Bowling is fun and there’s no denying it. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that your cute and adorable little toddler will like it. This is where you’re gonna have to step up. You’ll have to make sure that your little toddler loves it.
So the real question is-“How can you make bowling with toddlers more enjoyable?”
Even though it’s not the easiest thing in the world, it’s not really that difficult. With a little effort, one can bring some new flavors to this classic game.
Things you can do to make bowling game with toddler enjoyable
Let’s just get straight to the point and talk about them-
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Finding the lightest ball
Now, this is quite obvious. You can’t imagine a toddler holding a 14-pound bowl, can you?
Of course not.
There are plenty of bowling balls for kids that are lightweight. But for your toddler, it has to be the lightest and comfortable. It will be better if you use a plastic bowling ball for your kids. if you don’t have one I recommend you to buy GIGGLE N GO Kids Bowling Set
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Use Custom Bowling Lane
Generally, a bowling lane is designed for adults. Your kids will not get comfortable in this type of bowling lane. Grab a custom bowling lane for your toddler because it is lightweight and easy to use. I recommend you to buy Cosom Indoor Bowling Lane. I bet your kids will love it. You will also get plastic bowling set with this lane.
thYour kids will love portable, easy to use and economical fun that simulates a real bowling lane
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Birthday Bowling
This is where you can get creative. Throwing a birthday party that involves bowling is a great idea. It’s a good indoor activity that involves food and fun. Rest assured that your toddler is gonna have a blast.
Just think about it. When your child sees other kids playing the game, he/she will also want to join them. Basically, it makes your job way easier. You can easily play with your kid. Not only your kid will learn bowling but he/she will also build a bond with other kids.
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Using ball ramp
Well, your kid won’t probably have the power to throw the ball because he/she is obviously a kid. But that can never stop your toddler from playing. So your gonna have to use the ball ramp. Basically, it is a sturdy object that allows you to place the ball higher. From there, your toddler can just push the ball and hit the pins. This bowling equipment for kids is perfect for your little cutie pie.
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Make sure that your kid doesn’t run after the ball
After throwing or rather pushing the ball, your baby may run after the ball. Some kids may have that natural instinct. Make sure that it doesn’t happen because the floor is slippery.
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Bringing friends and their kids
When your toddler goes bowling for the first time, it will be better if you bring more kids with you because it will make things way more fun.
Just invite one or two of your friends who also have toddlers. That will spice things up a little. Not only you will be able to hang with your old friends but your toddler will also have a good time because kids just love to hang out with other kids.
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Buying baby bowling shoes
Wearing bowling shoes makes it easy for your kids to bowl. It will be better if you buy shoes that have a non-slip feature. Bowling lanes can be slippery. So if your kid runs after the ball, there is a good chance that your toddler will get injured. If you are looking for comfortable non-slip shoes for your kid, then Troadlop Kids Sneaker Shoes will be perfect because of its rubber outsole.
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Encourage your toddler
Young kids love to imitate their parents and your toddler will imitate you. So if you pick the bowling ball and try to hit the bowling pin, your kid will be encouraged to do the same thing. Cheer up your kids when he or she hits the pin.
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Wacky Bowling
This is another strategy that will make sure that your toddler enjoys his/her time while bowling. Kids love to do something goofy and that’s a good thing. When your kid is bowling, just forget about all the rules. Tell your baby to bowl in a different direction. The ball doesn’t even have to hit the pins. Kids love this sort of stuff.
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Stay away from your smartphone
You are taking your baby to the bowling alley because you want to spend some quality time with your family and that means staying far away from your phone. That piece of junk will always remind you that you have work to do.
How to teach a child to bowl
There are a lot of things you need to do if you want to be good at the game. A lot of things need to be done if you want to hit all the pins at the same time. Your right hand and your right foot have to move together at the same distance. You’ll have to worry about the accuracy and then comes the release and the follow-through.
So how can you teach your toddler all these things? To be honest, you can’t. You can’t seriously teach a toddler to bowl, can you? All of these things are way too complicated. That means will you give up? No, Not at all. At least you can try to teach the basic rules and etiquettes what to do and what not to do in bowling. Here are some of the tips you can follow-
. Forget about all the rules just play the game. Hand him/her the ball and encourage your toddler to throw it.
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Explain the rules
Explaining all the rules to a 2-year old toddler is not possible because he/she won’t probably understand them all. But you can do one simple thing. You can just tell your toddler the most basic and simple rule. Just tell him/her to take the ball, take an aim at the pins, and then throw it.
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Teach them how to throw
It will be much easier for a toddler to hold the ball with both hands, bend knees, and then roll the ball. If that’s not possible, then use a ball ramp.
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Request for bumpers
For your kids to practice, you must have bumpers on the lanes. That way the ball won’t fall in the gutters. So your kids won’t have to worry about the gutters. The bumpers will make sure that the ball hit some pins every time your toddler throws the balls.
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Don’t let your kid cross the foul line
Basically, the foul line marks the beginning of the bowling lane, and you’ll have to make sure to teach your kid not to cross it. There are two reasons for that. First of all, it’s against the rules. Secondly, the bowling lane is slippery.
If you are strict to teach your child, the result will not be in your favor. The best thing you can do is to take your child to the alley and let him/her have fun
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. People often take their wife and kids when they go bowling. They have a blast together and spend quality time with each other
As we have said, bowling is safe for kids. Obviously, there are some safety measures that need to be taken. For example, you can’t give your kids a heavy ball. If you have a toddler, then use a ball ramp. Rest assured that your kids will be safe and sound and you won’t have to worry about anything.
Usually, bowling centers encourage people to wear bowling shoes in order to protect their lanes. Your toddler can also wear them. But do your toddler really need them? Well, not necessarily. Your little one will go to the bowling alley just to have some fun. He/she will probably use a bowling ramp. In that case, shoes are barely needed.
Well, here is the thing- even a 2-year old toddler can bowl with special equipment like bowling bumpers or bowling ramps. But that’s not really proper bowling and you can’t expect a toddler to understand the rules. We feel that a kid should be eight years old(at the very least) to understand all the rules about bowling. An eight-year-old kid should have the physic and the brain.
Basically, it involves blocking the gutters from the lane. The main job of these bumpers is to prevent the ball from falling into the gutter and make sure that the bowling ball hits some pins. The main reason, why the bumpers are used, is to make sure that people of all ages have the chance to knock down some pins.
It depends on the place you are bowling.
Final Words
Bowing with toddler is one of the best experiences you can have as a parent. Seeing your little one trying to grab a ball with little hands is just adorable and it’s something that you may want to see every day. Bowling alleys arrange daily and weekly events all around the year. So I bet your kid will enjoy every bit in the bowling alleys.
But then again, you can’t go to the bowling alley every day, can you? So the best thing you can do is to buy bowling toys for your toddler. Buy a complete toddler bowling set. The set will include bowling pins for toddlers and you will obviously have toddler bowling balls.
