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This is Nexon Picker Peacetime.

May 5 is Children’s Day!

It’s a public holiday meant for children to play to their hearts’ content.

There are plenty of kids who want to play, but not nearly as many who actually get the chance.

South Korea, in particular, has one of the lowest levels of playtime among OECD countries.

Have you heard of the Maple Leaf Playground?

It’s a social contribution project led by Nexon MapleStory and the Nexon Foundation.

The project helps children build imagination and stay healthy by giving them safe, enjoyable places to run and play,

either by remodeling aging public playgrounds or building brand-new ones.

Following openings in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do in December 2024 and Uijeongbu in April 2025,

Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 officially opened at Seoul Children’s Grand Park on April 18.

As a Nexon Picker, this was not the kind of news I could just pass by.

To bring you a vivid first-hand visit report,

I rushed over after a 4-hour train ride and another hour on the subway.

Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 Location and Visit Report

Here’s the map location for Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 inside Seoul Children’s Grand Park.

It’s near the center of the park, so it isn’t especially hard to find,

but I’ll also share a few tips I picked up while visiting.

I entered from the east side of the map, through the rear gate.

The route is basically one straight path, so it was easy enough to follow.

It was around 6 o’clock, but with spring here and the days getting longer,

the sun was still out nice and bright when I arrived.

There are signs posted throughout Children’s Grand Park to help guide visitors.

The direction to Maple Leaf Playground was marked too.

Along the way, I spotted a mushroom house in a construction area,

and when you think of mushrooms, that’s basically a MapleStory icon, right?

For a moment I thought, wait, is this the Maple Leaf Playground..? Of course, it wasn’t.

It was Mushroom Village, so yes, mushrooms—but not the playground.

Keep heading straight and you’ll come to Octagonal Hall.

There’s also a kids cafe here, so it’s another nice play spot for children.

Our destination, though—the Maple Leaf Playground—is a little farther on.

As you stroll along the path,

you finally spot the Maple Leaf Playground.

This is Maple Leaf Playground No. 3!

It had only been open for a week, but word had clearly gotten around,

because plenty of families were already there enjoying it.

Taking a Look Around Maple Leaf Playground No. 3

First up is the Photo Zone in Orange Mushroom World.

Stone Spirit, Pink Bean, and Orange Mushroom are gathered here for a perfect photo spot.

Pretty much everyone who visited stopped to take pictures, so I barely managed to snap one myself.

Maybe because they’re such iconic MapleStory monsters,

a lot of people seemed to notice them while passing by and stop in on the spot.

Kids are drawn in by the cute designs,

and adults by their Maple memories—it really had that irresistible charm.

Each section of the playground has signs like this with descriptions and safety guidelines.

Playing is important, of course, but safety matters most,

so guardians should be sure to read them.

Orange Mushroom World is for ages 3 to 9.

This is the Orange Mushroom Stepping Bridge.

Kids can enjoy crossing it safely, one step at a time.

It wasn’t the most popular feature, though, because there was a real hot spot right next to it.

That would be the trampoline.

Several small trampolines are set up here,

and the kids were bouncing away with huge smiles.

A few older kids were jumping around too, and I did briefly consider giving it a try,

but this playground is for children! So I left it to the kids.

Next is Stone Spirit World.

The age range here is 3 to 12, so it works well for slightly older kids too.

This area includes the Stone Spirit Mounding Maze Play Area,

which makes it a great little hideout-style spot for kids to enjoy.

There are also swings, but the children were having so much fun on them that I couldn’t get a photo.

If another child is waiting, please teach them to share by getting off after 20 swings!

And for reference, the far-left one is a barrier-free swing that anyone can use.

There was a sand play area in the middle, and I wondered what it was at first,

but it turns out this is the Maple Leaf Rest Area.

There’s also a shade canopy, which makes it a good place for guardians to cool off,

so this is a nice spot to enjoy sand play together with the kids.

Lastly, this is Pink Bean World.

You could call it the landmark of Maple Leaf Playground No. 3,

and with an age range of 5 to 12, it’s aimed at the oldest group here.

This area is filled with a variety of Pink Bean-themed play equipment.

Slides, rings, a net rest area, a double slide, and more—

if I were a kid, I would have run straight in.

Honestly, it still looked like a lot of fun even now,

but for the sake of children’s right to play, I held myself back.

Adults have their dignity too, after all.

Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 also has some especially interesting details.

There are all kinds of play features throughout the site,

and, interestingly, there are also example ways to play that were created together

with the children who participated in designing the playground.

They say people are creatures of creativity.

In a playground made together with children,

it feels only fitting to imagine new ways to play alongside them too.

For reference, there’s also a convenience store right next to the playground,

so it’s a handy place to grab a bite or take a short break if you get hungry.

If you ever get the chance to visit Seoul Children’s Grand Park, be sure to stop by!

Especially if you’re visiting with kids, this really feels like a must-visit spot.

This has been Nexon Picker, Peacetime.