Prague day trips & things to do off the beaten path

In 2010, while wandering around Prague, we stumbled upon the Police Museum. Located in an old, rundown set of cloisters, it was all in Czech, no English. With absolutely the most oddball and eclectic set of exhibits you could possibly imagine. Everything from the original weapons, clothing, and execution apparatus used by and on famous Prague criminals, to a communist era display explaining what to do and how to most effectively resist in the event of an American invasion, to pictures from someone's trip to sub Saharan Africa, to a room filled with crazy psychedelic eyeballs bathed in black light. It turned into the most memorable day of what was a very memorable trip.

You should read "The unbearable lightness of being," which is set in Prague, before you go.

It depends on the age of the kids, and also the time of year. If you're visiting in summer, have a bit of time on your hands and you like getting out into the countryside, you should consider canoeing/rafting down the river Berounka.

http://www.pruhonickypark.cz/en/
day out to this great park ,about a 15 minute bus ride from Opatov metro,very cheap to get in and a huge park/botanics gardens to have a wander in , take a picnic with you. I have been there many times and never seen it all.I am going back there towards the end of the month with a couple of friends to explore parts that we have not seen before.

Young kids (school age) like the Karel Zeman museum https://karelzemanmuseum.org/ which is fairly interactive and you get to take a lot of fun pictures of your kids. CZK490 family admission. It's all about how you originally made special effects for film.
Take a look at https://www.iqport.cz/. Website in Czech but look at the photogallery and you'll get the idea of the interactive options. Buy tickets at the door. Cash or Visa card.

Hello from Wisconisn,
Konopiste Caslte is not really off the beaten track. It is located south of Prague. A train ride there and back. But for kids: it is a castle. Well maybe more of a palace. Just don't tell the kids. It has a collection of antique guns, armor, and a kajillion deer heads. Peacocks wandering the grounds.

The National Technical Museum is off the tourist beat. It is in Letna which is a #26 tram ride to Letenske Namesti. Really from old town square it is north across the river Vlatava. Look at a map and the Vlatava makes a big loop, a good portion of that loop is either Prague Castle to the left or Letna on the right. First you get to ride a tram. Second, they have a bicycle collection that will knock your socks off, especially the antique bikes. Then there are the motorcycles and old cars.

wayne iNWI

If you're a Macintosh or Apple product user the Macintosh museum is really interesting.
And the bone church in Kutna Hora is macabre yet fascinating. Kutna Hora is a nice little town and only a short train ride from Prague.

The town of Pilzen is fairly close, and if anyone in the family likes beer you may want to visit. It's the birthplace of Plisner beer. In Prague the main brand is Budvar (Budweiser in America had a major lawsuit with them once the wall came down).

About half way to Pilzen is Křivoklátsko, a national park known for it's beauty and hiking trails.

In Prague tell your kids to keep an eye out for the robotic lawn mowers in the grounds around the castle.

Unfortunately Krivoklatsko is not a national park yet.