Limpopo children's center is a place where parents can forget about their children for a while, as their children enjoy the many attractions and games.

Limpopo, situated in the Ukraina Hotel skyscraper, consists of endless labyrinths and caverns where even the parents can get lost. The center takes up three floors, which allows visitors of any age to find fun in any corner.

The adults don't have to follow their children into the games room, where tokens cost 10-20 rubles, as there are babysitters who will look after your child. In order to do this you will need to sign an agreement with the babysitter and leave money for games machines and other details. Bear in mind that children under three cannot be left without their parents.

Parents of kids three and older can relax and visit the Underwater Empire restaurant in the same building or the Baby Persona Lab beauty salon.

In the Underwater Empire restaurant, the visitor will feel like the famous Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The interior is designed in the style of a submarine cabin, with aquariums full of multi-colored tropical fish instead of portholes. The director of the Limpopo Center promised that a small shark would soon be added to the collection to contribute to the realistic feel.

In the local Baby Persona Lab hair salon, mothers who have left their kids in the care of the babysitters can get a haircut.

Meanwhile the kids are able to wander through a land of fairy tales. Narrow corridors and steep staircases lead to an underground decorated labyrinth. Inside, jolly, but responsible babysitters walk around with pink and blue dinosaurs by their side.

The best thing in Limpopo is probably the dressed-up dragon, which speaks and jokes with the adults as well as with the children. By going along a hanging bridge you get to the most fun part of the children's center — the baby park, which is impossible to entice kids away from. Here, you can jump as much as you like on the inflatable chutes and trampolines.

According to the games park manager Karina Kapitonyan, the baby park is also popular with the adults.

"Children love to play in the baby park," she said. "But so do the adults, although only children are allowed on the entry bridge. I still can't understand how a sixty-year-old grandmother manages to get into the baby park. I turned away for a minute and one was there among the multi-colored balls. Another funny case was when the mothers came with their kids. The kids sat down at the games machines straight away and the mothers spent a while in the restaurant before suddenly appearing in the baby park. I looked round to find them laughing and rolling around. They were really enjoying themselves — their own kids were amazed to see this as well — they just stood there open-mouthed."

After the games it's time for lunch — you can eat just about everywhere in the children's center — there's a restaurant, a cafe and even a cocktail bar. There are separate adults' and children's menus. The kids' menu is definitely more interesting. You can try the dinosaur burger (50 rubles), the African potato (45 rubles) or the Frozen Africa ice-cream(35 rubles). The children's cafe is even more fun, as they have karaoke.

There are also theatrical performances, musical shows from a clown theater and a children's clothes shop. Elena Greseva said, "When parents visit our center they want to leave the kids here for a couple of weeks to get a break. It's nice to get compliments like that, but we're not a hotel or children's camp. The kids often don't want to go home from here, and tell their parents they can leave them behind."

Entry — 50 rubles for adults, 150-200 for children.

Babysitter services — 150 rubles.

Limpopo Children's Center
Kutuzovskii Prospect 2/1
Mero: Kievskaya
Tel: 243-4174
Open daily from 12 noon until 10 p.m.