Kids in Prague

Top 5 Activities with Kids in a Wintery Prague

Activities, Useful Information on 20 December 2009 by Karen

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It’s winter-time and there is nothing worse than having to spend all your days couped up inside with the children. So, get up on your feet and go out and do something. Even if you just go out during the morning or the afternoon, you and the kids will feel 100% better and you’ll be glad to be back home again at the end of it! Here are my top 5 activities that I like to undertake with my kids in Prague during the winter months.

1. ICE-SKATING -

This is heaps of fun and a great form of excercise to boot. If you don’t really know how to ice-skate, it’s never too late to don a pair of skates and have a try. Just hold onto the sides of the barriers surrounding the ice, and you’ll be fine - no one cares if you look a bit goofy. It’s having a go that counts! It’s a sad but true fact that you kids will naturally learn a lot faster than you, but again, don’t be discouraged.

If you have your own skates, then great, just grab them and go for it! If you don’t then you’ll most definitely be able to hire a pair on site. My top 3 venues for ice-skating in Prague are: a) Stvanice Island (http://www.stvanice.cz). It is located in a very old, historical stadium, just off the busy Wilsonova Street in Prague 7. b) The Public Playground at Na Frantisku (http://www.hristenafrantisku.cz) which is an outdoor ice-skating rink very close to the banks to the Vltava River in Prague 1. And c) The Ice Arena in Letnany, Prague 9 (http://www.icearena.cz), which is more or less open all-year-round. For each venue, please do check the individual website for up-to-date operation times and prices.

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2. VISIT A SALT CAVE -

When it’s freezing-cold outside and you still want to go somewhere, just pick up the phone and make an appoinment to visit your local salt cave (solna jeskyne) They exist all over Prague and entering a room which is totally covered with salt crystals (mainly) from the Dead Sea, can have a very soothing effect on both your physical as well as mental health. Most salt caves have deck chairs scattered around the room and sand toys, which your little ones can play with as if they were in an ultra-pure ‘sand’ pit.To read up more on salt caves, just click on ‘Activities’ followed by ‘Salt cave Hnezdenska’.

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3. SWIMMING -

This is another great activity which your kids will enjoy and which will enable them to burn off a little excess energy. Almost every part of Prague has it’s own indoor swimming pool complex. Some are larger and better equipped than others. If you have a car or can travel slightly out of Prague to Pruhonice, then I would really recommend visiting the Czech Republic’s largest indoor swimming complex called Aquapalace (http://www.aquapalace.cz). It has an amazing array of waterways, pools and slides to its name and your kids are guaranteed to love it. For more information on indoor swimming centres, click on ‘Swimming Activities’.

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4. BOWLING -

Great fun for the whole family. Again, there are dozens of bowling venues all around Prague. Make a boking in advance and if your kids are still learning how to bowl, try and reserve a lane with side-barriers, which will make the whole expereince a lot more fun for the little ones. For more information on bowling with kids, click on ‘Sports and Fitness’.

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5. VISIT AN INDOOR PLAYGROUND -

So, your kids are still bouncy balls of energy but you need to take a short and quiet break. Then all you need to do is ‘deposit’ them at the nearest Indoor Playground (Detsky Koutek), while you grab a quick and quiet cuppa and maybe even some cake. Yum. Most of Prague’s large shopping complexes have this facility where children aged 3 years and above can be left for (relatively) short periods of time, while being looked after full-time minders, who will contact you on your mobile immediately, should you be required to come and pick your child(ren) up. My favourite Detsky Koutek is at Kotva Department store close to Namesti republiky, where they have a super selection of toys for both boys and girls of varying age categories. If you are reluctant to stray too far from your precious little ones, then the cafe adjacent to the DK at Kotva has a super cafe. From here you will be able to hear their voices but THEY won’t be able to hear or see you. Bliss.

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