Bowl-A-Thon

Ages: 18 months-5 years                                                                                               

Bowl-A-Thon Ages 18 months – 5 years Get Ready: Collect some empty water bottles to play this game and get a foam ball.

Get Set: Set up the bottles at one end of a space and give your child the ball.

Sit Back and Watch Your Child Go: Observe your child’s development of eye-hand coordination and spatial awareness. Your child will use her eyes and hands together to locate the bottles “pins" and roll the ball with enough force to knock them down. She will also start noticing where her body is in relationship to the bottles & the ball so she can roll in the right direction.

Want to amp up the learning? Talk about the game of bowling – call the bottles “bowling pins”. Count the bottles as they are set up and count the number of bottles that are knocked down. How many are left? For 18 month olds, you may want to introduce rolling the ball by practicing it on the floor between you. Experiment with how many bottles create the most fun and interest – start with 1 or 2 bottles and add as she gets more skilled at rolling the ball at the bottles. Outside, older kids may want to use a rubber ball and full water bottles.

Get Creative: Try setting the bottles up in different formations and see which is the easiest to knock down all at once. Line them up in a straight line across and try knocking one down at a time. Give your child opportunity to think of ways to set them up.

As your child grows: take her to the bowling alley and play a game. Teach her how to keep score.

Your child will love: experimenting with the pins. She will love feeling smart & successful as she problem solves ways to knock the pins down.

You will love: watching your child think critically and master a new skill.