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If you were to ask my family what one sport did my parents do with me that I did with Charlie and Suzzane it would be bowling. Only it was my mom who would go with us because my dad would be working.

The funny think though is when I graduated high school I used to hang out at Don Carter’s Bowling Alley because my best friend and his family was on a league there. David was on there team and no, matter how many times I showed up I never ran into him because it wasn’t the Lord’s timing for us.

This week as I was researching #Holidays I found out it was U.S. Bowling League Day and that gives me a pretty good excuse to talk about something that has been part of my life in more ways than I probably realized.

Bowling. Not just bowling at a bowling alley, either. I’m talking about bowling with my best friend when I was in high school. I’m talking about David being on a bowling team.

I’m talking about taking Suzzane bowling when she was little. Along with Charlie when he was little. I’m talking about a little children’s bowling set that lived in our toybox for years.

And I’m talking about my mom. Oh, I wish you could have seen my mom bowl. She had a granny shot. And I’m telling you, it was something to see. More times than not she had us rolling on the floor with her bowling.

She would get down there and roll that ball with both hands, and somehow that was just her bowling style. I can still picture it. That’s the funny thing about family activities. Years later, sometimes you don’t remember the score. You remember the people.

As I aid earlier when I was in high school, I used to go bowling with my best friend. It was one of those things you did together because it was fun to get out, spend time together and laugh.

David was on a bowling team and he was good enough to have been a professional three finger bowler. He could have been on the High School Bowling them if he had wanted to but Soccer and ROTC was where his heart was at.

Then Charlie came along. When Charlie was little, we took advantage of Kids Bowl Free, and bowling became one of those activities we could enjoy as a family.

Kids Bowl Free is still around today. The current program offers registered children two free games of bowling each day during participating centers’ summer programs. I wish they would extend it to Thanksgiving and Christmas when kids are out of school.

Participating bowling centers determine their own dates and times, so families need to check the location they choose. The program says it has served more than 40 million kids and families since it began in 2007.

That is something I always like to tell parents about because affordable family activities can make such a difference. And while we’re talking about free programs, I remember the skate-free programs, too.

Think about it. Christmas and Thanksgiving are exactly the times when parents are looking for something inexpensive and fun to do with their children.

Here’s something I really want families to remember about U.S. Bowling League Day: You don’t have spend money and go to a bowling alley to go bowling.

When we were homeschooling Charlie, we had one of those little children’s bowling sets. And Charlie had that thing for years. I’m talking from the time he was little until probably middle school.

It became part of our homeschool supplies. We could use it for play, movement, taking turns, counting, keeping score and just having fun. You can buy little children’s bowling sets, but you don’t even have to buy one. You can make your own.

You can make a tabletop bowling alley or make one on the floor, in the garage, on a driveway or outside. