Moldova's 2026 autumn school holidays last 9 days: from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November inclusive, with children back at school on Monday 2 November. That is two weekends and five weekdays in a row, and the weekdays decide whether the break becomes a rest or a week spent on a tablet. Below you will find the dates of every holiday in the 2026/2027 school year, a plan for the 9 days by type of day, what to do when both parents work, and the exact prices at Hai Pixel, the first interactive LED-floor venue in Chișinău, for groups of children on weekdays and at the weekend.
When are the 2026 autumn school holidays in Moldova?
The dates come from the school-year structure approved by the Ministry of Education and Research. The first semester runs from 1 September to 24 December 2026 and the second from 11 January to 31 May 2027. Between them sit four holiday periods:
| Holiday | Dates | Days off |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | 24 October to 1 November 2026 | 9 |
| Winter | 25 December 2026 to 10 January 2027 | 17 |
| Spring | 1 to 8 March 2027 | 8 |
| Easter | 1 to 10 May 2027 | 10 |
These dates apply to schools that follow the ministry's plan. Private and international schools sometimes keep their own calendar, and the Transnistrian region runs a separate school calendar, so if your child studies there, check your own school's timetable.
For planning, something else matters more. 24 October falls on a Saturday, so the holidays open with a full weekend, and the last school day before them is Friday 23 October. The break ends on Sunday 1 November, the evening before school starts again. Halloween, on 31 October, lands on the last Saturday of the holidays, and for many children it is the most anticipated day of the whole week.
How the 9 days work: a plan by type of day
The nine days are not all alike. The weekends at the start and the end match the parents' days off and are the busiest days in the city. From Monday to Thursday the children are free and the adults are not. Friday is a special case: for a pupil it is an ordinary holiday day, but at many places to go, Hai Pixel included, Friday already has weekend prices. Here is how it looks day by day:
| Day | Date | What kind of day it is | What suits it best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 24 October | First day, both parents at home | A family outing or a trip out of town if it is dry |
| Sunday | 25 October | Day off, busy city | A calm day, a walk, planning the week together with your child |
| Monday to Thursday | 26-29 October | Children free, parents at work | A group of classmates with one adult on duty, grandparents, clubs |
| Friday | 30 October | A working day for parents, but with weekend prices | A short outing in the evening, getting ready for Halloween |
| Saturday | 31 October | Halloween | A costume party, a big outing with friends |
| Sunday | 1 November | Last day of the holidays | A quiet routine, an early night, the school bag packed |
The most valuable window of the week is 26 to 29 October. The children are free from the morning, and Hai Pixel's cheapest price band applies: Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 16:00. The weekends at either end of the break cost more and are more crowded, so keep them for plans that need both parents: visiting relatives, a walk out of town, a family lunch.
One more practical rule: alternate active days with quiet ones. A child who ran for two hours on Monday will sit down with a book or a construction set more willingly on Wednesday. Five equally packed days in a row are as tiring as five empty ones.
What to do with your child during the holidays when parents work
This is the main question of the autumn break, and the honest answer is this: there is no single solution for five weekdays, only a combination of three or four. Here is what actually works in families where both parents are at work:
- A parents' relay. Three or four families from the same class agree that each adult takes one weekday. The children spend the holidays with their friends, and each parent has to free up one day, not five.
- Grandparents for a day or two, but with a ready-made plan. One activity or one trip a day beats a whole day with nothing to do in front of the television.
- Half a day instead of a full day. Many people find it easier to take a few hours off or work from home if the child's morning or afternoon is already taken care of.
- Clubs and sports sections. Some clubs and sports sections run a special timetable during the holidays or gather groups for the week. Ask early wherever your child already goes.
- One big outing in the middle of the week. Something your child will talk about in class afterwards. It is cheaper to do it on a weekday than on a Saturday.
If your day in the relay falls on a weekday, a group of classmates on the interactive floor fills 1-2 hours in the most active way possible, and the children leave tired and happy. A session is priced for the whole group, so the cost per child falls as the group grows. Here is the weekday daytime band, Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 16:00:
| Children | 1 hour, whole group | Per child | 2 hours, whole group | Per child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 600 MDL | 150 MDL | 1,110 MDL | 278 MDL |
| 6 | 840 MDL | 140 MDL | 1,550 MDL | 258 MDL |
| 8 | 1,080 MDL | 135 MDL | 2,000 MDL | 250 MDL |
| 10 | 1,300 MDL | 130 MDL | 2,410 MDL | 241 MDL |
| 12 | 1,400 MDL | 117 MDL | 2,590 MDL | 216 MDL |
The price depends only on the number of players. An adult who steps onto the floor with the children counts as a player; one who watches from the side does not. Up to 8 people play on one floor at a time; from 9 players the group gets a second floor and plays team against team, and from 17 a third. That leads to an honest tip: the ninth player is the most expensive one, because they open the second floor. 8 children cost 1,080 MDL for an hour, 9 children already 1,250 MDL. If there are nine of you, sometimes it makes sense to come as eight, and sometimes the second floor is exactly what you want because the children want to play in two teams.
