Prague’s Wonderful Playgrounds
Maria owes her sanity to Prague’s great playgrounds. She was in Prague with the boys for a month before I arrived, and, for the most part, the city’s multitude of historical attractions and architectural wonders are not especially interesting to young boys. So almost every day she needed a place to take them for a while so they could run around and not go stir crazy in the apartment. The KidsInPrague.com guide to Prague’s playgrounds has a wealth of information, and Maria visited at least half the parks listed there.
By the time I arrived, the boys had picked their favorite spots, so I joined them on repeat visits to the best parks Prague has to offer, at least according to them 
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Letna Park
This was the only park we visited that’s not mentioned in the KidsInPrague.com guide. Its a beautiful place, with more to offer than just a playground:
Part of Letna was designed by the one of Prague’s most famous head gardeners Frantisek Thomayer, around a Neo-Renaissance chateau that today houses a popular in- and outdoor restaurant where its advisable to get a cold beer on a day such as this one. You’ll also feel just as if you were entering the past when walking through the park’s western entrance where you will notice a gorgeous gem of a building, the Hanavsky Pavilion, a cast-iron structure built in 1891 in Neo-Baroque style for the Jubilee World Fair. It was later taken apart and reassembled at its present location…
But the park’s most recognizable feature is the giant metronome, located on the site of a former massive statue to Stalin, which has also become a popular skateboarding spot.
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Areal Gutova
Without a doubt, this was the best playground we visited. It has a large play area with a variety of contraptions for moving and manipulating water, a racing area for electric cars, a skateboarding park, sand volleyball courts, a playground, and a big rock climbing wall.
KidsInPrague.com – more information and directions.
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Charles Bridge Playground
This little playground is located at the foot of the Charles Bridge, on the Mala Strana side. It doesn’t offer anything especially spectacular, but it’s location is what makes it special – it’s a oasis for children near the heart of Prague’s tourist center. So if you’re just in Prague for a short time and don’t have time for playground hunting, it’s easy to find.
KidsInPrague.com – more information and directions.
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Vysehrad Castle
I already wrote about Vysehrad Castle – here are some more pictures of its great playground. Sorry the kids kept getting in the shots
KidsInPrague.com – more information and directions.
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Hlavni Nadrazi playground and Folimanka playground
Hlavni Nadrazi playground is located right next to Prague’s main train station. I distinctly remember desperately trying to not fall asleep on its warm grass, on the sunny afternoon I arrived in Prague after about 20 hours of air and train travel. Like the Charles Bridge playground, its in a convenient location and appeared to be popular with tourists and locals.
Folimanka is not far from Vysehrad. It’s in a working class neighborhood, with more wide open space for running around than most of Prague’s parks.
Hlavni Nadrazi page at KidsInPrague.com – more information and directions
Folimanka page at KidsInPrague.com – more information and directions
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