Seoul Museum of History to host exhibition on evolving childcare methods
The Seoul Museum of Urban Life will host a special exhibition titled "Childcare, the Growth of a Family" from the 6th until March 28, 2027, tracing the evolution of childcare methods among Seoul citizens from liberation to the present.
The Seoul Museum of History will host "Childcare, the Growth of a Family" at the Seoul Museum of Urban Life from the 6th until March 28, 2027. Based on the 2025 Seoul Urban Life Survey Research, the exhibition traces the transition of childcare from individual family responsibility to the public domain.
An exhibition exploring how the childcare methods of Seoul citizens have changed from the period following liberation to the present day is set to open. The Seoul Museum of History will present the special exhibition "Childcare, the Growth of a Family" at the Seoul Museum of Urban Life special exhibition hall from the 6th until March 28, 2027.
The exhibition is organized based on the results of the 2025 Seoul Urban Life Survey Research "Childcare Culture of Seoul Citizens," illustrating the process by which childcare, which was once the responsibility of individual families amidst social changes, has expanded into the public domain.
The exhibition is divided into three parts. Part 1 examines the progression of public support measures—such as "Seoul-Type Childcare Centers," "Seoul-Type Kids Cafes," and the "Seoul Birth Support Project"—which have expanded following the weakening of childcare provided by extended families and neighbors due to the shift toward nuclear families, using the enactment of the Infant Care Act in 1991 as a turning point. Additionally, it captures changes in male participation in childcare through a father's childcare diary from the early 1980s and a vlog of a father's day using parental leave in 2025.
Part 2 explores changes in daily childcare methods centered on food, clothing, and shelter. Within an exhibition space designed with the apartment structures of the 1980s, the exhibition introduces family photos by era, childcare products, childcare information, and changes in infant health management. It also covers the expansion of the childcare product consumption culture, including the emergence of baby fairs in the early 2000s.
Part 3 examines changes in play and educational methods through photos of Seoul kindergartens from the 1950s to the present and a video of Hyoja Kindergarten in Nowon-gu from 2001. Alongside the evolution of play spaces across different eras, experiential spaces are provided where visitors can directly participate in activities such as Malttukbakgi, Gonggi-nori, spinning tops, and solving 1980s-style workbooks.
Admission to the exhibition is free, and viewing hours are from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The museum is closed every Monday (excluding public holidays) and on January 1.
Reporter at HANDMAKER (핸드메이커), a Korean magazine devoted to crafts and handmade culture. Covers exhibitions, design and the people who make things by hand.
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