Low Cost Things To Do WIth Kids: Go Bowling

Posted by drozzell on December 13, 2008

Bowling is a sport that almost anyone can play. In fact, I would say that bowling is a sport that is easy to be mediocre at (though very hard to excel at). For this reason, bowling also ranks highly as a fun activity that is easy to do. It is suitable for boys and girls of almost any age. My teenage son and I often go bowling for an hour in the evening or on a weekend. The sound of the ball crashing into pins is exhilarating, and the great feeling you get if you make a strike is hard to beat. My son and I have fun competing, but I also enjoy using the time together as an opportunity to talk about things privately that he might not want to share with other people.  

Bowling is also fun for younger kids as well. Most bowling centers now have side rails that can be programmed to pop up when small kids are bowling, preventing the ball from going into the gutter (sometimes I think I need this, too!). In this case our five year old daughter can bowl with my wife, my sons, and me, turning the trip into a family outing. And even young kids can get strikes. I have watched many kids roll the ball down the lane with barely enough speed to reach the pins at the end, and then see every pin go down. That always brings a lot of smiles, and creates some good memories as well.