Regeneration & Progress is responsible for organizing and implementing, with the cooperation of experienced scientists, daily mass-participation activities for children and adults of all ages in the areas of the Park at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC). Activities are free of charge and are carried out with the exclusive financial support of Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
The programmes are designed and implemented by specially trained physical education teachers under the scientific supervision of the 1st Orthopedic Clinic of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UoA).
Encouraging sports and exercise and promoting a healthy lifestyle are key priorities of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, which is an ideal place for sports.
The Track of SNFCC with the outdoor fitness equipment, which is open daily from 06:00 in the morning until midnight, can be used by everyone free of charge. The Outdoor Games Area can host basketball, football and tennis games as well as other sports activities. There is a 2.5-kilometer-long bicycle path around SNFCC whereas the SNFCC Canal can host kayak and sailing boat rides.
The actions that are planned each month encourage the public to exercise and, at the same time, to discover different spots of SNFCC through special programmes that are carried out for people of various ages and skills, with or without disability and with different preferences and needs. From yoga to gymnastics for children and from Qigong to Pétanque, at SNFCC there is something for everyone.
You can participate in the activities free of charge, either in order of priority or by pre-registering electronically at SNFCC
Weekly Activities
Under the guidance of experienced coaches and in a playful mood, children cultivate and develop their skills, both with and without the use of a ball. At the same time, their participation in organized games teaches them that the object is not the final result, but personal and collective effort.
OUTDOOR GAMES AREA
For children aged 5-13
Up to 8 children per 30′ session
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Concentration, controlled breathing, improved posture, balance, flexibility and core strength: these are just some of the benefits of Pilates. This mild to moderate exercise helps to awaken the body and rejuvenate the spirit.
Practitioners are requested to wear comfortable clothing and bring along their own Pilates mat.
GREAT LAWN
For adults
Up to 30 participants
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
The new SNFCC sports activity “Sports for everyone” is aiming to encourage and support the participation of children with disabilities in sports. Under the direction of specialized physical education teachers and through specially designed games and recreational sport activities, children will have the opportunity to develop their mobility skills. Meanwhile, they will experience the power of cooperation and teamwork and spend their free time creatively at the Stavros Niarchos Park.
OUTDOOR GAMES AREA
For children aged 6-12 and their adult chaperones*
Up to 10 participants per hour
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
If we were to describe yoga in three words, they would be “physical and spiritual wellbeing”. Under the guidance of experienced fitness professionals and through a series of postures and breathing techniques, we strengthen our body, improve our balance, and enhance our concentration and relaxation.
Practitioners are requested to wear comfortable clothing and bring along their own yoga mat.
GREAT LAWN
For adults
Up to 30 participants
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, enhances the practitioners’ inner peace and strength, improves their balance, and reduces stress. All movements are circular and continuous, with gentle transitions, and accompanied by deep, mindful breathing.
Suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
RUNNING TRACK
For adults
Up to 30 participants
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Age-old Chinese practice suitable for all fitness levels, in a program designed specifically for people over 50. Qigong combines mild, slow, repetitive movement with kinesthetic concentration, meditation, and breathing control.
LABYRINTH
For ages 50+, Up to 30 participants
Free admission, places will be available on a first-come first-served basis.
An entertaining activity with games specially designed for the whole family. Parents and adult chaperones are encouraged to play and collaborate with their children in the Park, sharing their educational stimuli and developing their imagination.
GREAT LAWN
For children aged 5+ and their adult chaperones
Up to 20 participants (10 children and 10 adult chaperones) per 45′
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Football match events suitable for children aged 5-13, in five-member teams.
Up to 8 children per 30′ session
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Through artistic gymnastics, coupled with play and fun, kids get to know their bodies and their potential, whilst improving flexibility and motor coordination.
RUNNING TRACK
For children aged 3-6
Up to 20 participants
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Children learn to love tennis through a fresh, fun method based on playing and suitable activities.
OUTDOOR GAMES AREA
For children aged 4-12
ages 4-7: 16.00-16.45 & 16.45-17.30
ages 6-12: 17.30-18.15 & 18.15-19.00
Up to 8 participants per 45′
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
The Hellenic Canoe-Kayak Federation co-organizes Canoe, Kayak and SUP demos with Federation athletes, aiming to acquaint SNFCC visitors with these sports.
Sunday 20/10
10.00-13.00
CANAL
(at the side of the Visitors Center)
Join the SNFCC Running Team and combine fitness and fun in the best possible way! No matter what your physical condition, we will improve your personal performance and abilities in aerobic exercise, while you run around the Stavros Niarchos Park, discovering all of its hidden corners!
RUNNING TRACK
For ages 15 and over*
Up to 25 participants
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Relatively unknown, pétanque is a sport that combines accuracy, coordination and concentration. Competitors, playing either one on one or in teams, try to get as close as possible to a target, by throwing boules.
