Making the Time to Choose a Book Feel Like Play... Youngpoong Bookstore Revamps Children's Play Reading Space 'Wonderium' at Bundang Seohyeon Branch

Youngpoong Bookstore announced the makeover of 'Wonderium,' its children's play reading space at the Bundang Seohyeon branch. Wonderium at the Bundang Seohyeon branch made its debut in March, and Youngpoong Bookstore has refined the space and content based on about 6 months of operating experience.

This overhaul focuses on expanding programs that let children experience play, reading, and creative activities at the same time. Through this makeover, Youngpoong Bookstore further strengthened the brand direction of helping children discover their interests through educational play materials and carry those interests into reading and creation.

'Wonderium' is Youngpoong Bookstore's children-focused brand that connects hands-on play with educational play materials to discovering interests and then to books and creative activities. Youngpoong Bookstore adopted the slogan 'A playground for learning with your hands,' which reflects the idea of expanding a child's book-selection experience into play, conversation, and creation.

Youngpoong Bookstore's children's book MD and the children's art specialist organization 'Artful Lab' jointly took part in planning the renewal. Based on that, the company strengthened the experiential space where educational play materials and related books can be explored together.

In the spatial layout, it introduced a 'Mensa Zone' centered on 'Mensa Select' board games. It also operates the 'Wonderium Calendar,' which connects anniversaries with questions and reading.

On the content side, it strengthened content centered on art activities twice a week. Through this makeover, Youngpoong Bookstore improved the overall space and programs at Wonderium in the Bundang Seohyeon branch.

Youngpoong Bookstore changed the placement of educational play materials at Wonderium in the Bundang Seohyeon branch so that, except for the inside of the display cabinets, they are placed where children can easily reach them. Educational play materials for children were selected according to criteria that take age-specific developmental stages into account, and children can directly touch and experience the selected items. The Wonderium space is designed to be used like a playground, and related books are displayed around each educational play material so that curiosity sparked during play leads to reading experiences.

In this process, guardians can observe which educational play materials children linger with and what catches their interest. Based on that, guardians can choose educational play materials and books that suit each child's preferences.

This renewal also introduced the Wonderium Calendar. The Wonderium Calendar is designed to present new anniversaries, questions, and recommended books each month. In addition to widely known anniversaries, it includes days worth reflecting on and special days planned by Wonderium to encourage new perspectives on children's emotions, daily lives, and surroundings.

At the offline Wonderium, a 'Fruit Tree' has been set up next to the calendar. It is designed so that children can take part each time they visit, and it operates by having them leave answers to the calendar questions.

It progresses by filling in the fruit based on the answers. Through this, a single topic is linked to questions, reading, conversation, and expression activities.

An Artful Lab operating space has also been created inside Wonderium. Artful Lab is a children's art specialist organization that runs regular classes and supports children in expressing the thoughts and feelings they gain from reading through art, by combining books and art.

Online, Youngpoong Bookstore's online mall runs a monthly 'Art Mission' event. Participants can download one of the art mission sheets released each month, complete the activity, and then upload a photo of the finished work and a brief review to the event page. Youngpoong Bookstore selects 20 participants each month and provides them with Youngpoong Bookstore rewards points worth KRW 2,000.

Youngpoong Bookstore said it plans to develop Wonderium into a children-focused brand where children and guardians can play and read together while building their own identities. The company said it will start at the Bundang Seohyeon branch and expand Wonderium spaces and content to major flagship stores in the future.

Lee Ji-yeon, head of Youngpoong Bookstore's merchandise team, said the company has continued expanding experiences for young readers. Youngpoong Bookstore has operated the 'Youngpoong Math Festival' at its Jonggak-Jongno Main Branch, held picture book exhibitions and author meet-and-greets at the Dongtan branch, and supported children's book publishing through the 'Little Writer Project.' Lee described Wonderium as a space that continues this broader effort to expand programs for children and said its goal is to become a place where children and guardians can discover good books and play together, while hoping it will become a space people want to return to anytime.

Source: TECHWORLD · Lee Gwang-jae
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=407555

References

• https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=407555