Deokbawi Agricultural Village, Kids’ Camping in Korea

In a very green, agricultural area in Chungchoengnamdo is a private camping ground designed for families with young kids. If you’re looking for an entertaining and affordable weekend escape with your littlies, then this is the place! It’s the furthest from remote, bush camping you can get. Don’t expect privacy or a peaceful place for quiet contemplation. Nope, this place is for fun, and camping in Korea with kids could not get more convenient!

We chose this spot because it’s between Seoul and Gwangju, and we were meeting our dear friends from Seoul. It would be our first time with friends since the pandemic hit in late February, and we could not wait! On Friday afternoon, we set off to find our friends had already arrived and set up our fabulous ‘living room’ area. We popped up our little tent and tarp within ten minutes and got straight to starting a fire for dinner.

The first perk of this place is that the campsites are generously spaced out, especially by Korean standards.

Entertain the Kids

The second perk is that there is plenty of kid-friendly entertainment. The kids will find playgrounds galore to keep them busy. We felt comfortable enough to let the three older girls play on their own while we set up camp and cooked dinner. Little Bubbaloo still needs closer supervision, so we kept him close. There are farm animals that roam free for parts of the day. You can buy carrot sticks from the cafe to feed the goats, rabbits, and chickens.

There’s so much green space to run around and explore. On Saturday morning, once we’d explored the playgrounds and met the animals, the staff blew up jumping castles. I wasn’t expecting that!

Tips for entertaining kids at night: declare someone’s tent the ‘playroom tent,’ even if it will be slept in later. The kids will automatically view it as the ‘fun’ tent even when it’s empty. Also, playdough! This works for under 7-year-olds. Sorry to parents of older kids, but I imagine you have better tricks up your sleeves – please share!

Keep Cool

We’re in the height of a hot and humid summer, but the staff offered us some exciting relief. In winter, there’s a toboggan slope but, on this summery Saturday, they set up sprinklers to create a water slide. Fun for all!

Later in the afternoon, they pumped K-pop and used the snow machine to spray cool mist over sweaty children – and their parents. Party time!

Food

This place couldn’t get any more convenient! There are several casual restaurants within the grounds and a cafe selling drinks, snacks, and ice-creams.

Our campsite was unbearable during the hottest parts of the day. Thankfully, shady picnic tables cost just 20,000 won to rent. It’s well worth it to spend the afternoon overlooking the playground, farm animals, and big grassy lawns. We ordered a massive pot of Ssamgyetang straight to our breezy picnic spot. It’s a garlicky ginseng chicken soup and is traditionally a summer food to revitalize you on sultry summer days.

For coffee lovers, there is a unique surprise just around the corner from the campground entrance. Ababa Coffee is connected to a coffee farm and a barista training school. They have a beautiful coffee machine set up right on the roadside, and you can make your own coffee for 2,000won – self serve!

Location

Deokbawi Agricultural Village is 20mins from Nonsan, an hour from Daejon, less than 2 hours from Gwangju and 3.5 hours from Seoul.

Looking for more friendly camping spots to try with kids in Korea? We’ve enjoyed Wolchulsan for mountain walks and and Yulpo or Gosapo for beach camping.