Mind the time of day as well. The weekday daytime band is the cheapest but not the quietest: children's groups and camps come to us during the day. The freest part of the week is Monday to Thursday from 16:00 to 22:00. If space matters more to you than price, choose a weekday evening.
What suits children aged 6-8, 9-11 and 12-14
Age changes the holidays more than the weather does. What thrills a first-grader, a twelve-year-old will call boring, and the other way round.
6-8 years: short activities and lots of movement
At this age attention does not last long, so the day works better built from two or three short blocks: a walk, an activity, a rest. Puppet theatre and children's shows, a park with a playground, drawing and modelling at home, and games with simple rules all work well. On the interactive floor, six- and seven-year-olds play the speed and reaction games with confidence, especially when a parent plays alongside.
9-11 years: competition and friends
This is the age when who a child spends time with matters more than where. An outing with two or three friends is worth more than any family event. Team games, sport, quest-style games and board games with a score all work well. This is where the interactive floor shows its full value: the child follows the score on the screen and demands a rematch. You will find more ideas in our article on indoor team games for children.
12-14 years: independence and their own crowd
Teenagers want to choose for themselves and go without their parents, or at least with the feeling that they are. The best format: give the group a budget and a choice of two or three options. Teenagers take the competitive games on the LED floor seriously, and a weekday evening between 16:00 and 22:00 gives them a less crowded hall. If someone in the group has a birthday, the holidays are a convenient excuse to get together.
Where to go with kids during the autumn holidays in Chișinău
The full list of ideas by age is in our guide to things to do with kids in Chișinău, and the seasonal ideas are in the autumn in Chișinău guide. For the holidays, one thing matters: match the activity to the type of day and to the weather. Late October can be warm or rainy, so every day deserves a backup plan under a roof.
| Activity | Best time | If it rains | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| A walk: Valea Morilor, Cathedral Park, the Botanical Garden | Weekend, a dry day | No | All ages |
| The national museums and exhibitions | A weekday | Yes | From 6-7 years |
| Puppet theatre, children's shows | As listed, with tickets bought early | Yes | Roughly 3-9 years |
| The cinema | A weekday, morning screenings | Yes | Everyone, by the film's age rating |
| A trampoline park or play room | A weekday | Yes | Younger pupils and preschoolers |
| Hai Pixel's interactive LED floor | Monday to Thursday, 10:00-16:00 is cheapest | Yes | From 5 years, best at 7-14 |
| A trip out of town | Saturday 24 October | No | Everyone, if the journey is not tiring |
| A home project: baking, building sets, board games | Sunday 1 November | Yes | All ages |
If the rain sets in for several days, look at our list of things to do in Chișinău when it rains: everything there is indoors. And if the holiday budget is tight, our guide to free things to do in Chișinău will help: walks, parks and city events that cost nothing.
How much does a holiday visit to Hai Pixel cost?
A session is priced for the whole group and the whole hour, not per person. Three price bands apply during the holidays, and the difference between them is noticeable:
| Who is coming | Mon-Thu 10:00-16:00 | Mon-Thu 16:00-22:00 | Fri-Sun 10:00-22:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent and child (2 players) | 300 MDL | 400 MDL | 440 MDL |
| Parent and two children (3) | 450 MDL | 600 MDL | 660 MDL |
| Two parents and two children (4) | 600 MDL | 800 MDL | 880 MDL |
| 6 children | 840 MDL | 1,080 MDL | 1,200 MDL |
| 10 children | 1,300 MDL | 1,640 MDL | 1,860 MDL |
All amounts are for the whole group and for one hour, of which 55 minutes are actual play on the floor. A 2-hour session does not cost double but roughly 1.85 times as much: for three players on a weekday that is 830 MDL instead of 900. Grip socks are compulsory: your own or ours at 30 MDL a pair. The full table for every group size from 2 to 24 players is on the Hai Pixel prices page, and the booking calendar always shows the final amount before you pay.
Example: Wednesday versus Saturday
Four classmates and a mum who also steps onto the floor, on Wednesday 28 October at 11:00. That is 5 players in the Monday to Thursday 10:00-16:00 band: a 1-hour session costs 720 MDL. Socks for all five: 5 × 30 = 150 MDL. Total 870 MDL, or 174 MDL per person. The same group on Saturday 31 October: 1,000 + 150 = 1,150 MDL, or 230 MDL per person. The holiday weekday saves 280 MDL, and that is the only difference: the games, the floors and the length are the same. If mum only watches, there are four players, and on Wednesday you pay 600 + 120 = 720 MDL.
