Every private international school in Moscow offers after-school activities, including a huge variety of sports, classes, theatre, and much more. While you do have to pay extra for these, they are a great way to keep your children engaged after school before you pick them up.
There are also numerous other activities for children to do in Moscow, although young children and pre-teens should not be left unattended for safety reasons – it is a big city, after all.
Moscow has a wide selection of parks, including Gorky Park, a popular amusement park, and numerous other parks good for playing tag or riding bikes. Playgrounds are found on every block.
Sports facilities are plentiful, in which children can go swimming, ice-skating, horseback riding, and much more (see Health and Beauty).
Many gyms (see Health and Beauty) also offer special programs and classes for children and youth. In addition, you can find numerous music, dance, and other schools. While instruction is typically in Russian, keep in mind that children are often more apt than adults at quickly picking up the words necessary to communicate! Here is a sample:
- 5 Life Dance School
Offers group and individual dance classes for adults and children. Children’s classes start for children age 3.
http://www.5life.net (Russian only)
Trubnikovsky Pereulok
+7 (495) 500 80 58
Closest metro: Smolenskaya - YaSam Children’s Center
An educational center with classes for children including swimming, dance, and drawing.
http://www.yasam.ru/index.php?cont=indexeng
Panferova Ul 8
+7 (495) 134 28 50
Closest metro: Universitet
For older children and teens, there are also plenty of malls which feature cinemas, video game arcades, bowling, and other activities.
And if you really want to earn bonus points with your kids, you can take them to one of Moscow’s entertainment centers, for anything from video games to go-karting:
- Atriland
Go-karts, adventure playground, shooting gallery, numerous rides.
+7 (495) 775-23-57
Ulitsa Zemlyanoi Val 31 (inside Atrium)
Closest metro: Kurskaya - Roll Hall
A larger rollerblading rink hall that also offers bowling, paintball, a gaming arcade, and a toddler area with slides.
+ 7 (495) 771-68-39
Kholodilnyi Per 3
Closest metro: Tulskaya - Downtown
A huge amusement arcade with videogames, an autodrome race track, and much more. Open 24 hours.
Manezhnaya Ploshad 1 (inside Okhotny Ryad underground complex)
+7 (495) 737-83-82
Closest metro: Teatralnaya or Biblioteka im. Lenina
Cultural programs are also readily available. Moscow’s theatres regularly put on musical and theatrical performances especially for young children. Moscow’s circuses (see Entertainment) are immensely popular. There are also designated children’s theatres, including the Children’s Musical Theatre and the Obraztsov Puppet Theatre:
- Children’s Musical Theatre Natalia Sats
http://www.teatr-sats.ru/english/index.htm
Prospekt Vernadskogo 5
Closest metro: Universitet - Obraztsov Puppet Theatre
http://www.puppet.ru/
Sadovaya-Samotechnaya Ulitsa 3
Closest metro: Tsvetnoy Bulvar
Other popular destinations for a day on the town with children are the Moscow Zoo and the Dolphinarium outside of town (see Weekends).
