It is winter break and our Mommy and Me group decided to do something extra fun, go bowling. Why not I thought? The kiddos are 3 years old they should be able to grasp the concept, especially after bumpers where in place. I mean how tough is it, they are really two rules:
1. Wait your turn
2. Throw, roll, kick or push the ball down the lane, twice…… Repeat
The process however may not be that easy for preschoolers. First of all our bowling alley did not supply shoes small enough for the kiddos, which should have been my first sign to wait. At least to wait until their foot grows a little bigger, which as we all know can be next week.
The caring process was a little tough too. When you deal with bowling balls as big as your head and as heavy as anything you have ever carried it gets tough. Thank goodness for rubber boots, next time I need to buy steel toes, but by then they will fit into the bowling shoes for sure. Do they make steel toe bowling shoes? They should really. Bowling is really the only sport I can think of that can really use some steel toe shoes.
Just to be safe I would run to each child and hand them the ball. This way they could look a little more graceful as a bowler.
Then there was an issue with actually rolling the ball. I have never ever seen a bowling ball take at least 2 minutes to get to pin part. There was one time in particular that it took too long between crossing the gate line and reaching the pins that the gate closed as the pins where being knocked down. I tried to help by giving them an extra push. I am not getting any younger here and I certainly do not have time to spend a week bowling one game with toddlers. Plus I am not sure if they are still toddlers, they certainly would not be once we got out of there.
They did get the concept though and on occasion even jumped, or maybe they just felt like jumping
The toughest part by far was taking turns and understanding the turn process. There were five kids playing our game and that was way too many for 3-5 year old attention span. Bowl twice and then go back to your seat and stare at the wall for the next 4 rounds. Especially since those rounds took forever knowing the speed of light of the bowling balls.
There were a lot of melt downs and after about 5 rounds all kids lost interest, which gave the parents a way in. Just to get few balls in, for practice sake. You know, just in case we ever do an adult bowling night.
So after sleeping on the machines, even though it was only 11 o’clock.
Giving them hugs, or sleeping, or “resting my arms”
Trying to adjust her score on the board, we called it quits.
I do not believe any of the moms in our group had officially succeeded to have their kids bowl an entire game. We did still have fun but bowling may not be something that I will try again until this summer, or at least until they can officially wear bowling shoes.
Authors bio is coming up shortly.
LOL!