Museum, the first aviation museum established in Korea, explains Korea’s aviation history in a fun way and provides various experiences for children. Various types of airplanes and motors are on display, and you can see the evolution of pilot suits and the interior of real airplanes. The indoor museum is free and open to the public, but reservations are required for the flight control experience, in-flight training experience, children’s airport experience, and Black Eagle ride experience. Reservations can be made on the website.
📍 177, Haneul-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Naver map)
11. Le Space
Le Space, the largest immersive media art space in Korea, is holding a space travel-themed exhibition, “Journey to the Unknown World,” at Inspire Resort. It’s currently running a vacation promotion, and you can book tickets here.
📍Inspire Resort, Yeongjongdo, Incheon (Naver map)