Bowling is a great family activity for kids of all ages. Whether your average is 60 or 260, bowling can be a fun way to relax and have a good time with the whole family. When it comes time for your child’s first bowling lesson, keep it light and follow these suggestions to grow a bowler for life.
Keep it light. Whenever you teach a child any new activity, it is always important to remain patient and not have your expectations too high. Not only has your child not yet developed bowling skills, but he or she may still be developing motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Keep this in mind when the bowling ball rolls backwards or into another lane. Laugh it off and encourage your child to keep trying.
Reduce distractions. Go bowling during the day if possible to reduce the number of people around. If the bowling alley is full, you may feel pressure to rush in order to free up the lane for the next person. Also, your child’s concentration may be negatively affected by the crashing pins and shouting around him. Many bowling alleys prohibit smoking during off-peak hours on certain days, so this could be a healthier time to go as well.
Consider bumpers. Most bowling alleys offer some kind of bumpers to block the ball from entering the gutter. Older kids may feel too self-conscious to use bumpers, but younger kids will appreciate them. It’s easy to get discouraged when you throw gutterball after gutterball, and bumpers can help get your child’s confidence-level up.
Use a light ball. It’s hard to throw a heavy bowling ball, and it’s even harder for a child. Rolling the ball “granny style” might be funny for a while, but in order to bowl properly, your child will need a ball that he or she can lift with one hand. See if you can find a five- or six-pound ball. Many bowling alleys keep these separate from the rest of the “house balls,” so you might have to ask the person at the front desk.
Limit your games. Even professional bowlers only bowl a few games at a time: anything more and their arms start to get tired. A beginning bowler will have a hard time bowling more than two or three games in a row. Kids are flexible, so they probably won’t injure themselves from throwing the ball too many times, but their accuracy will decrease, and that can be discouraging.
Take it one step at a time. There are an almost limitless number of tips you can give someone who is just learning to bowl, but a person can only absorb so much at one time. Limit your lesson to one or two key concepts per session to prevent your child from feeling overwhelmed. For example, work on holding the ball properly in one lesson, approaching the lane in a second lesson, and throwing the ball after that. Remember, bowling is fun whether you’re good or not, so don’t push your child too far.
