Hi! If you’re reading this and you are an expat parent, then hats off to you! Living abroad is a huge adventure under any circumstances, and doing it with young children can be… daunting, to say the least. It’s a lot to figure out! Navigating all of the cultural differences, let alone actual navigation in a massive city, and so much more.
I lived in Seoul for 3+ years with my two little guys, and we explored TONS.
I’ve already shared 35 great children’s activities in Seoul but this list is different! I have lots of specific tips to share, so buckle up your seatbelt!
Unless you are on a Seoul subway, or bus… in which case… just hang on tight. 😉
1. Many public spaces with children require you to take off your shoes at the door.
Once you take off your shoes, you can be ready to either wear:
- Just your socks
- OR Mandatory slippers
There are usually cubbies like the ones pictured to put your shoes inside.
These were special slippers intended to wear to the bathroom at our local children’s library. I’d recommend wearing great socks when you go out & about, as they will likely be seen most days!
2. Watch out for field trips and kindergarten groups!
You’ll find these hoards of children in matching outfits (often full uniforms, or brightly colored t-shirts). Playgrounds are typically pretty empty all day until kids get home from school activities 4:30/5 pm. You may find a grandma or two with a young toddler. BUT! That’s all with the exception of these swarms of children that come in and take over museums and play structures.
This isn’t really any different than any other country, but I think the stark difference of empty to BUSY made it feel like roulette some mornings. What are we gonna find at this park?? No one or EVERYONE!!?? So I guess the tip is… keep a close eye on your kids, it’s easy to lose track of them in large groups like these!
3. Take advantage of the Children’s Folk Museum & playground within Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace is one of the top tourist attractions in Seoul, South Korea for a reason. It’s gorgeous, dripping in Korean history, and very affordable to visit. You can wander for hours inside the palace walls!
When family and friends come to visit you, they’ll likely want to explore this site. Having some kid-friendly stops in your back pocket will make everyone in the family last longer, and leave happier.
4. Everything is closed Mondays
Seriously lots of things. Many national sites and museums, and some private ones as well. Check like crazy before you head out on an adventure.
ALSO, many grocery stores are closed for two Sundays of every month. Just… check calendars like it’s your hobby.
5. The subway is clean, safe, amazing… and your kids will love riding it.
All of my tips for riding with young children can be found below!!
6. Find a children’s English library!!!!
This is assuming you are an English-speaking expat. Which is based only on the fact that you are reading this blog which happens to be … in English. I was very lucky that my native language of English is rather widespread within Seoul, and that these resources were available to us. It would be much harder if we spoke another language primarily at home.
This website has a great list of children’s libraries in Seoul.
I thank my lucky stars that a friend lived in Jamsil before we did and gave me this tip because the Songpa English Library is a little bit hidden, past the Jamsillaru station, on a bridge and up some stairs! I don’t think I would’ve stumbled upon it for awhile.
Cheongpa English Library for Children: 35-20 Cheongpa-dong-2ga , Yongsan-gu, Seoul , Seoul, KOREA
Songpa English Library for Children: 14 Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. , Seoul, KOREA
Yongdu Public English Library for Children: 133 Muhak-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. , Seoul, KOREA
We were able to use our ARC’s and some personal information to get a library card here. You can only check out 5 books at a time, and you had to be pretty silent inside (which was difficult with my littles)…but this was still life-changing for me! A library full of English children’s books…with a very decent selection…SO happy!!!
7. Buy children’s books (in English!) from my very favorite bookstore:
There’s a fabulous bookstore by Jamsillaru station. Many books are used but many are new. There are several rows that are specifically English children’s books (you can ask the employees to point out which aisles have English children’s books). I was positively giddy the day I discovered it.
The best part? You can find books in excellent condition, and all of them are extremely reasonably priced. I’d pay 1500-4000 won per book usually.
Seoul Bookbogo bookstore
14, Shincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Seoul, KOREA
Side note: some scenes of Hotel Del Luna were filmed here!
8. Keep an eye out for the stroller-friendly buses:
Watch out for ones with the handicap logo on the front and side, if you have a stroller. These don’t have the steep narrow steps to enter and exit! It makes a huge difference.
9. Take your kids to the RIGHT ZOO:
You’re going to be tempted to take them to the small zoo at Children’s Grand Park up in Seoul. I know you are. Because it’s free, and it’s within the beautiful mega park with fabulous playgrounds. BUT LISTEN. The animals there are so sad. It’s well worth the trip out to Seoul Grand Park Zoo (I know…that sounds so similar but it’s down south and they are totally different situations).
This zoo is very reasonably priced, the animals’ living conditions are immensely better, the grounds are gorgeous, and the playground is amazing. GO GO GO!
