After a long, hot day the day before, we decided to stay indoors for our second full day in Prague. The forecast was ominously predicting 28C-30C which is about 85F. The heat was already making everyone grumpy and listless on Day 1, especially with the hike up Petřín Hill. Our kids were born and raised in Seattle before moving to Dublin. They are conditioned for wet weather in the 45-65F range. So, any days over 75 degrees F is a crazy heatwave to us. Day 2 was an easy, lazy day of waking up late and trying to stay cool and hydrated in our rented flat.

At around 7pm, we decided to venture out, hoping we’d beat the heat. We were pleasantly surprised that the weather had cooled nicely but was still quite warm and sunny. The kids wanted to visit this small island on the Vtlava River called the Children’s Island or Detsky Ostrov with a little playground which is a bit south of the Charles Bridge.  They were very keen to rent a paddle boat and paddle around the river as they had seen the previous day as we walked up and down the riverfront.

Children’s Island or Detsky Ostrov

Once we reached Children’s Island, we discovered that there were a couple of different vendors renting out the paddle boats. The kids were very keen to get a swan to paddle, but they were all rented out. Instead of waiting, we decided to just get a regular paddle boat. I paid for an hour rental and provided my drivers license as collateral for the rental. Once all the kids were securely strapped into their life jackets, we set off on the river. Luckily, the Monkey, Puppy, and Miss Piggy are all old enough to help mind their 3 year old sister on the back of the paddle boat.

The views were lovely from the river as we saw the glistening old buildings from the water and it was fun seeing all the other boaters casually paddling around the river.

The kids jealously watched as the families with swan boats passed us.

There was an area along that river that rented time in a plastic ball. I think the idea was that you’d go inside this ball and then roll around on the surface of the river like a hamster. It was funny to watch as they put a boy – maybe around 13 or 14 years old into one of the balls and then push him down the small slope to launch him into the water. If you look at the picture, you can see him laying down in his ball to the far left.

The kids really enjoyed the paddling and the Monkey and Puppy each took a turn paddling. So there was some awkward switching around as J swapped places with the boys. But no one fell in and the boat did not tip over. So, we’ll call it a success!

After we’d had enough of the paddling, we returned our paddle boat back to it’s dock and after retrieving my driver’s license and returning all the life jackets, we checked out the small cafe/bar on the island. There was a lot of music and someone playing and signing down by the waterfront, but the kids didn’t really want to sit while the parents sipped a beer. So, we decided to head over to the playground instead.

Children’s Island Playground

The sun was beginning it’s descent by the time we reached the playground and everything was caste in an orange glow. The playground was fairly deserted by the time we reached it. But there were a few other children playing and it had looked full and busy the day before. We let the children play for a while J and I sat at first on a bench and then on a short wall alongside the Vtlava River. There were no food vendors or restaurants on this part of the island, but everything is fenced in and quite safe though it is right next to the water. Miss Piggy tried to use the toilet, but they were closed for the day. So, we stayed until the children got hungry and then we headed for the flat.

Miss Piggy tying her shoelaces.