Active Game
Hallway Bowling
Empty bottles, a rolled up sock and a hallway. That’s a bowling alley.
Ages 3 to 8
15 minutes
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Get ready
3 minutes. Rinse out six empty plastic bottles and find a hallway or clear stretch of floor.
What you’ll need
Six empty plastic bottles, a pair of rolled socks or a soft ball. Optional: paper and crayons for a scoreboard.
Let’s play
1. Set the bottles in a triangle at one end of the hallway. Mark a start line with a shoe.
2. Roll the sock ball underhand. Count the bottles that fall and cheer loudly.
3. Take turns resetting the pins. Resetting is half the fun.
4. Add a challenge. Roll with your other hand, roll backwards between your legs, or roll with your eyes closed while your kid shouts directions.
5. Keep score with tally marks, or don’t keep score at all.
Your part in the adventure
Be the pin setter and the announcer. Celebrate every single bottle that falls.
What they’re discovering
They’re working on aim, counting, taking turns and handling a miss without falling apart.
Before you begin
Plastic bottles only, caps on. Clear the hallway of anything breakable, and roll the ball along the floor rather than throwing it.
Keep the idea going
Younger kids can stand closer and use two hands. Ages 6 to 8 can add a point value to each bottle. If attention drifts, make the bottles into a target the ball has to pass between instead.
Every child is different. Adjust activities for their age and abilities, and stay close by. These are play ideas, not medical or developmental advice.