School vacation is coming. It’s a time of year when parents can’t wait, but children can’t wait. In this article, we’ll give you some ideas for things to do with children to keep the whole family happy and relaxed.
1. COEX Aquarium
It’s indoors, so you can easily spend 2-3 hours with your kids without getting too hot or cold. It’s a great place to go on a day trip with your kids, as it’s an educational place to 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 14 themed zones. It is home to over 20,000 marine creatures, including the rarely seen Sand Tiger Shark and West African Manatee.
For prices and more information, visit the official website.
2. Don’s Gate Museum Village
The analog feel of the 6080s comes alive at Don’s Gate Museum Village, a place that brings back childhood memories for adults and new experiences for children. There are places where you can feel the old-fashioned sensibility, 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’s time activities such as traditional games, knotwork, and making a traditional tal watch can be booked online or on-site. The museum is also very close to Gyeonghuigung Palace and the Seoul Museum of History, making it a great day out for kids to not only learn about history, but also to experience our ancient culture in a playful way.
📍 14-3 Songwol-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
3. National Hangeul Museum
You knew about the National Museum of Korea, but did you know there was a Hangul Museum? Located right next to the National Museum of Korea, the Hangul Museum is an easy and fun 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 be aware that the latter is usually not available.
Admission is free, and it’s just a short walk from Exit 2 of Ichon Station, with a separate paid parking lot.
📍 139, Servinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
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. Achasan Forest Playground
Playgrounds are a great place to spend time with your kids. For kids who need to burn off some energy, we recommend the Achasan Forest Playground. Located behind the Achasan Administration Office, it is in the middle of the forest, with large trees providing cool shade, making it a refreshing place to play 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
7. Seoul Children’s University Park
This is a large-scale park with a zoo, botanical garden, lawn, and amusement park, and while you have to pay for the amusement park, you can enjoy the rest of the facilities for free, so you can 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
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 like to make things with their hands, as they can experience making rice cakes at their own level. The classes are held daily at 11am and 3pm, and for a fee of 10,000 won, kids can work with a teacher to make colorful rice cakes to take home. Afterward, you can explore the space, which displays traditional rice cakes from different regions, how to make them, and the tools used to make them.
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.
📍 Insan Building, 71 Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
9. Seoul Imaginationland
As fun as its name suggests, Seoul Imaginarium is a place that will stimulate children’s imaginations. There are 3 floors from the 1st to the 3rd basement, but we recommend starting from the 3rd floor and going 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.
📍 Seoul Sangsangnara in Children’s Grand Park, 216 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Korea
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 a real airplane. 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
11. Le Space
Le Space, Korea’s largest immersive media art space at Inspire Resort, is holding a space travel-themed exhibition, Journey to the Unknown. It’s currently running a vacation promotion, and you can book tickets here.
📍Incheon Yeongjongdo Inspire Resort