Namyangju City Hosts 'Early Childhood Forest Day' Where Citizens and Policies Meet in Nature

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Um In-yong] Namyangju City held the 'Early Childhood Forest Day' on the 11th at the Byeolddongbyeol Early Childhood Forest Experience Center within Byeolnae Central Park, operating various forest experience programs with the participation of 100 families of young children and parents.

This event was planned as a policy-experience type initiative designed to allow citizens to directly experience the city's early childhood forest policies and expand their understanding and empathy toward municipal administration.

'Early Childhood Forest' is an educational space where children can freely play and experience nature in the forest. The city operates 8 early childhood forest experience centers and contributes to child development and family leisure activities through various year-round programs.

Seven experience booths, directly planned by early childhood forest guides, were operated at the event. Each booth was structured with experience-based activities that can foster independence and creativity, and added environmental educational significance through natural materials such as forsythia flowers and leaves collected on-site.

In particular, the city has directly hired 7 early childhood forest guides to ensure professional expertise in operating the programs. Through this approach, the city strengthens its own planning and operational capacity without relying on external contractors, providing stable and efficient programs.

Mayor Ju Kwang-deok personally met with young children and parents at the venue, also holding a town hall meeting to gather their opinions. During the town hall meeting, Mayor Ju and citizens had a time to communicate about the educational philosophy of early childhood forests and the direction of child policies.

Meanwhile, the city plans to continue promoting diverse forest welfare programs, including expanding ecological education centered on early childhood forest experience centers, activating family-level participation, and sharing policies with citizens.

Mayor Ju Kwang-deok stated, "The bright smiles of children playing in nature is the standard of happiness that our city pursues," and added, "We will actively promote early childhood forest policies that allow young children and parents to empathize together."