Published on: 2026-09-14
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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Over 900 graduates of the Central School of Moscow counselors worked this summer in suburban camps and participated in city projects, providing quality recreation for children. The past seasons became some of the most technologically advanced. And all this was thanks to the skills of the Moscow City Tour counselors, subordinate to the capital’s Department of Culture. The kids on vacation not only walked around, played sports, and played games, but also learned AI, got acquainted with VR, studied graphic and music computer programs, and started programming themselves under the guidance of senior mentors.
Modern Moscow camp counselors are increasingly turning to digital tools to make shifts in children’s camps engaging and useful. Neural networks for creating music and illustrations, virtual reality for immersion in history, NFC tags for interactive quests — these technologies have become part of the daily work with children. The practice of introducing modern technologies into children’s leisure and recreation continues.
Neural networks in creativity and design
Counselors use artificial intelligence to create unique content: they generate images for decorating squad corners, compose music for evening events, and develop visual materials for shift diaries. Sound and graphic neural networks allow for the rapid preparation of original materials that reflect the atmosphere of a specific squad.
“Digital tools in children’s camps become a bridge between traditional pedagogy and the interests of the modern generation, which has grown up in a world of gadgets. At the same time, counselors monitor the balance: device usage time is dosed, and virtual activities alternate with live communication, sports, and creativity in the fresh air,” said Anastasia Udalova, head of the department of development and implementation of children’s recreation programs at Mosgortur.
Working with neural networks not only helps create materials but also teaches children the basics of prompt engineering — the skill of formulating tasks for artificial intelligence, which is becoming increasingly in demand.
NFC tags and digital reality
NFC tags have become especially popular in children’s camps — small chips that trigger certain actions when a smartphone is brought close. Counselors use them to create interactive quests around the camp territory: children scan the tags, receive tasks, unlock new locations, and collect virtual rewards. This mechanic turns an ordinary walk into an exciting adventure with gamification elements.
NFC tag technology is universal and can be adapted for different age groups: tasks are simplified for younger children, while logical and creative challenges are added for older ones. Counselors can program the tags themselves and then use them throughout the entire shift, changing scenarios.
VR and AR technologies are actively being integrated into both suburban and urban leisure formats. As part of the “Moscow Holidays” project, in the right wing of the main entrance arch of VDNH, the “Weekends with Counselors” area operates daily from 12:00 to 19:00 until September 20. Here, children can try modern VR capsules and immerse themselves in virtual worlds, adding an element of digital adventure to the usual park walks. Entertainment is paid — 500 rubles, no advance booking required.
The counselors also experiment with geo-games, creating their own routes with augmented reality. Such games allow combining a walk in the park with completing tasks that appear on the smartphone screen when pointing at certain objects.
In addition, ecological quests using digital tools are being implemented. For example, with the help of mobile applications, children learn to identify species of plants and animals, record their observations, and create digital nature journals. This turns leisure into an educational adventure, where technology serves not as entertainment, but as a tool for development.
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Programming and Robotics
Programming and robotics have also found their place in modern children’s camps. In Scratch classes, children create their own games and animations, learning algorithmic thinking and the basics of coding. Some groups master robot control and develop simple applications.
Such activities develop logic, creativity, and technical literacy—skills that will be useful in the future regardless of the chosen profession. In addition, children learn to work in a team, distribute tasks, and bring projects to completion.
Counselor Training
In order for the counselors to confidently use these tools, they are systematically trained at Central School of Moscow Counselors.
At the school, they study how to competently implement neural networks in creative tasks, program NFC scenarios, and adapt them for different age groups. Thanks to such training, graduates come to the sessions with ready-made methodological solutions.
You can sign up for an interview at the Central School of Moscow Counselors for training under the professional counselor training program on the portal mos.ru. The program volume is 240 academic hours. The training is paid. After passing the exam, the trainees are awarded the qualification of a camp counselor and issued a certificate of the established form.
Last summer, more than 900 counselors from Mosgortur worked in children’s camps in the Moscow, Samara, Tyumen, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vladimir regions, as well as in the Perm and Krasnodar territories.
Moscow standards for organizing leisure activities are applied far beyond the capital city. Specialists, regardless of the region where the session is held, ensure the safety of children, organize educational and cultural programs, help children adapt, and create a comfortable atmosphere within the group.
All initiatives of Mosgortur are implemented within the framework of systematic work on the development of professional standards in the field of children’s recreation and correspond to the goals of the national project “Youth and Children”. More about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
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