Bowling Birthday Party - Tips For Caring Your Baby And Young Child

Have a ball at this bowling-themed bash!

close Continue Slideshow

Super Bowl

To get the good times rolling, book a spot at the alley, slip on those wacky shoes, and try these oh-so-easy ideas for treats, take-home favors, and games.

Photographs By Meredith Jenks

Milk and Cookies

For an alley- appropriate snack, wrap strips of 1/2-inch red electrical tape around the neck of single- serving milk bottles. The cookies come together quickly with chocolate wafers and white frosting. For each cookie, make three small holes in a chocolate wafer: twist the tip of a knife, starting at least 1/4-inch in from the cookie’s edge on one side, then flip it over and work from the other side. Spread white frosting on the back of another cookie, then put the pierced cookie atop the frosting.

Photographs By Meredith Jenks

Take-Home Trophy

Send each bowler home as a champ! Personalize plastic trophies from the party store with gold letter stickers (we used Sticko brand) or a gold marker. Fill the cups with wrapped chocolate balls. For easy transport, slip a cellophane bag over the top and tie with a gold cord.

Photographs By Meredith Jenks

Kingpin Cupcakes

With decorations made from gumdrops and a chewy black gum ball, these goodies taste as sweet as they look. The pins and balls can be prepped at home; they’re easily placed on the frosted cupcakes at the bowling alley.

Click here to see how to make them

Photographs By Meredith Jenks

Bowl-oons

To set the scene (and fool the eye!), dress up black balloons with round white adhesive labels from the office supply store.

Party Tip: Is there an arcade at your bowling alley? If so, bring a big stack of quarters for your guests.

Photographs By Meredith Jenks

Souvenir Tees

Partygoers will feel they’re in a league of their own sporting these signature shirts. To make each, print our template (below) onto a sheet of 8 1/2- by 11-inch fabric transfer paper (we used Avery brand). Cut out the design and follow the package instructions for ironing the decal onto a prewashed T-shirt. Bring permanent markers to the party and have the kids sign each other’s shirts.

Download the template

Photographs By Meredith Jenks

Boffo Bowling Games

Write each of these wacky variations on a slip of paper and have kids draw one before each turn:

1. Bowl backward.

2. Do a silly walk as you approach the lane.

3. Bowl in slow motion.

4. Bowl pretending that one of the boards in the lane’s wood floor is a tightrope.

Do the following as the ball is rolling down the lane:

5. Predict whether you will knock over an odd or even number of pins.

6. Speed-sing as much of a song as possible.

7. Spell out loud the birthday child?s name backward.

8. Call out as many pizza toppings, ice-cream flavors, or kinds of candy as you can think of.

Originally published in the April 2013 issue of FamilyFun magazine

You’ll have fun to spare at this striking birthday party. After guests have a bowl, let them get framed in the cute photo booth. Serve up fun themed treats, including bowling cake balls and a Whopper-studded cake, then send guests home with a bag of things that roll.

By Jenny Raulli, Bloom Designs Online