4 free and easy ideas to Seoul for young families

Finally, finally, finally got my big fat butt moving on sharing about our trip to Seoul last year.
After almost 6 months!

I think while we were confident of bringing the kids abroad, we were also full of apprehensions,
particularly for this trip because, it was a 7-hour  flight and we were unsure whether we could entertain
the new baby well enough.

#LittleC was only 8 months then, about the same age when #FighterJ started his “world travels”.

Fitting in snugly in the bassinet at 8 months old. 

While we didn’t plan for any snow activities, which on hindsight we should have, the weather in November was cold. We didn’t know if she was able to manage, because we as adults struggled a little.

More challenges (minor ones lah) along the way such as not following the itinerary I painstakingly planned. We had a mini a accident involving #LittleC falling off the bed  and a few parenting moments with the firstborn.

Nonetheless,  it was an enjoyable time spent exclusively with the kids. So, cutting to the chase, here’s some of the places I would recommend if you just want to enjoy the cold, away from our hot and humid island city as well as explore the sights and sounds of a new city.

Here goes!

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Dongdaemum Toy and Stationery Street

A must go for those with kids! We were there on 2 different mornings, and spent pretty much spent our
time just browsing through all the toys and stationery they have on the street. Bought a couple of
interesting toys only available in Korea and also some stationery to prep for the (then) soon-to-be
primary school-goer.

This is outside what is probably the toy shop with the largest range of toys. And this Ninja Turtle is the landmark. 

How to get there: 

The Dongdaemun Toy Street is located in between 2 subway stations. So, get out at exit 4 from Dongdaemun Station or exit 6 from Dongmyo Station. 

Lotte Mart and Lotte Outlet Mall at Seoul Station

One of the reasons why we chose to stay near Seoul Station is the access to a good supermarket.

The man loves supermarkets, and it is always a must to have visits to supermarket in any free and
easy itinerary. This time, I was the excited one because I read somewhere that Korean supermarket
stocks up on a huge variety of baby food. Great for my little 8-month old.

Lotteworld (but of course!)

Not always a fan of amusement parks because i hate queuing, and things are always expensive.  
But, I must say, I have been to places with longer queues and the cool weather helped make
the waiting a lot more bearable.

And, this place is huge and one day is definitely not enough if you want to properly explore
and take all the rides.

Try to take the outdoor rides first to beat the crowd before going back indoors.
And, for kids J's age, you will enjoy the natural enclosure with webs and all to climb around.

Champion1250 - iPark Mall 2

We came here by chance. We were a little exhausted with commuting and following an itinerary.
So we consulted Google and decided to just drop by the mall for some shopping (toy shopping to
be exact), and it was just a couple of train stations from where we stayed.

And as we wondered around  looking for toys, which we didn’t find many, we chanced upon this
playground that’s a little like Superpark, less crowded, less dangerous and definitely nice and clean
to spend an afternoon at. Themed around extreme sports, kids get to try their hand at some of these
sports they don't often get access to. Of course, our kid was the happiest!

*****

Accommodation: 
We got ourselves a very cozy airBnb apartment with a super nice host, across the road from Lotte Outlet, and you can view our mini airbnb tour  as well as an overview of our trip here. 

Photos from the trip are here.