24 www.groovekorea.com April 2015
Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)
C OMMUNI TY
Story by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring
Museums exhibiting a more practical experience this Children’s Day
Children’s Day (Inter)Activity
O
ne word synonymous with both Korean and Expat cultures is family. Annual celebrations are dedicated worldwide to Mothers, Fathers and even Grandparents with specific days to honour every family member equally. As summer quickly approaches, so does the return of arguably the most important celebratory family member; the Children. Celebrated in over 70 different countries annually, Children’s Day arrives in South Korea on May 5th. An official public holiday across the peninsula, the holiday was changed from its original name ‘Boy’s Day’ in 1970 to represent all children. The festival was first introduced for kids to express their independence and for parents to be honoured for the love, care and respect they offer their offspring unconditionally. Now, the event is firmly placed in the Korean festival calendar, guaranteeing that parents treat their children with gifts, excursions and specialty entertainment. Traditional games with other families can be seen in parks and parades with children dressed in hanbok are part of the street festivals that entire communities can get involved in. Celebrations are ubiquitous with many parks, zoos and movies waiving entrance fees or arranging special events, and museums are no exception. The Seoul Children’s Grand Park is a great place to start with a kids farm, a water playground and amusement park within the grounds. Admission to the park is free with the animal show costing 6,500 won for adults and 5,000 won for children. The park is also home to the newly opened Seoul Children’s Museum, offering cooking and performance workshops and a ‘Beyond Sensory’ play area at a cost of 4,000 won for those over 3 years old. Also in Seoul, The Children’s Museum is located in the National Museum compound and is billed as experience-centred. Highly interaction hands-on programs include a puzzle room, an energy playground and a library for kids to peruse. Out of the city, the Gyeonggi Children’s Museum is an independent offering, nestled in Suwon city. A firm focus on children, the museum brings together the family experience by operating a story section, a live vision and obligatory education area. Distinguished from other museums, the GCM is divided by four themes to expand young minds in the areas of Curious Children, Environmentally-Conscious Children, Global Minded Children and Healthy Children. Exploring the human body, eco-friendly solutions and an architectural construction zone, this guarantees to be an energetic yet educational day out. Further afield, the Busan Museum Of Art has a designated Children’s gallery aimed toward making art more accessible for children. A basement floor is dedicated to the younger generation, and brings an open-air sculpture park for sunnier days. In addition to the 16 gallery halls of work, educational rooms and interactive exhibitions (which include inviting children to draw their own offerings) continue to connect the community to art. Capture the energetic, interactive spirit of Children’s Day this year with a visit to one of the many cultural offerings across the country.
MORE INFO: Seoul Children’s Grand Park 216, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Korea (Neung-dong) Subway: Konkuk University Station (line 2), Achasan Station (Line 5, Exit 4), Children’s Grand Park Station (Line 7, Exit 1) Bus: 302, 721 (blue bus), 2222, 3216, 3220, 4212 (green bus) and numerous other bus routes serve the park. See the website for more details. www.new.sisul.or.kr/global/main/en/sub/park.jsp 5am-10pm (park), 9am-5pm (zoo) Free (but some fees apply for animal show and museum) MORE INFO: The Children’s Museum (in the National Museum complex) 137, Seobinggo-ro (168-6, Yongsan-dong 6-ga), Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 140-797, Korea Subway: Ichon Station (Line 4 and Jungang Line, Exit 2) Bus: 502 or 0018 (For National Museum of Korea) www.museum.go.kr/site/homepage/menu/ viewMenu?menuid=007001001 02-2077-9000 9am-6pm Tuesday to Sunday Free MORE INFO: Gyeonggi Children’s Museum #6, Sanggal-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do Bus: Alight at Gyeonggi Provincial Museum From Gangnam, take 1560 or 5001-1 bus. From Suwon Station, take10-5 or 37 bus. www.old.gcmuseum.or.kr/en/ 031-270-8600 10am-6pm Sunday to Friday, 10am-7pm on Saturdays Free (under 12 months), 4,000 won (over 12 months) MORE INFO: Children’s Gallery (in the Busan Museum of Art complex) 58, APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan Subway: Busan Museum Of Art (Line 2, Exit 5) Bus: 36, 39, 40, 63, 63-1, 139, 140, 141, 142, 235, 239, 320 (For Busan Museum of Art) www.art.busan.go.kr/eng/06_other/other01.jsp 082-41-740-2602 10am-8pm Tuesday to Friday Free