World of Childhood-2002 8th international exhibition opens in Moscow

"World of Childhood-2002" 8th international exhibition, presenting goods and services for children and teenagers and new programmes of education and development, opened in Moscow on Monday.

The exhibition is sponsored by the ZAO Expocentre company, the Russian Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry, the Ministry of Education and the Moscow government.

The first "World of Childhood" exhibition was held in 1994 and has become annual since 1996.

The 2002 exposition features products of more than 560 firms from 19 countries. More than 60 per cent of participants are Russian companies. The exposition, covering some 7,000 square metres, presents clothes, footwear, toys, materials and equipment, creative and labour instruments, house and school furniture, equipment for playing and children's rooms, playgrounds and parks, sports and rehabilitation equipment, hygienic and cosmetic means, environmental friendly and harmless materials for children's goods, etc.

The schedule of the exhibition is traditionally rich. It includes out-of-school and extra education programmes, elaborated by teachers from Moscow, Obninsk, St. Petersburg, Orenburg, Chelyabinsk, Kirov and the Sakha Republic /Yakutia/.

A round table and a scientific-educational seminar on breast-feeding problems, organised by the Moscow Health Care Committee, the Russian State Medical University and the Living Drop foundation, will be held on November 4th. A seminar on pre-school and junior-school ecological education will take place on November 5th.

In addition, the results of the all-Russia contest "The Best for Children" will be summed up on November 5th. Goods and services, the winners of the contest, will be granted a right to mark their labels with a special quality status stamp.

The 3rd International Balloon Festival will be held on November 5th-8th.