Seoul City Expands 'Ecological-Friendly Childcare Centers' to 60 Locations... Dongdaemun and Dongjak Districts Added

From Classroom-Based Textbook and Teaching Aid Lessons to Four-Season Nature Experience and Play-Centered Eco-Friendly Childcare

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is expanding its "Eco-friendly Childcare Centers," where children can actively enjoy play while experiencing the four seasons in nature, moving away from classroom-based childcare focused on learning materials and teaching aids, to a total of 60 centers across 12 autonomous districts. Currently, there are 50 centers in 10 districts.

On the 17th, Seoul announced that it has newly selected two autonomous districts, Dongdaemun-gu and Dongjak-gu, this year and plans to add 10 eco-friendly childcare centers (5 centers per district) as base centers in these districts. Seoul conducted a comprehensive review through a screening committee composed of external experts, evaluating the childcare centers' operation plans aligned with the purpose of eco-friendly childcare, the concreteness of their project plans, linkage plans with district resources and programs, and their commitment to implementation.

Eco-friendly childcare centers have shifted the focus of activities from indoors to outdoors, expanding natural experiences and play activities, which were previously weak in the existing childcare curriculum. Children can cultivate vegetable gardens themselves, harvest seasonal foods, and physically experience natural changes through walks and outdoor play.

Seoul supports each childcare center with up to 5 million KRW to create vegetable gardens, walking trails, playgrounds, and other facilities for diverse ecological experiences. It also provides an eco-friendly childcare guidebook and expert consulting to help discover and apply programs suited to each center's characteristics. Excellent cases are shared by posting them on Seoul's childcare portal under "Eco-friendly Childcare News."

Seoul has been expanding eco-friendly childcare centers with the goal of guaranteeing children's right to play as children and fostering creativity and sociality through this. Starting with 20 centers in 4 districts in 2019, it added 30 centers in 6 districts in 2020. Selected eco-friendly childcare centers receive support such as ▲play space creation funding ▲eco-friendly childcare guidebooks and consulting ▲teacher training and sharing of best practices.

Kang Hee-eun, Seoul's Childcare Officer, said, "Eco-friendly childcare centers aim not only for nature-friendly childcare activities but also emphasize children's play needs and help realize their childlike nature. We will continue to do our best to create a childcare environment where children can grow up healthy and happy."