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The warped mirrors lining the walls here are great fun for making faces, pointing fingers at distended bellies and elongated bodies and giggling hysterically, whatever your age. For older children interested in a bit of gore and history combined, the battle-scene diorama is another of the many attractions on Petřín Hill.

Grab a bag of breadcrumbs and head to the riverbank. Střelecký Ostrov is an ideal spot to watch these graceful white birds dip their necks in the water to catch the morsels for children’s delight. Take care that little feet don’t go into the water and mud, however, and make sure that fingers don’t inadvertently get snapped in the feeding frenzy. Good for all seasons.

Puppetry is a long-standing Czech tradition, and late afternoon shows will keep kids entertained for up to an hour. There’s enough action that younger folk usually don’t mind not understanding the libretto or narration. Weekend presentations of well known fairy tales at the National Marionette Theatre can fill up quickly, so book in advance (see Národní divadlo marionet).

It’s habit-forming. Give the little ones their first taste finding faces on St Vitus’s Cathedral and they’ll have their heads pointed upwards for days. In addition to gargoyles, train your kids to spot the innumerable statues, house signs) and strange faces that adorn arches, cornices and gateways all over the city. Just take care that they don’t get stiff necks or stumble on uneven pavement surfaces.

This is one of the more entertaining spots at Prague Castle. Here they can shoot a real crossbow, pick out their favourite suit of armour and imagine the grisly goings-on in the torture chamber. Little people will have no trouble negotiating the low, narrow passages, but adults might.

The old-fashioned streetcar runs a circuit around the city in about 30 minutes, with much ringing of bells. A friendly conductor will take your Kč25 fare and you can hop on and off at any stop on the route, including Malostránská and Národní divadlo marionet. Very handy when you can’t face walking another step. For those who are planning ahead, the end station is Výstaviště, scene of more excitement.

In addition to Křižík Fountain, the Prague exhibition grounds are home to the Lunapark carnival: ferris wheels, roller-coasters and similar other rides will toss and turn the kids for hours, and, if they can still stomach it, there’s even candy floss (cotton candy). The fun begins in March and carries on through the warmer summer months.

While adults might enjoy the old-fashioned (and more romantic) rowboats, children prefer the splashing, pedalling action of the miniature paddleboats that travel up and down the Vltava. Numerous vendors rent boats and sell tickets in the vicinity of Charles Bridge. Take all the usual precautions that no one goes overboard, accidentally or otherwise.

There is an abundance of Black Light shows around the Old Town (see St Martin in the Wall), but the best is at Divadlo Ta Fantastika. So long as the kids don’t mind strange images suddenly popping out of the dark, the brilliant displays should keep them mesmerized.

First, bring a sweater. Second, don’t sit too close to the water. Third, sit back and enjoy the show. The dancing water-and-light show’s musical accompaniment varies from classical to pop to Disney tunes. The Prague Post (see The Prague Post) lists the programme in its weekly calendar (see Výstavište).