Water Bottle Bowling

We made bowling pins out of water bottles a few weeks ago at play group and it was a blast! This is a cheap and easy way to bring the fun and excitement of bowling into your home. 

Bowling helps children in many ways, including developing motor skills and learning to take turns. It's also a great activity because it can be adapted to many different skill levels so everyone can enjoy.

The craft is simple: 

• Save up empty water bottles (6 or 10 depending on how many you want to bowl down), then remove their labels and make sure they are dry. Fill them with an inch or so of rice or sand, or any other material that would weigh them down a bit.

• Cut out strips of paper long enough to fit around the water bottle and have your kids draw on them or write their names. Once they're finished, wrap them around the middle of the bottles and tape the ends together so that they stay put.

• Now, set up your pins in a triangle shape in an area where you'll have enough room to back up and bowl. You can use any ball to bowl the pins over -- I got my plastic ball from Maceys for $1.

A variation on decorating the pins is to put a bit of paint into the bottom of the bottles before you add the rice or sand, and then put the lids on and shake them up. The bottles turn into colorful pins, and once you've let them dry you can add the rice or sand. 

*Fun tip: the bowling pins double as maracas, so you can have a rhythm and dance party after you bowl!