Guro-gu's first park-based kids cafe opens Tuesday, welcoming children ages 4 to 9 with three weekday sessions and four on weekends
Guro-gu will open its fourth Seoul-type kids cafe at Cheonwang Neighborhood Park, with an inauguration ceremony set for Tuesday.
The Seoul-Type Kids Cafe Cheonwang Neighborhood Park branch is Guro-gu's first park-based indoor playground, designed to let children play regardless of weather. The addition brings the total number of Seoul-type kids cafes in the district to four, joining existing locations in Gaebong 1-dong, Guro 4-dong and Sindorim-dong.
The district invested a total of 1.99 billion won ($1.49 million) — comprising special grants of 1.899 billion won and 100 million won in district funds — to build the single-story facility at 276 Cheonwang-dong, with a total floor area of about 295 square meters. The roughly 190-square-meter play area features net tunnels, cylinder-climbing structures and other play equipment, along with a nursing room and restrooms.
The facility is open to children ages 4 to 9 who live in Seoul or whose daily life is centered in the city. Unlike other Seoul-type kids cafes in Guro-gu, it also accommodates lower-grade elementary school students.
On weekdays, the cafe operates three sessions from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; on weekends, four sessions run from 9:10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The facility is closed on Mondays. During a temporary operating period from Wednesday through Nov. 25, weekday hours will be reduced to two sessions from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and weekend sessions will run three times from 9:10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is 2,000 won per child and 1,000 won per guardian, with an additional 2,000 won charged for the supervised play-care service.
Reservations can be made through the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Woori Dongne Kium Portal. Bookings for the following week open every Tuesday at 9 a.m.; users select their preferred date and session.
The inauguration ceremony on Tuesday at 3 p.m. will include a celebratory performance by a children's singer, a ribbon-cutting and a tour of the facility. Children will also be able to take part in a hands-on mood-light decorating activity.
Guro-gu District Mayor Jang In-hong said he hopes the Cheonwang Neighborhood Park branch will become a convenient play space for children and their guardians, adding that the district will continue to operate safe and comfortable public play facilities.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