10. Cool off for free during the hot summer months!
- Seoul Children’s Grand Park manmade water creek
- Seoul Forest jumping fountains
- Yeouido Hangang River water park
My little guys LOVED all three of these water play areas, and happily stayed for hours. Do check their websites for up to date hours and dates to make sure they are up & running. Even if it’s early June and hot outside, they may not turn on fountains until closer to July.
11. Purchase an annual membership!
Get the most bang for your buck with a family annual membership somewhere! It’s so much more enjoyable to have short and frequent visits with babies and toddlers versus a marathon day just once or twice.
After lots of research, Seoul Children’s Museum (official website here) and Coex Aquarium (official website here) were the two I found most valuable, and was happy to have purchased.
12. Scooter or bike at Olympic Park!
Put those wheels to good use at Olympic Park! It’s blocked off from the street and a large open area (easy to keep an eye on your kids!) You can catch a glimpse of Lotte tower in the background- the tallest building in South Korea!
13. Don’t overpay for a kids cafe!
Did you know that many large marts (HomePlus, Emart) have kids cafes?? You can ask if a large mart near you has a kids area! The one at our HomePlus was small (located on the 3rd or 4th floor in Jamsil FYI), but had a huge selection of toys and activities. It was 7000 won for one hour (versus 15000+ at many other kids cafes!). If you want the big exciting equipment, those higher price tags may be worth it… but if you’re just trying to get through a rainy afternoon, a small local kids cafes may be a great option.
14. Celebrate & decorate for (major to you but minor to Korea) holidays!
It’s fantastic to lean into Korean culture while living abroad. But it’s also nice to share your personal traditions with your kids too.
We found Halloween decor at Daiso, Easter candy at Costco, and Christmas everything at Flying Tiger Copenhagen, Daiso, and Coupang.
16. Take advantage of Coupang rocket shipping!
If you have a Korean credit card you can sign up for Coupang (which… I am assuming you already know if you have been living in Korea for a decent amount of time). It’s sort of the Amazon of Korea…a huge online shopping company.
We didn’t usually buy our produce with rocket shipping, but many people do! I did however love it for diapers, wipes, huge bags of rice, and other heavy items that were a pain to get home from the grocery stores.
15. Broaden your toddlers’ little taste buds with kid kimchi!
It’s yellow instead of red, less spicy, and found in grocery store aisles. Super cute!
16. Sign your kid up for a local exercise class
Local marts are also a great place to sign up for adult or children’s exercise classes! The large strip malls near subway stations often have tae kwon do classes- look at the map directory on the main floor, or ask around. We found a teuni teuni class for toddlers through our local HomePlus… it was overpriced but I am so glad we did it.
I also found indoor gym classes, & an indoor soccer program that was willing to accept my son, despite our lack of language skills. I was so grateful to the teacher that accepted and taught him (with lots of hand motions haha). I loved these interactions my kid had with other kids from our neighborhood!
17. Banana milk is the toddler drink of choice for young Koreans.
If you want to introduce your little one to a food that is very Korean but also very palatable to young kiddos…go to a convenience store and buy some banana milk! “ba-na-na oo-yoo” 🙂
18. Ask for “bap” (plain rice) for your kiddos at restaurants.
When eating out, servers would often bring plain white rice for my toddler, sometimes mixed with dried seaweed and rolled into bite-size balls.
As far as ordering with littles in mind: rice cakes, dumplings, and noodles are other safe bets.
19. You can buy American (Gerber) baby food in most large Lotte Mart grocery stores.
20. Take advantage of mother’s rooms when in public!
There are clean and frequent mother’s rooms throughout Seoul! All of the large malls, shopping marts, and subway stations have private areas dedicated just to mothers with babies & littles.
21. Sit in the pregnant seat or the seats designated for elderly/injured/those caring for little children when riding the subway!
22. Let your kids pick out the Korean convenience store snacks!
I wish I’d done this more! I tried to keep us on our regular food schedule but looking back, I think we could have really enjoyed all of the snacks more often! There are tons of shrimp-flavored & banana-flavored chips and crunchy snacks that are very popular amongst Korean kids.
23. Let your little ones wander around the huge old planes, tanks & ships at the National War Memorial!
There’s a full morning full of activities at the National War Memorial without ever paying a dime! If you head around to the back/right hand side of the building you’ll find the outdoor display of all the airplanes and more. My boys LOVED this place and never got tired of a visit here.
There’s also a playground and smaller, but well-done Children’s Museum if you keep walking back that way!
24. Learn some important Korean words!
Chances are you know how to say “hello” & “thank you” already… but here are the other two phrases I used a lot!
“Mianhaeyo” (mee-ahn-hay-oh) = I’m sorry
“Jamsimanyo” (jam-shee-man-yo) = excuse me * great for trying to maneuver with your stroller etc.!
25. Babywear when possible!
Stairs are everywhere in Seoul, and babywearing is much easier than folding a stroller up if you’re traveling by bus, especially. Koreans will be grateful you are taking up the least amount of space as possible, too.
What else would you add to this list??
