What do kids want most on Children's Day? Time with their family, says su...

Children blow bubbles outdoors in Gwangju on May 4, a day before Children's Day. [GWANGJU BUK DISTRICT OFFICE]

Forget Nintendo or Barbie and Ken. What tops the wish lists of Korean kids on Children’s Day isn’t something that can be unwrapped — it’s time with their families.

A recent survey of 1,365 elementary school students found that 44.1 percent chose “spending time with family through dining out and travel” as what they most want to do on Children’s Day, according to an annual poll by a labor union representing elementary school teachers.

The holiday this year falls on Tuesday.

The second-most favored choice in the survey was“receiving a gift they had wanted” at 27.7 percent, followed by “spending time with friends” at 10.1 percent.

In a separate question, “time with family” also topped the list of most desired Children’s Day gifts, with 28.2 percent of respondents choosing it.

The runner-up answer choice, “digital devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops,” accounted for 25.3 percent. It was closely followed by “allowance or gift certificates” at 23.1 percent.

When asked what they most wished for from their families, 39.7 percent of respondents chose “spending more time together.”

A young fan of the ″Star Wars″ franchise meets with cosplay actors at Lotte World Tower in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on May 4, a day before Children's Day. [NEWS1]

Forty percent of the student respondents said a “supportive family” is essential to becoming happier. “Achieving dreams” and “money” followed at 18.7 percent and 11.9 percent, respectively.

When it comes to interaction with family members, 36.6 percent said they talk “about 30 minutes to one hour” a day. Only 23.6 percent said they talked “one to two hours,” while 18.5 percent said “less than 30 minutes.”

Among respondents, 1,029 said they turn to their mothers when feeling emotionally distressed, making it the most common choice. Fathers followed with 670 responses, and siblings with 270.

In last year’s survey, the top response for what students most wanted to do on Children’s Day was “travel with family” at 33.6 percent. The most desired gifts were “digital devices” at 19.1 percent, followed by “time with family” at 17 percent, “pets” at 16.9 percent and “cash or gift certificates” at 11.8 percent.

"What children want is to be with their parents, not staying in classrooms all day long,” said Kang Seok-jo, head of the teachers’ group. “Rather than trying to expand child care by lengthening school hours, [we] should think about how to create social conditions that allow parents to spend meaningful time with their children and build strong relationships.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.