Yandex announces a new educational and entertaining program inside its Plus for Kids suite. The forthcoming platform, titled Plus for Kids and paired with the Risovayka app, targets preschoolers and blends learning with playful exploration. The initiative is shaped as a dedicated Yandex Plus option designed to enrich early childhood experiences through engaging content that combines art, letters, numbers, and geometric shapes with colorful storytelling.
The Risovayka app is tailored for children aged 3 to 7, offering a friendly gateway to drawing skills while introducing foundational literacy and numeracy. The experience aims to convert beginners into confident creators by guiding them through step-by-step drawing activities and interactive color-based lessons that grow in complexity as they progress.
Insights from Plus Children research reveal a strong parental appetite for creative drawing alongside new knowledge. A large majority of parents want their children to learn to draw, yet only a portion feels confident teaching themselves. At the same time, a substantial share of parents wants kids to gain broader knowledge during coloring activities. These findings underscore a clear demand for high-quality edutainment that blends art with learning, which Plus for Kids seeks to address through Risovayka.
Tatyana Umryaeva, who leads Yandex’s children and parents services, notes that many preschoolers regularly engage in drawing. The Risovayka app is designed to channel that enthusiasm into a structured, educational play experience, turning weekly drawing into meaningful skill development. The platform makes space for curiosity and creativity, while maintaining a focus on learning milestones appropriate for early learners.
Executives emphasize that this initiative responds to increasing parental demand for content that is both entertaining and informative. Risovayka is the inaugural proprietary app within the Plus for Kids package, crafted to align a child’s interests with parental expectations. It blends popular characters and captivating stories with a clear, guided drawing curriculum and other developmental activities, providing a balanced mix of fun and growth opportunities. This approach mirrors a broader trend toward baby steps in education—easy wins that build confidence while paving the way for more advanced skills later on. [Source: Yandex press service]
Yandex explains that Risovayka utilizes a “simple to complex” progression model. Early coloring pages introduce basic shapes and colors, while thematically rich sections featuring Blue Tractor’s world extend the narrative with familiar faces. As children complete coloring tasks, they unlock new drawing tools that enhance creative expression. Special effects like magic paints, gradient markers, texture brushes, and decorative stickers encourage experimentation and skill refinement, turning practice into delightful discovery. These features are designed to motivate children to try new techniques and steadily improve drawing precision and coordination. [Source: Yandex press service]
The content library will be continuously refreshed with fresh coloring pages and new themes, ensuring ongoing engagement. In addition, Risovayka plans to incorporate interactive tips delivered by Curious Assistant, a character designed to guide children through tips and tricks in a friendly, approachable way. This interactivity is expected to reinforce learning outcomes while keeping sessions engaging and length-appropriate for young audiences. [Source: Yandex press service]
The Risovayka app was created by a team of Plus for Children methodologists, drawing on internal research and pedagogical expertise. It is offered free of charge to Yandex Plus subscribers who select the Children option, ensuring accessible educational play for families already engaged with the Plus ecosystem. The platform also aligns with a broader strategy of providing high-quality, safe, and ad-free content to support early childhood development. [Source: Yandex press service]