May is Family Month, a season full of excitement for children.
Accordingly, Seoul's autonomous districts are preparing events for children and eagerly awaiting their bright smiles.
Choi Ho-gwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District Office, is enjoying the play facilities at the Children's Day event last year.
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) will hold the 2024 Children's Day Festival on the 4th in celebration of Family Month.
The festival, held at Yeongdeungpo Park, is themed "Play Well! Laugh Well! Grow Well!" and will feature various programs including performances, hands-on experiences, games, rest areas, and food zones, offering families a variety of enjoyable activities that will captivate both the eyes and taste buds of visitors.
First, the performance zone will include b-boying, beatboxing, broadcast dance, taekwondo demonstrations, and children's musicals. The district's representative choir, the Yeongdeungpo-gu Boys and Girls Choir, will also present a congratulatory performance.
In the experience zone, 20 organizations will participate with a total of 21 booths. Notably, this zone will incorporate 4th industrial revolution-related activities such as VR/AR experiences, robot soccer and robot basketball, and 3D pen workshops to inspire children to dream of becoming future scientists. Additionally, there will be various craft activities like balloon art and eco-bag decorating, traditional folk games with parents, face painting, and a "Life Four-Cut" photo booth where families can capture memorable shots.
The play zone will feature air bounces, kids' riders, and mini trains staffed by professional and safety personnel, creating a safe environment for children to play freely. A separate rest zone will also be set up for families to relax comfortably.
The food zone will offer a variety of foods such as tteokbokki and fried chicken. To promote a zero-waste festival, food trucks will use reusable containers, and a 500 KRW discount will be given to those who bring their own containers. However, there is a 1,000 KRW fee to use the experience and play zones, which will be fully donated.
In case of rain on the event day, the festival may be partially or fully canceled or postponed. Detailed information will be provided through the Yeongdeungpo-gu Office website and resident notification texts.
Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, "In celebration of Family Month in May, we have prepared various programs for families to create wonderful memories together. We will continue to provide opportunities for diverse experiences so that children, the future leaders, can pursue their dreams with unwavering support."
Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) will hold the "Songpa Children's Festa" on the 4th at the Peace Plaza within Olympic Park.
The "Songpa Children's Festa" is the largest children's festival ever held in Songpa-gu, designed for the whole family to spend the day at Olympic Park enjoying sights, food, and experiences.
Especially, this year's Festa was selected for the 2024 Seoul Metropolitan Government's Private International Cultural Exchange Project, featuring diverse performances including overseas art teams.
First, the Haha Hoho Dance Challenge will invite talented children to participate naturally and boost the festival's excitement. The opening ceremony will feature performances by the district youth symphony orchestra and the district boys and girls choir, fitting for Children's Day.
Following this, there will be a magic bubble show and performances by multicultural art teams such as the Mongolian and Kazakh "Aipari Art Troupe," providing joyful memories for families.
From 3:30 PM, the main stage will host a sing-along concert musical "The Rainbow Fish," based on the bestselling book with over 30 million copies sold worldwide. At 5 PM, the "Children's Film Concert" will present theme songs from cartoons, animations, and movies performed by the Police Symphony Orchestra. Musical actors Kim Seo-young and Jo Ye-seo will close the performance by singing popular children's songs.
Additionally, various play and experience zones will be set up to delight children's senses. From 11 AM, the front of Peace Plaza will operate a play zone with air bounces, mini Viking rides, carousel swings, and road trains, as well as an experience zone offering bead crafts, eco-bag decorating, and drawing cap making.
Various foods will also be available. Passion Gukbap's army stew will be provided free to children participating in the opening ceremony and experience zones, while churros, cotton candy, and other food trucks will operate for paid sales.
The district has taken thorough safety measures to ensure all visitors enjoy the festival without accidents. Approximately 150 safety personnel, including professionals and volunteers, will be deployed throughout the venue. Given the high number of children attending, free missing child prevention wristbands will be provided, and cooperation with police, fire stations, and related safety organizations will secure children's safety.
Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, "For Children's Day, we have prepared various programs so families can enjoy a full day of fun at the open Olympic Park without traveling far. We hope many will come to enjoy lively performances and create happy memories with their children."
Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) announced on the 29th that it will hold the "1st Gangbuk-gu Children's Day Festival" on the 4th at Buk Seoul Dream Forest (173 Wolgye-ro) in celebration of the 102nd Children's Day.
The Gangbuk-gu Children's Day Festival, held for the first time this year, is an event organized to provide local children with joyful memories and will run from 10 AM to 4 PM on the 4th.
The event will offer a variety of rich and diverse attractions and activities, including hands-on programs, performances, and play facilities where children can run freely and families can enjoy together.
The opening ceremony will begin at 10 AM with a parade from the Cultural Square to Cheongundapwon. Leading the parade will be Gangbuk-gu characters "Gangbaeki" and "Haro" in mascot costumes, followed by a marching band, Pororo and friends, and about 100 children who are the event's main participants. After the parade, Korea's first children's jazz big band, the "Korea Junior Big Band," will perform the opening show.
The official event starting at 10:30 AM will include Mayor Lee Soon-hee's opening declaration and a "Wish Speaking Performance" by the Gangbuk-gu children's delegation.
From 11 AM to 4 PM, various performances will take place on a special stage set up at Cheongundapwon, including Pororo and friends' sing-along show, a children's song DJ party, tightrope walking, plate spinning experiences, and a variety magic show.
Children can enjoy rides such as Viking, rotating UFO, and mini rail trains at the Cultural Square. Nine types of attractions including air bounce slides, party rooms, and amusement parks will welcome children at Cheongundapwon.
The fee for using the play facilities is 1,000 KRW, which covers rides, air bounces, and craft experiences. Visitors can enjoy unlimited rides and activities without time restrictions after paying the fee. No prior reservation is required; visitors can come directly to the venue on the day.
A variety of experience booths for families will also operate at one side of the Cultural Square. There will be 17 booths including electric pottery wheels, hand-painting pottery pendants, rainbow butterfly making, carnation headband making, pinwheel and balloon making, and a Children's Day wish tree. Additionally, a Children's Day quiz contest and cotton candy events featuring Gangbaeki will be held.
At the entrance of the Cultural Square, a "Food Zone" filled with various treats will be available. A mobile photo zone will allow visitors to take commemorative photos with Gangbaeki, Pororo and friends, and Air Avatar characters.
Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) will hold a "Magic Balloon Show" event on the 4th at the multipurpose auditorium and plaza on the 2nd floor of the district office in celebration of the 102nd Children's Day.
This event is designed to provide children and families with a joyful and happy day by offering magic performances, various experience booths, and food trucks.
The "Magicland Magic Balloon Show" featured in this event is a Daehangno magic performance with over 50,000 cumulative viewers. It is not just a simple magic show but includes musicals, balloon performances, shadow shows, and audience participation magic, allowing both children and adults to enjoy a return to the world of childhood wonder.
The Magic Balloon Show will be held twice at the Dongdaemun-gu Office 2nd-floor auditorium, at 11 AM and 2 PM, each lasting 60 minutes. Performances are by prior online registration, but 100 additional tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis on the day for residents who did not register in advance.
Alongside the magic show, the district office plaza will operate various experience booths from 11 AM to 4 PM without prior registration, including caricature drawing, face painting, and badge making. Food trucks selling ice cream, churros, and cotton candy will also be available.
Wally, the world's smallest horse and newly appointed honorary ambassador of Dongdaemun-gu last month, will visit the event to create precious memories for children.
Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, "We hope children and families will have a joyful and happy time on this Children's Day, creating precious memories to cherish for a long time. Dongdaemun-gu will do its best to create an environment where children can grow up upright and healthy."
Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Sung-myeong) will operate a Future Playground where families can enjoy experiencing future technologies on Children's Day, the 4th, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Gangnam Future Education Center (22 Yeongdong-daero).
The Future Playground is designed for students in grades 1 to 6 of elementary school and consists of 16 programs and 6 events.
The programs will be conducted in three 90-minute sessions for 225 pre-registered students. Outdoors, students can directly control robots and drones and participate in games.
Inside the center, visitors can experience XR, VR, AR, and MR content all in one place, enjoying exciting missions and adventures in a virtual space environment. Additionally, there will be relay games with Beatdog robots, robot master's tag games, fascinating magic shows combining science and magic, and exhibitions of future technologies.
To commemorate visiting the Future Playground on Children's Day, children can create their own items such as alien keyrings, solar system UV bracelets, International Space Station (ISS) and future technology kits. Various events including AI-drawn caricatures, digital eco-friendly tattoos, and alien cotton candy are also prepared.
Jung Won-oh, the mayor of Seongdong-gu, is enjoying a pleasant time at the Seongdong-gu Children's Festival held last year.
Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will hold the Seongdong On Village Grand Festival "Wagle Wagle" on the 4th in celebration of the 102nd Children's Day, providing children with a fun and enjoyable experience.
This year's festival, marking its 14th edition, is Seongdong's representative festival where the whole family can participate, offering diverse experiences and attractions for children to enjoy enthusiastically.
At the experience zone on the north side of the plaza (near the fountain), 14 diverse booths will be operated by local child and youth organizations, offering activities such as giant carnations, polar bear felt dolls, family flowerpots, folding fans, traditional games, and global experiences with native speakers.
The play zone on the south side of the plaza, including the central road, will feature five types of air bounces, Viking rides, bumper cars, VR trucks, spinning cups, and an air dome ball pool, providing safe playground equipment where children can play energetically without going to an amusement park. Magic shows and bubble shows will also be available for entertainment.
At the Seongdong Youth Center Rainbow Theater, an awards ceremony for "Seongdong Children" will be held. Thirty children who are exemplary in family and school life will be selected based on social skills, creativity, volunteer cooperation, and other criteria, and will receive Children's Day awards.
On the event day, from 10 AM to 6 PM, the central road of Wangsimni Plaza will be fully closed to provide children with a safe and exciting opportunity to run and play freely.
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "We have prepared various enjoyable activities so that children, the future protagonists, can laugh, enjoy, and have a happy time. We hope these precious children will create valuable memories with their families at Wangsimni Plaza."
Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will hold a festival on the 5th where the whole family can enjoy Children's Day together.
For this event, the district will fully close a road section of about 550 meters from Lotte Department Store to Soonbogeum Church to create a safe and enjoyable space for children to run and play.
The seven-lane road transformed into an amusement park will have themed zones including the main stage for various performances, experience yard, lawn yard, safety yard, play yard, and bubble party zone, offering abundant sights and events.
Starting at 10:30 AM, performances will take place on the main stage in front of Lotte Department Store. The program begins with Happy Jun ENT's extreme balloon show, followed by sing-along shows featuring beloved characters such as "Carrie and Friends," "Shinbi Apartment," and "Robocar Poli," and performances by the "Dream Tree Choir & Nowon Soloist Ensemble."
For those wanting to enjoy experiences, the "Experience Yard" offers 15 unique programs prepared by local organizations, including face painting, nail art, toy chaos, play experiences, and pottery making, all at affordable fees under 3,000 KRW.
The "Lawn Yard" provides outdoor bean bags and shade tents for visitors to relax while enjoying performances or reading. Special photo zones with retro themes like "Nowon Stationery Store," Bread Barber Shop experience, moving balloon photo zones, and junk art are also set up.
The "Safety Yard" offers safety experiences tailored to children's perspectives, including trying on police uniforms, riding police motorcycles, learning fire extinguisher use, and evacuation training using lightweight partitions, in cooperation with Nowon Fire Station and Police Station.
