Sequential Expansion in July to Jungnang, Dongjak, etc.
First 'Hyemyeong Children’s Imagination Playground' Opens on 27th… Admission 2000 KRW for Children Aged 3-7 and Guardians
Mandatory Placement of Childcare Teachers and Safety Personnel
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 26th that it will open the first “Seoul-type Kids Cafe,” where caregivers’ burdens are reduced with affordable fees and children can freely play regardless of the season or fine dust, on the 27th in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu.
The “Seoul-type Kids Cafe” is a public indoor playground designed to guarantee the right to play for all children at an affordable price. It focuses on play and care functions, enhancing public interest while limiting commercial aspects to promote coexistence with private kids cafes. The usage fee is within 3,000 KRW.
Each child is provided with at least 7㎡ of sufficient space, and childcare teachers and facility safety managers are mandatorily assigned to provide professional and safe play and care services. According to a survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in December last year targeting about 2,000 caregivers of infants and elementary school students, 97.5% responded that they would like to use the kids cafe if Seoul establishes one. The top priorities for facility operation were “safety” and “cleanliness.”
Emergency and temporary care services are also provided upon request if caregivers have urgent matters. Vulnerable groups such as recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security receive free usage. Starting with the first branch in Jongno, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to sequentially open the second and third branches in Jungnang and Dongjak in July. Including 19 pilot installation sites in the first phase, a total of 20 locations will be established within the year.
The first “Seoul-type Kids Cafe” opening on the 27th, named “Hyemyeong Children’s Imagination Playground,” is located on the second floor of the Olympic Memorial National Living Center, covering an area of 353㎡. The target users are children aged 3 to 7 and their caregivers. It can be used without burden at a basic rate of 2,000 KRW for 2 hours (10% discount for Jongno residents, 2,000 KRW for children and caregivers), and no separate food or beverages are sold. Inside the kids cafe, there are ▲ a static play area called the “Object Playground,” ▲ a dynamic play area called the “Net Playground,” and ▲ a “Book Playground” where children can engage in book-related play programs and board games.
Upon entering, the first area encountered is the “Object Playground,” a space where children create play using various colorful objects such as threads, fabrics, and paper. The overall space is designed with partitions to give the feeling of wandering through alleys as children move around. Additionally, there is a drawing zone where children can freely draw and develop their imagination, as well as a digital play area utilizing IT and other technologies.
Passing through the Object Playground, the “Book Playground” is located inside on the left, where children can freely read books and play board games. On the right is the large tree-shaped “Net Playground,” a space that encourages natural physical development as children hang and play. There is also a separate parent community space, a medical room, and a nursing room available for caregivers. Inside the facility, childcare teachers with certification and facility safety managers are assigned to provide professional and safe play and care services.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has prepared BI design guidelines for the “Seoul-type Kids Cafe” to be widely used for facility signage and project promotion. The BI design of the Seoul-type Kids Cafe embodies an image of “comfortable protection so children can play safely and joyfully.” Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, “In these days when environmental restrictions such as fine dust and COVID-19 increasingly limit children’s play, we hope the Seoul-type Kids Cafe will become a space where children can run and play freely. After this year’s pilot installation and operation, we will continuously expand the facilities considering demand from autonomous districts and local conditions to create a child-friendly city Seoul where children’s right to play is guaranteed.”
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