A Wonderful Place to Visit in May: A Review of Seoul Children's Grand Park’s Maple Leaf Playground No. 3! #어린이놀권리
나마카
Hello! This is Picker Namaka.
It’s already May! As Korea’s Family Month, May brings holidays like Children’s Day and Parents’ Day, and it’s also the perfect season to head out somewhere with the family. So if you’re looking for great places to visit in May, I’d love to introduce a spot that’s just right!
It’s the newly opened Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 at Seoul Children’s Grand Park. This space was created by MapleStory and Nexon to help promote children’s right to play, and as soon as I heard about it, I went to see it for myself.
So now, let me share my review of visiting Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 at Seoul Children’s Grand Park :D
A great place to visit in May,
Introducing Maple Leaf Playground
Maple Leaf Playground is a social contribution project in which MapleStory and Nexon remodel public playgrounds to help promote children’s right to play. Following locations in Seongnam and Uijeongbu, the third site has now opened at Seoul Children’s Grand Park.
In fact, the average daily playtime for children in Korea is just 1 hour and 32 minutes, far below the OECD average of 2 hours and 30 minutes, placing it at the very bottom. That makes this project especially meaningful, since it creates spaces where children can run and play freely. With its convenient location inside Seoul Children’s Grand Park, it was also easy to visit in person :)
Seoul Children’s Grand Park
Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 Review!
Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 is a large-scale playground covering about 750 pyeong. It was designed with active input from the “Maple Leaf Hero Squad,” a group made up of children, and what makes it special is that it’s filled with the things kids truly want.
It’s easy to get there by public transportation, and park admission is free, so it’s easy to stop by without any 부담!
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As I got close to the playground, I could hear MapleStory BGM playing, and as someone who really loves Maple, it was such a welcome touch ㅎㅎ
The play area is made up of three different worlds themed around MapleStory characters, with each space divided by recommended age group.
01. Orange Mushroom World
This area features trampolines and Orange Mushroom stepping stones. I tried the trampoline myself, and the springy bounce made me feel like I’d turned into a hopping Orange Mushroom(?)! The kids were having an amazing time running and jumping too :)
02. Spirit of Rock World
This area includes arch crossings, a net play structure, a shaking bridge, Spirit of Rock mounds, a mounding tunnel & climbing zone, and swings. The colors are beautiful, and it really captures the feel of the Arcana forest, which made it even more enjoyable for me as a Maple user!
What impressed me most was the Everyone’s Swing. It was my first time seeing such a wide variety of swings, and the one on the far left is a barrier-free swing designed so all children can enjoy it together, which made it feel even more meaningful.
03. Pink Bean World
This area is packed with fun features, including all kinds of slides, stepping stones, and a heart-catching play feature!
It looked quite tall even from the ground, and watching the kids ride it so fearlessly and happily really reminded me once again how fearless children can be ㅋㅋㅋ The Pink Bean structure at the very top of the playground was also incredibly cute ㅎㅎ
04. Maple Leaf Rest Area
At the center of the playground, there’s a shaded bench area called the Maple Leaf Rest Area, where guardians can relax comfortably while the children run around and play!
There’s also a sand play area for children. Nearby, there’s a separate place where they can wash the sand off their hands and feet, so they can play freely without you having to worry about cleanup afterward :)
Maple Leaf Playground No. 3,
Why I recommend it as a great place to visit in May
After visiting in person, I really felt that this is a perfect place to visit in May!
Since it’s located inside Seoul Children’s Grand Park, there’s plenty to enjoy, including the zoo, rides, and walking paths, making it a wonderful destination for a full day out. On top of that, while the kids enjoy the playground, guardians can relax comfortably at the Maple Leaf Rest Area!
I’d often felt a little disappointed seeing fewer children at neighborhood playgrounds, but even though it was just before the rain started, there were so many kids here running around and having a wonderful time. It made me feel like I’d stepped back into childhood for the first time in a while, which made the visit even more special. More than anything, it left me hoping to see Maple Leaf Playground created in even more places for years to come!
That wraps up my review of visiting Maple Leaf Playground No. 3 at Seoul Children’s Grand Park!
If you’re looking for somewhere to visit in May ahead of Children’s Day, why not stop by Maple Leaf Playground No. 3? Admission is free, there’s plenty to enjoy nearby, and since it’s a playground created with direct input from children, I think kids will enjoy it even more.
That’s all for this post!
This was Picker Namaka. Thank you :-)