The "Play Yard" features six types of rides including large block play, air bumper cars, mini rail trains, Viking rides, and Dinosaur Mecard air bounce rides. The district plans to install safety fences for each ride and efficiently separate pedestrian and waiting areas to prevent accidents amid expected crowds.
The "Bubble Party Zone" is a play area using soap bubbles. It will feature bubble parties inside large bubbles made with bubble machines and foam guns, bubble magic shows stimulating children's imagination and creativity, and a lively "Children's Dance Club" where kids can dance to energetic music and enjoy unique experiences.
Additionally, the Nowon Children's Theater will host medley theater performances of children's songs and animations, non-verbal outdoor performances, and famous cosplay teams will parade in Marvel hero costumes throughout the festival venue to spark children's curiosity.
Moon Heon-il, the mayor of Guro District, is delivering a greeting at the Guro District Children's Day event held last year.
Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) will hold a rich Children's Day event on the 5th at Sindorim Opera House and Sindorim Techno Neighborhood Park in celebration of the 102nd Children's Day.
This year, the event venue was changed from Gocheok Neighborhood Park to Sindorim Opera House in preparation for possible rain.
Under the theme "Let's All Have Fun Together, Guro," the event will start at 10 AM with lively pre-event performances by the Gugudan Choir, dance clubs, and cheerleading teams.
The commemorative ceremony will be held from 10:30 AM for 30 minutes, including the national anthem, introduction of guests, reading of the Children's Rights Charter, awarding of commendations to exemplary children and youth facility workers, commemorative speeches, and a Children's Day song chorus.
After the ceremony, celebratory performances such as magic and bubble shows will continue until noon.
The highlight of the day is the "Children's Essay and Drawing Contest" starting at 11 AM. The themes for each category will be announced on the day, and participants can register in advance via QR code or on-site.
The district will select a total of 65 winners, including one grand prize winner for each category, 30 for the essay contest, and 35 for the drawing contest, with an awards ceremony to follow.
From 11 AM to 5 PM, there will be many activities around the venue for the whole family to enjoy.
Starting at 1 PM, stage events will include limbo games, family jump rope, cooperative jegichagi (Korean shuttlecock kicking) survival games, family golden bell quizzes, and OX quiz contests.
The imagination yard will offer nostalgic games such as Jenga, Tuho (arrow throwing), ring toss, as well as an air bounce playground, instant photo booths, event game machines, cotton candy making, face painting, and balloon art, providing a variety of fun activities for children.
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eun-seok) will hold the "5♥5 Dobongbong Festival" on the 5th from 10 AM to 4 PM in front of Dobong-gu Office in celebration of Children's Day.
This festival is packed with programs that satisfy children's five senses, ranging from captivating performances to engaging experience booths.
The festival will open with the "Dobong Children's Character Parade," where about 400 people from 150 families of Dobong-gu daycare centers will march dressed as their favorite characters of all genres, following a military band to announce the start of the festival.
Following this, the main stage will feature the opening ceremony and celebratory performances including children's Korean dance, HIP Korean traditional music b-boy performances, and Dobong-gu Taekwondo demonstration team performances. Children's musicals, balloon art shows, puppet shows, and the "OH~ Quiz Show" will also be presented.
Behind the main stage, about 40 experience booths prepared by 23 related organizations will operate. These include one-day police officer experiences, icing cookie decorating, eco-design job experiences, woodworking, and drone experiences to stimulate children's curiosity.
The middle of the festival street will be decorated as Dobongbong Mini Land, featuring rides such as bumper cars, air bounces, Battle King, animal riders, and Super Train. Dobong-gu Office plaza will be filled with children's arcades and other entertainment.
The festival will conclude with the "OH~ Quiz Show," which includes intermittent events providing fun and laughter for the whole family.
Oh Eun-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, "I hope this festival will be a precious and unforgettable memory not only for children but for the entire family. We will do our best to ensure safety management so that children can run and enjoy freely and happily."
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