Where to go when the kids ask for “something fun”
It's ten on a Sunday morning, the kids are asking where you'll take them, and all you can think of is a shopping mall. Sound familiar? A weekend with a child can become a big walk: at the zoo or in a park you rack up plenty of steps and nobody gets bored. Kids need to move more than we do, and below we look at the WHO numbers and at steps by age
We put together 10 places in Tashkent that are open right now. We checked each one against an official website, a Yandex Maps card or a fresh news item, and the data was collected in mid-October 2026. We quote prices only when we saw them on an official page. We'll also cover 1Fit Kids, a kids' club subscription for weekdays
How much a child needs to move
In 2020 the WHO updated its physical activity guidelines. For children and adolescents the key number is an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate or vigorous activity, counted over a week. Brisk walking, for example, is moderate. The WHO also advises adding muscle-strengthening activity regularly, such as climbing and jumping, and sitting less
WHO experts reviewed the evidence and set rules for every age group. For children and adolescents: an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity across the week provides health benefits. Muscle-strengthening activity is recommended at every age, and sitting less is good for everyone. A precise limit for sitting time could not be set: there wasn't enough evidence
Bull FC et al., Br J Sports Med, 2020Few people meet the guideline. According to the WHO, in 2016 81% of students aged 11-17 worldwide moved less than recommended: 78% of boys and 85% of girls. The WHO counts the weekly average, so a long walk on the weekend helps lift the figure, but weekdays count too
- Age: rides have age and height limits, check them at the entrance and on the website
- Weather: in summer heat go at opening time or indoors, in winter rinks and the planetarium help out
- Walking: for steps pick the zoo, the garden or a big park, for energy pick trampolines and rides
- Hours and prices: before you set off, check the website or the place's map card
- Supplies: water, a snack, a spare T-shirt and comfortable shoes
Where you walk a lot: the zoo, a garden and parks
Tashkent Zoo
Yunusabad district, 232-A Bogishamol St. According to the zoo's website, it's open every day, and its 21.5 ha are home to lions, tigers, bears, kangaroos, camels and monkeys, with pony rides on offer. Tickets for October 2026: children under 7 free, ages 7 to 16 pay 25,000 sums, anyone over 16 pays 40,000 sums. There's a lot of walking, one of the most “step-friendly” places on the list. In summer arrive at opening time
Rusanov Botanical Garden
Also on Bogishamol, next to the zoo, so the two are easy to combine into one day. The garden covers about 65 ha, and its collections include plants from North America, Europe, East Asia and Central Asia. Kids have plenty of room to look for leaves, pine cones and birds, and an irrigation canal runs near the entrance. There are no rides and there's a lot of walking, so bring water and comfortable shoes. It's best to confirm hours and ticket price on the spot
Tashkent City Park
A park in the city center, near the Pakhtakor and Alisher Navoi metro stations. According to its Yandex Maps card it's open until 23:00: wide alleys, an artificial lake with pedestrian bridges, a children's town, a sports ground and a musical fountain with an evening light show. There are ramps, so it's easy with a stroller. For paid attractions such as the wax museum and the “Flying Theater”, check prices on the spot. It suits an evening after work
Magic City
174/2 Babur St. According to the park's website, the territory covers 21 ha and is open 365 days a year: more than 35 rides, an aquarium, the Pixel children's playground, fountain shows and fireworks. Little ones will be fine with the playground and the aquarium, older kids will like the rides. Afisha Tashkent, a local events guide, suggests dropping by even without tickets for the rides: at the “loud fountain” the height of the jets depends on how loudly kids scream. The website lists hours as until 22:00 in one place and 23:00 in another and has no prices, so check before you go
Alpine Land
Mirzo Ulugbek district, 66B Temur Malik St. The park's website mentions 7.2 ha, more than 30 rides, a children's zone, picnic areas and walking alleys. The children's zone has rides from age 2, for example go-karts and a sightseeing train. According to the website the park is open from 10:00 to 23:00, and according to Afisha entry to the grounds is free while the rides are paid for with a park card. There's less walking than at the zoo
How many steps a day a child needs
