2026 Summer K-Playground

Three Days of Playing, Sharing, and Connecting

For three summer days in August, TampereKSI became a small playground for Korean culture. From traditional games and Korean food to K-pop dance and crafts, the 2026 Summer K-Playground invited participants to experience different sides of Korean culture. The programme was designed and led by our visiting Korean students, who shared their knowledge, creativity, and enthusiasm throughout the three days. Through the activities they planned and guided, participants had the opportunity to experience Korean culture in ways that are often difficult to capture through a textbook or screen.

Day 1: Squid Game Challenges

K-Playground began with plenty of energy. Inspired by the global popularity of Squid Game, our first day introduced participants to traditional Korean games through a series of playful challenges. Participants made dalgona candy and tried their hand at ttakji, jegichagi, and gonggi.

Some games required concentration, some a surprising amount of skill, and others simply gave us a good reason to laugh. There is something about playing together that makes introductions easier. You might arrive not knowing the person standing next to you, but after cheering each other on, comparing your dalgona results, or struggling through the same challenge, starting a conversation feels much more natural.

We ended the day with a team competition, and by then, the room was filled with cheering, laughter, and a little friendly rivalry. It was a lively beginning to our three days together.

Day 2: K-Food & K-Desserts

If Day 1 helped us break the ice, Day 2 gave us time to slow down and get to know one another. Participants made hotteok and gimbap and even tried BTS Jungkook’s makguksu recipe. Cooking together has its own way of bringing people closer. We started with gimbap. The tables filled with sheets of gim, rice, and colorful ingredients as we learned how to arrange everything, roll it tightly, and slice it into those familiar bite-sized pieces. Some rolls came out picture-perfect, while others needed a little help, but that was part of the fun. For something a little different, we also tried BTS Jungkook’s makguksu recipe. Mixing the sauce, preparing the noodles, and tasting the final result brought a more contemporary side of Korean food culture into the kitchen. Next came hotteok, a popular Korean street snack filled with a sweet mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. From preparing the dough and adding the filling to carefully flattening each piece in the pan, everyone got to experience the process from start to finish and, of course, enjoy them while they were still warm.

Day 3: K-Pop Dance & K-Crafts

We had played together. We had cooked and eaten together. And now it was time to dance and create. For our K-pop dance session, participants learned trending choreography. As anyone who has tried following a K-pop dance knows, the moves are not always as easy as they look. We watched, tried, missed a few steps, laughed, and tried again. And once everyone had practiced enough, we turned on the camera and filmed the challenge.

Meanwhile, the craft tables offered a quieter kind of experience. Participants created norigae, bokjumeoni lanterns, and mother-of-pearl keyrings, discovering traditional Korean motifs and materials while making something of their own to take home.

Culture can be introduced through books, exhibitions, videos, and classes. But sometimes, one of the most memorable ways to encounter another culture is simply to do something together. For three days, K-Playground gave us a place to do exactly that. A heartfelt thank you to the Korean students who shared their time, culture, and energy with us, and to everyone who joined the program with curiosity and an open mind. We hope everyone went home with something from K-Playground—perhaps a new skill, something handmade, a new taste, a new friend, or simply a good summer memory. Until we meet again at K-Playground. 💙