- Great response for nature-infused physical and arts convergence play alongside experience programs from six professional organizations

The Chungnam Culture and Tourism Foundation announced that it successfully held the 2026 Early Childhood Arts Education Value Expansion Festival, "Wiggle-Wiggle, Art through Play" on October 15 on the lawn between the Chungcheongnam-do Office of Education and the Provincial Police Agency, alongside six participating organizations for early childhood arts education.

Prepared to enhance the artistic sensibility of children aged 3 to 5 in the province by offering diverse cultural and arts education experiences—including physical play utilizing nature—and to establish a new model for early childhood arts education in Chungnam, this event was realized through close cooperation with the Early Childhood and Compulsory Education Integration Promotion Task Force of the Chungcheongnam-do Office of Education.

Around 200 children from 11 early childhood education and childcare institutions—including Chorong Daycare Center, Sinpyeong Daycare Center, Kkomadaejang Daycare Center, Seobu Elementary School Attached Kindergarten, Galsan Elementary School Attached Kindergarten, Guhang Elementary School Attached Kindergarten, Yeil Daycare Center, Hongju Elementary School Attached Kindergarten, Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Office Daycare Center, Chungnam Provincial Police Agency Daycare Center, and Chungcheongnam-do Office of Education Daycare Center—turned the open lawn into a playground, running and rolling around to spend a meaningful time "playing with art and making art through play."

The festival was conducted in a format combining nature-friendly physical play zones prepared by the play education community "Gomusin School"—such as fragile bridges, spiderweb crossings, balance blocks, walking stilts, soap bubbles, and maze walls—with arts experience programs organized by the six professional organizations participating in the 2026 Chungnam Culture and Tourism Foundation Early Childhood Arts Education Project.

The participating organizations and their programs consisted of:

Baekje Dance Company with "Dancing Yut Nori"
Gongju Culture and Tourism Foundation with "Thank You, Me, You, Us"
Forest On with "Protect the Jinmyosu"
Korea Folk Drama Museum with "Eulssu, Our Traditional Mask"
Korea Arts Education Research Association with "Gungnamji Fantasy Expedition: Finding the Lotus Flower"
Heritage Mind Company with "Joseon Dynasty Hot Spot! Tong-i Tong-i Marketplace"
Together, they delivered a unique experience where nature and art harmonized for the participating young children.

Han Eun-hee, Supervisor at the Early Childhood and Compulsory Education Integration Promotion Task Force of the Chungnam Office of Education, stated, "Seeing the children enjoy diverse art experience programs in nature made me truly realize the values of coexistence and harmony that integration aims for. We will continue to strengthen cooperation between the office of education, the foundation, and early childhood education and childcare institutions to build an environment where all young children in the province can enjoy excellent cultural and arts education benefits without discrimination."

Lee Ji-won, Head of the Arts Promotion Division at the Chungnam Culture and Tourism Foundation, remarked, "It is deeply meaningful that early childhood education and childcare institutions in the province, cultural and arts education professional organizations, and the Chungcheongnam-do Office of Education joined forces to gift these precious artistic experiences. We will continue to expand collaboration with local kindergartens and daycare centers to provide ongoing support so children can joyfully experience culture and arts in their daily lives."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]