Adults are usually told to aim for 10,000 steps, while for children the numbers differ and depend on age. A review by Tudor-Locke and colleagues gathered pedometer and accelerometer measurements and translated the WHO guidelines into steps. For primary school children the target is higher than the adult 10,000, for adolescents it's closer to it. It's an average across studies, but it works as a starting point
Among children, typically aged 6-11, boys average 12,000-16,000 steps a day and girls 10,000-13,000. In primary school children, 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity fit into roughly 13,000-15,000 steps for boys and 11,000-12,000 for girls. For adolescents the same goal corresponds to 10,000-11,700 steps. The authors call their conclusions preliminary and ask for further studies
Tudor-Locke C et al., Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 2011Your steps count too If you walk with the kids around the zoo or Alpine Land, there's no need to count: in Qozgal steps are counted automatically, with nothing to enter. A day with 10,000 steps extends your streak, and if a day doesn't work out, a freeze kicks in overnight if you have one. Afisha Tashkent writes that at the zoo you can rack up 10,000 steps just going from one enclosure to the next
When it's hot, cold or the kids need to burn off energy
Sky Park
Tashkent City Mall, 7 Botir Zokirov St, fourth floor. According to the park's website, it's 5,000 m² with trampolines, a climbing wall, a zipline, creative zones, a VR zone and a science complex, plus a family cafe. It's open every day from 10:00 to 23:00, on Mondays from 12:00. It suits toddlers and older kids. There's little walking but plenty of running and jumping for a couple of hours. Reviews on Yandex Maps mention loud music in some rooms, which little ones may not enjoy
Ice City
Yakkasaray district, near the Next mall and Magic City. It's an indoor ice rink that runs in summer too: a July review on Yandex Maps calls it a rescue from the heat. The place's card lists skate rental, and the complex also has snow tracks for skiing and snowboarding. Prices in directories from different years don't match, so check current ones on the spot. There's almost no walking, but your legs and balance get a workout
Tashkent City Planetarium
6 Zarkaynar St, third floor. According to Afisha announcements for 2026, the planetarium runs kids' programs: entertainers, contests and riddles, a tour, a show under the star dome and, in October, a 5D program as well. Sessions start at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00, and advance booking is needed. There's almost no walking, but it's a quiet option for a rainy day for preschoolers and schoolchildren. Prices depend on the program, so ask by phone using the number in the announcement
Center of Islamic Civilization
Almazar district, 47 Karasaray St. According to the center's website, it's open daily from 9:00 to 22:00, and for children aged 5-11 there's a one-hour format with a playground for 30,000 sums (the website price for October 2026). In June 2026, media reported, an interactive children's museum opened there: four halls, digital avatars of scholars, VR and a creativity lab. The complex is big, so walking is moderate. It suits schoolchildren and a hot evening
Puppet Theater on Afrosiyob Street
1 Afrosiyob St. The Uzbek National Puppet Theater has existed since 1939, and its 1979 building went through the first stage of renovation in 2026: copper barker figures spin again above the porch, and the “Fairy-Tale City” panorama has been restored inside. The hall seats 280, and the premiere of “Caliph Stork” was staged here on June 1. Ask the box office about the schedule and the audience age. There's not much walking, but in front of the theater there are fountains with ceramic figures
| What you need | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Rack up steps | The zoo, the botanical garden, Tashkent City Park |
| Run and jump | Sky Park: trampolines, a climbing wall, a zipline |
| Heat | Ice City, Sky Park, the planetarium, the Magic City aquarium |
| Rain or frost | The planetarium, the puppet theater, the Center of Islamic Civilization |
| A toddler under 3 | The zoo (free under 7), the Alpine Land children's zone |
| A schoolchild aged 7-12 | The Center of Islamic Civilization, the planetarium, Magic City |
| An evening after work | Tashkent City Park and Magic City, both open until 23:00 |
| One day off for everything | The zoo in the morning, the botanical garden after lunch |
A good weekend with a child ends with tired legs and a good mood
Weekday clubs: how 1Fit Kids works
Weekends cover one or two outings a week, but the weekdays are still there. This is where 1Fit Kids comes in, a monthly subscription to kids' clubs in Tashkent for children from 0 to 16. There are six directions: sports, creativity, logic and thinking, education, entertainment and early development. Clubs, schedules and booking are in one app, available in the App Store and Google Play
