“The darling buds of May,” as coined by William Shakespeare, conjures images of flowers in bloom. But in South Korea, the phrase might as well refer to children, as May is their month of celebration – not least because the 5th of the month has been celebrated as a national holiday in children’s honor since the 1970s. The 5th falls on a Sunday this year, so the holiday has been extended to May 6, offering kids even more time to enjoy Children’s Day. The country also marks May 8 as Parents’ Day, giving the month overall a reputation for family fun at theme parks, hotels, and any other attractions catering for kids.
An Everland adventure
“Everland,” Seoul resident Kay Lee insisted when asked where her two children, Viggo, 7, and Estella, 3, most wanted to go for a day out in May. “There’s some magic here that rubs off on both kids and adults. And I especially love seeing my youngest experience that for the first time.”
She recently brought her kids to Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, around an hour from her home in the capital. Lee was joined by neighborhood friend Hyeryung Osburn and her daughters, Teresa, 11, and Laura, 9.
“It was an amazing day that we will never forget,” Osburn said of her children’s Everland experience. “Our kids could run around in a lot of space and they can’t stop talking about the T Express roller coaster. Also, the safari was something we couldn’t experience when we lived in America – seeing all kinds of animals just walking and sleeping freely!”
Check out the video below to see how they got on:
Fun for the whole family
In the spirit of this month, Everland is running Family Week until May 12. The park has been transformed into “the biggest gift box in the world” for the occasion, as the whole family can participate in various events as well as enjoying street performances, parades, and a food festival.
Some of the highlights include family performances at Everland Carnival Square. Visitors will have the chance to pick out sweet candy from parade actors, pose for photos with magical characters such as fairies and bees, and even take a Polaroid home during photo shoots between May 4-6.
On Children’s Day itself, May 5, a Kids’ Open Stage will open up at Carnival Square – giving children the chance to show off their singing and dancing talents! Kids of elementary school age or younger can register on the day, or pre-apply through Everland’s homepage. There is an extra incentive because children and their families who appear on the Kids’ Open Stage will get Everland tickets, character dolls, and priority passes. Also, throughout Family Week at Carnival Square’s Giant Dart Game Zone, children will have the opportunity to win hotel tickets, car air purifiers, and Everland tickets.
Meanwhile, Everland’s Zootopia zone is presenting guests even more chances to meet adorable animals. As well as spotting giraffes, lions, and tigers, kids will be able to take part in a stamp rally event every day during Family Week. Guests can learn about wildlife, ask questions, receive special badge gifts, and enjoy distinct butterfly and reptile exhibitions – and, for something a bit different, there is a new Dinosaurs Visit Safari experience.
Walking around Everland’s large park does work up an appetite, but there are plenty of eateries serving up tasty food. In addition, the Spring on Spoon food festival will be held in the Rose Garden area until May 6, giving diners a visual feast to go with their menu of 28 colorful food items. The festival also features sweet music and a selfie event offering travel vouchers worth KRW2 million to families who take part in an Instagram contest.
Details, including Everland’s schedule and performance lineup, are available at the theme park’s homepage, while helpful tips on getting to Everland can be found here.
