“Let’s play Moscow!” — how the capital of Russia has made travel interesting for its youngest guests

Around 2000 participants of the IV Children’s International Cultural Forum from 18 countries have tested the interactive programme for kids ‘Let’s play Moscow’. This is a tourist route based on children’s interests and family activities. Young travellers are invited on a special ‘mission’ to explore Moscow. Interactive excursions have been translated into English and Chinese, so the foreign tourists can also become ‘heroes’ on these missions.

The ‘Let’s play Moscow’ project turns the smaller visitors of the capital into the main characters on their journey. Children and their parents follow a themed route through interesting places in Moscow, using a map with cartoon characters on it. A paper map can be obtained at the tourist information centres, in some hotels, from participating and other locations in various parts of the city.

There are two game routes available for foreign tourists – an interactive walk called ‘Secrets of the Green Planet’ in the centre of Moscow, and a space-themed route called ‘To the  Lunar Seas’, through VDNH. On the ‘Secrets Of the Green Planets’ route, the journey begins at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral, passes through GES-2 House of Culture, the Alexander Garden, and Red Square, ending at Zaryadyee park – adults may admire historic sites while children learn about how modern city dwellers live in harmony with nature. During the ‘To the Lunar Seas’ route, children get to find out about space travel and even build their own rocket, passing through the expositions of the Atom Museum and the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre. For adults, it’s an opportunity to explore the beauty of VDNH – one of the iconic sites of the city.

Along the way, young tourists are encouraged to complete tasks and collect stickers. These tasks require different types of thinking – from analysis to deductive reasoning – and parents may need to provide some help, as ‘Let’s play Moscow’ helps families bond and have short adventures together. While walking through the route, families can also learn more about different topics through information revealed by QR Codes on maps. Such a playful way of learning helps to memorise information better.

After completing a mission, players receive a souvenir at tourist information centres in Moscow. All the missions are free: just pay for entrance fees at participating museums if they are included in your itinerary,  and the “Secrets of the Green Planet” route is completely free.

With this city family game, Moscow once again confirms its status as a child-friendly megapolis. Tourists with children already know popular family routes – the Central Children’s Store on Lubyanka Street, the Moscow Zoo, and the Dream Island amusement park. Such interactive projects as ‘Let’s play Moscow’ allow children and adults to fall in love with the capital of Russia in a playful format.