An Excerpt from Lonely Planet Moscow 

Filled with icons and onion domes, the Russian capital might not seem like an appealing destination for kids; but you’d be surprised. In Moscow, little people will find museums, parks, theatres and even restaurants that cater especially to them.

Kid-Friendly Museums

Most sights and museums offer reduced-rate tickets for children up to 12 or 18 years of age. Children less than five years old are often free of charge. Look out for family tickets, which allow the whole family to enter for one price.

• Art Museums The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Decorative & Folk Art both have educational centres that offer opportunities for kids to try their hand at creating their own art.
• Moscow Planetarium With loads of interactive exhibits, kids have a chance to perform science experiments, taste freeze-dried space food and run around on the surface of the moon.
• Central Museum of the Armed Forces You might not let your children play with guns; but how about climbing around on tanks, trucks and missiles?

Outdoor Fun

Don’t keep your children cooped up indoors. Even in winter, there are plenty of opportunities to get outside for fresh air and exercise.

• Parks With over 100 parks and gardens, Moscow has plenty of space for your little ones to let off steam. Discounting formal gardens such as Alexander Garden, most of the parks reviewed in this book include playgrounds. Larger spaces like Gorky Park, Vorobyovy Gory NatureReserve and Izmailovsky Park rent bicycles and paddle boats and such.
• River Cruises Most little ones love a boat ride. This is the perfect way for your children to see the historic sights and appreciate the architecture. On board the river cruiser, there’s no need to fight the crowds or linger too long in one place.
• Moscow Zoo Even toddlers will get a kick out of the detsky zoopark, with close-up exhibits of animals that they will recognise from their favourite children’s story (three little pigs, big
  bad wolf, etc).

Eating Out

Many restaurants host `children’s parties’ on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, offering toys, games, entertainment and supervision for kids while their parents eat. 

Children’s Theatre

This is a hold-over from the Soviet period that continues to survive in Moscow. Little ones can choose from animaltheatre, puppet theatre and musical theatre, not to mention the good old-fashioned circus. 

Transportation

The metro might be fun for kids, but be careful during rush hour, when trains and platforms are packed. Detskoe Taxi is a taxi company that will look out for your kids, offering smoke-free cars and child seats upon request.