Goseong-gun, "Come Visit the Toy Library"

Our Family's Happy Play Space

Located in the Goseong-gun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, the Goseong-gun Toy Library is fostering a childcare culture where the local community raises children together by sharing childcare information in a happy parenting environment for both children and parents.

In May, Goseong-gun was selected for Gyeongsangnam-do’s “Hub-type Toy Library Policy Activation” public contest project, investing a total of 80 million KRW in project funds. Since August, the toy library has expanded from a toy rental service to a space that operates various programs for local residents and is promoting specialized projects such as toy rentals for seniors.

Our Family's Happy Play Space, Goseong-gun Toy Library.

This contest brings Goseong one step closer to becoming a “Good Place to Have and Raise Children.” By revitalizing the Goseong-gun Toy Library, it aims to create a child-friendly environment that reduces the economic burden on caregivers and activates a sharing culture through play spaces using toys. Various programs for children and seniors are being operated, and starting in October, the “Moms Hug Studio,” tailored to caregivers’ perspectives, will be additionally operated.

The toy library alleviates the economic burden on caregivers for purchasing toys, books, and childcare products. It operates a “Mom’s Comfortable Playground” for members, where toys and books suitable for infants’ developmental stages by month and age can be rented and enjoyed in a play space.

Additionally, since July, a small-scale toy delivery service has been implemented to accommodate users from 13 remote townships who find it difficult to visit the toy library, receiving great responses.

In collaboration with the Goseong-gun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, a safe playground for children has been created, and an imaginative playground where families can visit and enjoy together is planned and conducted quarterly. In August, a parent education program titled “How to Discipline Without Getting Angry” was held in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare at Changshin University.

Going forward, monthly events based on themes from various departments of Changshin University will be planned to provide high-quality caregiver education programs that not only users but also local residents can enjoy and participate in.

For infants and caregivers in Goseong-gun, the “TOY STORY” program is operated as a parent-child interaction support project, including performance art, infant ballet, art English, reading coaching, and play coaching programs.

Experiential learning according to infants’ developmental stages is continuously promoted to broaden their exposure to cultural education and support the formation of healthy relationships with caregivers.

As part of revitalizing the toy library and contributing to the community, the project “Senior Citizens’ Toy Land” is underway to transform the space used by infants and caregivers into one accessible to seniors as well. This project involves purchasing and renting cognitive activity teaching aids that help seniors improve their perceptual functions.

Starting in October, the “Moms Hug Studio” project will provide a party room that can be used for infants’ birthdays and anniversaries, as well as a self-studio space for taking growth photos at 50 and 100 days.

Moving beyond a simple toy rental and program participation toy library, it will be developed into a space where parents and children can create memories, operated by reservation.

Kim Hyun-joo, Director of the Education and Youth Division, said, “Since the selected hub-type toy library policy activation project will be supported for five years from 2023 to 2027, we will secure the public nature of care through operating various programs suitable for a happy play space for infants and caregivers. We plan to operate it as an open space linked with local resources and for various groups such as seniors and local residents.”