How to Teach Kids to Bowl

Having fun as a family creates pleasant memories that live in our heart for a long time. Almost every family has a unique fun activity they do that bond them the more. It could be teaching your kids how to play your favorite sport(s) or learning a new skill together.

But have you thought about adding bowling to the list of fun activities for your kids? It is a game that can help you bond more with your children. Children of 1 or 2 years can learn this fun sport if you teach them.

Though they may not play it professionally, depending on their age, or score meaningfully even for the next ten years or more. But at least, they have begun to acquire the necessary skills for bowling at a young age. Who knows? They may even be the next greatest bowler of their time. You may also check out https://mommyuniversitynj.com/2021/01/23/benefits-of-bowling/ to see the benefits of bowling for kids.

Tips for Teaching Your Kids to Bowl

Here are a few tips for teaching bowling to your children:

1. Basic Safety Tips

What's a game without being fully aware of how to play safely? Let your kids in on the basic safety tips of the game. Some of those tips are:

• Play one after the other; overcrowding the player is risky as you may hit another player, causing them terrible injuries. You might even disrupt the game. So, allow just one kid per time to bowl.
• Let the pins be piled high before making a throw to avoid hitting the barrier that gets the pins ready for the game.
• Never place their hands in the return area for the ball. Only adults should help choose a suitable ball.
• Make sure you stay at the back of the foul line area to avoid sliding and falling. It is an oiled lane.

Any other safety precautionary measures you know and can take to keep your child(ren) safe as they play, please do it.

2. Get a Fitting Pair of Shoes for Bowling

Before the game lessons begin, educate your child on the importance of wearing a pair of well-fitted bowling shoes. A good bowling shoe is usually made out of rubber and helps to halt your sliding movement the moment the bowl is released. This slide-performing style may not be relevant to a newbie but with time, the importance cannot be overlooked.

Don't forget to kit your kid in shoes that fit perfectly well otherwise there will be casualties on the bowling alley. Shoes that are loose or uncomfortable will kill the fun of the game.

3. Show Them the Bowling Balls

What's more important in this game is the bowl. Of course, without it, the game cannot hold. Mind you, bowling balls for kids vary in weight depending on the category of persons playing. For kids in primary schools, an 8 lbs. ball is okay. Then, students in high school can play with a 10lbs ball and above.

You also have to teach them how to hold the ball. In holding the ball, recognize that three holes are present in it. The hole at the bottom is meant for your thumb while the other two found at the top are for both of your middle fingers.

To enable the ball to turn swiftly, make sure the bottommost hole is loose to an extent to prevent your hands from getting stuck while throwing. Also, you need to be careful when holding the ball. You sure don't want it dropping on your legs. Ensure the moderateness of the holes; they should not be too broad or too dense.

4. Throwing the Ball

This may be the most difficult part for them but with constant practice, they can become better at it. The technique for throwing a bowl is called Four-Step Technique. In this technique, you are expected to move four steps backward, away from the black (foul) line.

The most secure way to perform this movement is to move to the "black" line and swerve backward against the pins, then move four steps frontwards. Be sure to add a half-step to get a good slide. Now, this is where you'd be starting from. If it's not convenient for you, make some slight adjustments.

Take a stand at the center of your point of start. Put your feet together with the ball before you, slightly higher than your waist region. Ensure you carry the ball appropriately before letting a throw.

You may not get it initially, but with constant practice, you can. This is why it's important to begin practicing with the foot technique. This is simply taking steps frontwards firstly with the right foot, then change to your left, your right again, then with the left foot, slide and jab. However, learning is more important than any skillful playing.

5. Stay on the Basics

As they also throw balls down the path, teach them the basics, and stay much more on it. Some basics are appropriate for each age; know them and teach your kids. Some basics include: how to start, hold the ball, throw, swerve, and so on. Closely observe your kid, see how they play, and you might just be able to teach them the right skills to aid their growth.

6. Constantly Repeat your Moves

One way to improve in anything is to continuously repeat that action and soon you become a pro at it. However, considering the age of your child and their interest level, you may have to skip some necessary skills to keep them longing for the game. With time, they will learn new skills, implement them, improve, and ensure the fun index of the family keeps rising.

7. Above All, Start Them Early

Starting early gives your kids the opportunity to become better in the game. So, why not start your kids early in bowling? As long as they can walk, they can bowl. For ease, you could use a lightweight ball, a bumper, or even a ramp to teach them how the ball is rolled. You can click here to find a bowling activity for toddlers.

Conclusion

Bowling may be quite difficult for kids, even for beginners who are adults. Therefore, you must keep your kids excited and confident while they play the game. Encourage them to keep on keeping at it no matter how many times they fail.

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