Four national museums across Seoul will be holding exhibitions and events to mark Children’s Day on May 5 and the family month of May.

This year marks the centennial of Children’s Day, established in 1922 by Bang Jeong-hwan, a children’s rights activist and a pioneering children’s literature writer.

The National Museum of Korea will hold an activity-based exhibition titled “The Child in All of Us” from Tuesday, at the Special Exhibition Gallery of the Children’s Museum. The ten activities on offer at the exhibition invite families to communicate, share gifts and engage in dialogue. An activity sheet is offered in Korean, English and Braille, to help follow the exhibition. A compact version of the exhibition is also available in virtual space via Naver’s Zepeto.

Five slots are open per day, each slot accommodating a maximum of 120 visitors. Reservations are required through the NMK website. 

Starting Thursday, the National Folk Museum of Korea will open “Children’s Day! Today the World is Ours,” a festival that centers around children’s tales and literature written by Bang. A variety of performances and games can be enjoyed through Saturday.

Each event invites 30 guests per session, and are on a first-come, first-served basis. Festival schedules are available at the museum’s official website.

In addition, the NFMK is also opening a special exhibition that delves into Bang’s career and stories, called “Today is Children’s Day” from Wednesday. Prior reservation through the NFMK Children’s Museum’s website is required. Six slots are open daily with up to 50 visitors allowed per slot.

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is holding an exhibition titled, “We Are All Children at Heart,” which runs through July 17. The exhibition presents over 300 archive materials and pictures that show historical incidents involving children over the past century from around the world.

The exhibition is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The opening hours are extended to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Meanwhile, the National Hangeul Museum will present a special exhibition titled “Singing the Colors of Children’s Hearts” from May 10 to Sept. 12. The exhibition is divided into three sections that display records of beloved children’s songs throughout Korean history. Presenting interpretations of lyrics and melodies in detail, the exhibition aims to bring back childhood memories to visitors, as they listen and sing along to their favorite childhood tunes. The museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)