ESPLANADE
For children aged 9+ and adults
Up to 6 pairs of players per 30′
Free admission by online pre-registration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
Glassroot Sports Events
This New Year’s Day marks the start not only of a new year, but of a new decade too, and this calls for a celebration you’ll remember for decades to come. Join the SNF RUN: 2020 FIRST RUN at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) Christmas World!
For the fourth New Year’s Eve in a row, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) invites you to dress to the nines—or whatever size you take in running shoes—and take part in the SNF RUN: 2020 FIRST RUN, setting the pace for the coming year!
The invitation is open to all, and the route covers a distance of just 4 kilometers around the festively bedecked SNFCC. Afterwards a big party will be awaiting runners at the SNFCC Agora. By participating in this year’s SNF RUN, runners are supporting the work of small non-profit organizations doing great work to look out for vulnerable children. This year’s partner nonprofits are Spring Children, Angels of Joy, and the “Good Shepherd” Minors Protection Association of Piraeus. The amount donated through the symbolic participation fee will be tripled through an additional contribution from SNF.
The race will start at four minutes after midnight, on Wednesday, January 1, 2020, just after we ring in the New Year, with the most memorable fireworks show!
Live commentary on the SNF RUN: 2020 FIRST RUN will be provided by iMEdD Managing Director, SNF DIALOGUES Executive Director and Journalist, Anna-Kynthia Bousdoukou.
The SNF RUN: 2020 FIRST RUN is made possible by an exclusive grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which covers all production costs of the race. The organization of the race is undertaken by the nonprofit Regeneration & Progress and University of Athens Medical School 1st Orthopedics Clinic’s Department of Sports Excellence.
Christmas is coming and Santa Claus has to choose a place to play with children.
So he returns, as every year, to the SNFCC to count down the days until the New Year, along with the kids! Children prepare to welcome 2020 by engaging in a range of team games with Santa, inspired by the calendar, the months and seasons of the year, as they embark on an exciting, imaginary journey into the coming year.
Sleigh games (23/12), an exciting adventure in Alaska (24/12) and loads of Christmas games with Santa Claus (29/12) await you within the SNFCC’s magical Christmas scenery!
For children aged 6-12
Free admission on a first-come, first-served basis
Wearing Santa hats, children compete in riding balance bikes on a specially designed track. At the race finish, a lucky participant will win, selected by a draw, an Ideal 16-inch bike – their first regular bike!
Children bring their own bikes. Helmet use is mandatory.
For children aged 2-5
Up to 300 participants
Free admission by online preregistration (the event is conducted in Greek)
Children are on a mission this Christmas: to take their parents and join us for a family sports game at the SNFCC Outdoor Games Area.
Basketball, football, volleyball, handball and loads of fun for everyone at the SNFCC for this holiday season.
Don’t forget to wear a Santa or an Elf hat and bring your festive spirit to the SNFCC!
For children aged 6-12 and their adult chaperones
Up to two families of four, per 15 ‘ session
Free admission by online preregistration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
The Hellenic Canoe-Kayak Federation organizes Canoe Kayak and Sup demonstration competitions for Federation athletes, aiming to promote the sport and familiarize SNFCC visitors with it.
CANAL
(at the side of the Visitors Center)
A road race for runners with a specially designed 5km route inside Stavros Niarchos Park. At the same time, there will be a dynamic walking distance of 2 km and a road race up to 1 km for primary school children.
Children will have the opportunity to discover volleyball in specially constructed grounds under the guidance of experienced coaches.
For children aged 6+
Free admission on a first-come, first-served basis
A series of games involving a lot of water! Squirt guns, water balloons and a water relay add fun to this cool, carefree activity.
*Participants are advised to bring a change of clothes.
For children aged 4+
Free admission with open participation
Archery is one of the earliest sports to be featured in the modern Olympics.
In collaboration with the Hellenic Archery Federation, SNFCC’s visitors will have the opportunity for a hands-on experience of this sport using training bows.
For children aged 6+
Free admission, on a first come first served basis
A great treasure hunt for children aged 5–12 and their parents! Celebrating the Carnival, the Stavros Niarchos Park disguises into a wonder park, with funny characters and colourful materials. Children and parents discover exciting things in the Park with tips from a map. They play games, dance, chat with different characters, sing, disguise as superheroes and draw. All this takes place along a magical path where they learn to appreciate and respect diversity, to disguise themselves and to observe details of the environment, while playing and getting creative with their parents in a wonder park!
For kids 5-12 ετών and parents up to (80 participants per hour)
Free admission, places will be available on a first-come first-served basis..
Playing traditional carnival games and reviving customs from all over Greece, children and parents embark on a quest to find King Carnival and bring him back. If they succeed, he has a surprise for them.
For families
Up to 40 families per hour
Free admission via online pre-registration (the event is conducted in Greek)
Children will have the opportunity to discover handball in two specially designed grounds, under coach guidance, in collaboration with the Greek Handball Federation.
For children 6+ years old
Free admission
Participation is open
