Bowling

One to Ten

Students at each lane compete agains the other lanes. Students start on level one. This has one pin out on the first spot. Each bowler is given one bowl. If they knock over the pin they move up to the next level where there will be two pins. The next bowler has to knock over both pins with one roll. If they don't knock over all the pins that are setup they set them back up for the next players roll. They can only move up to the next level if they knock over all of the levels pins with one roll. Keep going until one team makes it to ten pins and knocks them all over. Then I usually have that team try to get back down to one pin while everyone else continues.

Speed Bowling

Students each get one roll at ten pins. After each roll, any knocked down pins get set back up. Teams add up the number of pins that they knock over together. Play this game for a certain amount of time (5 minutes). See which lane has the most pins knocked over after the alotted time.

Bowling Bingo

Each lane has a bingo sheet. Each student has a bingo card and gets one roll. They compete against each other to try to get 5 in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Make the Spare

Divide students into teams and assign each team a lane. Each student with have a “position” on the lane: bowler, spotter, pin setter, ball returner, on deck.

Choose a student to roll two foam dice across the gym floor. This determines which spare the class will be bowling for. Example: The player rolls a 5 and a 2. The 5 and 2 pins, along with the 7 pin (5+2=7) are set up.

Each bowler gets one attempt to knock down the spare before rotating. If a bowler is successful in knocking down the spare, their team raises their hand and gets my attention. I then yell, “Freeze!” to stop all bowlers and choose someone else to roll the dice for a new combination. (I try to make sure everyone has a chance to roll the dice.)

If a spare proves to be too challenging or takes too long, I freeze all lanes and choose someone to roll the dice again.

*Any time the total of the two dice is 11 (a 5 and a 6), only those two pins are set up for the spare.

*A roll that produces doubles means that all ten pins are set up. A strike must be rolled to generate a new combination for a spare.

Strikes

Give the kids a certain amount of time and one roll. See which lane can get the most strikes.

Diamonds

Each lane sets up 4 pins on the 1, 2, 3, and 5 (the blue spots).  This will create a diamond shape with the pins.  Each bowler will only get one throw and will try to knock down all 4 pins.  The team of students at the lane will count up how many diamonds they were able to get during a 5 minute span.  You can have them compete with each other or try to get more than the previous class.  

Team Dice Challenge

Give each lane a frisbee with three dice (one that is a different color).  Each bowler gets to role the three dice.  The odd color dice (red) is the number of points that a person can score.  The other two dice determine which pins need to get knocked down.  Bowlers only get a single role to knock down the pins.  If doubles are rolled then all ten pins are setup (for 2nd graders) or just one pin on the double number is set up (for K and 1st grade).  For K and 1, I might have them roll 1 die to setup one bowling pin on a number.  Sometimes I might add the second pin later into the period.  I have each lane keep track of their score on my white board.  We compete class versus class to see who gets the most points in a PE period.