A birthday during the holidays: why a weekday pays off
If your child's birthday falls at the end of October or the start of November, the holidays offer a rare chance: to celebrate on a weekday, when classmates are free from the morning. Hai Pixel's birthday packages cost less from Monday to Thursday than from Friday to Sunday. During this break the weekday prices apply from 26 to 29 October, while 24-25 October, 30 October and 31 October to 1 November are charged at weekend prices.
| Package | Guests | Mon-Thu, 26-29 October | Fri-Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | up to 8 | 3,000 MDL | 3,500 MDL |
| Grand Party | up to 16, up to 18 at 250 MDL per extra guest | 5,000 MDL | 6,000 MDL |
| Festival, 3 floors | up to 60 | 7,000 MDL | 8,000 MDL |
| Festival, 4 floors | up to 60 | 9,500 MDL | 11,000 MDL |
Every package follows the 2 plus 2 format: first 2 hours of games on the LED floor with your reserved table, then about 2 more hours in the private celebration area for the cake, presents and time together. That is about 4 hours at the venue in total. The gap between a weekday and the weekend runs from 500 MDL on Party to 1,500 MDL on Festival with four floors. Every option is on the Hai Pixel birthday packages page.
One tip on invitations: during the holidays some families travel to relatives, so send the invitations by 20 October and ask for an early reply. That way you can choose between Party and Grand Party based on the real number of guests.
Halloween on Saturday 31 October
This year Halloween falls on the last Saturday of the holidays, and children usually look forward to it more than to the rest of the week. A few practical ideas:
- A costume party at home for 4-6 friends. It is easiest to organise if you pick the theme early and ask the guests to arrive already in costume.
- Movement by day, party by night. An active outing with the group in the first half of the day, then costumes and sweets at home in the evening: that way the energy is spent before the cake, not after it.
- Book early. Saturday and Sunday are our busiest days of the week, so lock in a good time for 31 October a few days ahead.
- Keep Sunday calm. 1 November is the last day before school: after the party your child needs the usual routine and an early night.
How not to spend the holidays on a tablet
Nine free days dissolve easily into a screen, and bans work worse here than a plan. A few methods that help:
- Agree the rules of the week on the very first day. For example, screen time only after one active activity, not instead of it. A rule agreed together with your child on Saturday holds better than a ban on Wednesday.
- One main thing every day. Not five activities, but one worth leaving the house for: the theatre, the pool, meeting friends, the interactive floor, a trip.
- Let your child choose. Offer three options for the week and let them place the options on the days themselves. They will not sabotage what they chose.
- Use the screen as part of the plan. A family film on a rainy evening is an activity too, as long as it was planned rather than switched on out of boredom.
When Hai Pixel is not the right choice
We say openly when it is worth choosing something else:
- Your child is under 5. The games are fast, they have rules and a score, and a little one more often ends up a spectator on a lit-up floor. There is a detailed breakdown in our article on what age the interactive floor suits.
- You need to fill a whole day. A session runs for 1 or 2 hours. It is the liveliest part of the day, not a programme from morning to evening.
- Your child needs quiet. There is music, light and competition here. If after almost two months of school they want rest, choose the park, a book or a film.
- It is a warm, dry day outside. A day like that in late October is better spent outdoors: the interactive floor will wait for the first rain.
How to book for the holidays
The booking page shows the free times and the final price before payment: choose the date, the time and the number of players. Hai Pixel is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 at Grand Hall, 2/4 Constantin Negruzzi Boulevard, 2nd floor. Sessions for 2 to 24 players book online; for a bigger group, call +373 79 238 617. If you need a particular time on Saturday or Sunday, book a few days ahead: the weekends fill up first. If plans change, a game session can be cancelled or rescheduled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead, and a party up to 48 hours ahead.
Everything about a visit with children, from how the games work to what to wear, is on our kids indoor play page. And for the winter holidays, from 25 December to 10 January, the winter in Chișinău guide will come in handy.
If you are planning further ahead, keep reading: the list for ages 8 to 12 and the complete children's birthday guide.
Frequently asked questions
When do the 2026 autumn school holidays in Moldova start and end?
From Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November 2026 inclusive, 9 days in total. The last school day before the break is Friday 23 October, and children return to school on Monday 2 November. The dates are set by the Ministry of Education and Research's structure of the 2026/2027 school year.
When are the winter holidays in the 2026-2027 school year?
From 25 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, 17 days in total. The spring holidays run from 1 to 8 March 2027 and the Easter holidays from 1 to 10 May 2027.
What can I do with my child during the holidays if I work?
A combination works best: a parents' relay, where several families from the same class each take one day, grandparents, and one big outing in the middle of the week. A group of classmates on the interactive floor suits that outing: on a weekday between 10:00 and 16:00, an hour for 6 children costs 840 MDL, which is 140 MDL per child, plus grip socks at 30 MDL a pair.
How much does an hour on the interactive floor cost during the holidays?
For a parent and two children, an hour costs 450 MDL Monday to Thursday between 10:00 and 16:00, 600 MDL between 16:00 and 22:00 and 660 MDL from Friday to Sunday. The price is for the whole group. Grip socks are compulsory: your own or ours at 30 MDL a pair.
Can we come as a big group of classmates?
Yes. Groups of 2 to 24 players book online: up to 8 people play on one floor, a second opens from 9 and a third from 17. For example, 10 children on a weekday between 10:00 and 16:00 pay 1,300 MDL for an hour, 130 MDL per child. For groups of more than 24, call +373 79 238 617.
From what age does Hai Pixel suit a child?
Realistically from 5, and the format works best between 7 and 14, when a child follows the score and gets competitive. Parents can play together with their children: an adult on the floor counts as a player.