A child's interests change faster than a single club membership runs out. Here you pay once a month for a pack of tokens and spend them on classes, and the tokens are shared by all the children in the family. If a club doesn't click, you switch directions without paying for clubs a month ahead. Here are the three packs, website prices for October 2026, per month
- “Start”: 100 tokens for 1,000,000 sums, to try different directions with one child
- “Optimum”: 220 tokens for 1,500,000 sums, regular classes for one child, marked as popular on the website
- “Family”: 450 tokens for 3,000,000 sums, regular classes for two or more children
If you divide the price by the tokens, a token costs about 10,000 sums in “Start”, about 6,800 in “Optimum” and about 6,700 in “Family”. How many tokens a class costs is shown on the club's card in the app, so first look at what your child needs and only then choose a pack
How the tokens work A subscription lasts 30 days and renews by itself until you turn renewal off. Tokens are deducted when you book a class and returned if you cancel at least 12 hours before it starts. Unused tokens don't roll over to the next month, so pick a pack for the number of classes you'll realistically attend. All the terms are in the public offer
A weekend plan, from packing to home
- Pick one place for the day: a child gets tired faster than you'd think
- In the morning, check hours and prices on the official website or in the map card
- Set out early: in summer it's better to walk before the heat
- Bring water, a snack, spare clothes and comfortable shoes
- Plan a quiet break for midday: a bench, ice cream or the planetarium
- In the evening, look at your steps: if the day was active, repeat it in a week
- The WHO advises children aged 5-17 to get an average of 60 minutes of activity a day, and 81% of students aged 11-17 move less
- For primary school children 60 minutes of activity roughly equal 11,000-15,000 steps a day
- For steps choose the zoo, the botanical garden and Tashkent City Park, for running Sky Park, for heat and rain the planetarium and Ice City
- Hours and prices change at many places, so check the website or the map card before you go
- 1Fit Kids is a subscription to kids' clubs in Tashkent for children from 0 to 16: one payment a month, tokens shared by the whole family, and you can switch directions
Frequently asked questions
Where can I take a child in Tashkent when it's hot outside?
Good options are Ice City with its indoor rink, Sky Park on the fourth floor of Tashkent City Mall, the planetarium and the Center of Islamic Civilization. If you go to a park or the zoo, arrive at opening time and bring water
How much is a ticket to the Tashkent Zoo?
According to the zoo's website for October 2026: children under 7 and people with disabilities enter free, children aged 7 to 16, pensioners and conscript soldiers pay 25,000 sums, everyone over 16 pays 40,000 sums. Check the price list on the zoo's website before your trip
How many steps a day does a child need?
There's no single norm. According to the review by Tudor-Locke and colleagues, 60 minutes of activity in primary school children fit into roughly 13,000-15,000 steps for boys and 11,000-12,000 for girls, and into 10,000-11,700 for adolescents. It's only a guideline. If your child tires quickly, complains of pain or has health restrictions, talk to a pediatrician
What is 1Fit Kids and who is it for?
It's a subscription to kids' clubs in Tashkent for children from 0 to 16. You pay once a month for a pack of tokens, they are shared by all the children in the family, and the schedule and booking are in the app. See the plans at 1fit.kids
Can I cancel a 1Fit Kids subscription?
You can turn off automatic renewal at any time, and the subscription then runs until the end of the paid 30 days. Support will tell you exactly how to do it: the contacts are on the website
Sources
- Bull FC et al. “World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour”, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020 Br J Sports Med 2020
- Guthold R et al. “Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: a pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1.6 million participants”, The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 2020 Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2020
- Tudor-Locke C et al. “How many steps/day are enough? For children and adolescents”, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2011 Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011
- Tashkent Zoo: ticket prices and information about the zoo, official website, October 2026 Tashkent Zoo
- Center of Islamic Civilization: visitor information, hours and prices, official website, October 2026 Center of Islamic Civilization
- 1Fit Kids: public offer and subscription terms, October 2026 1Fit Kids, offer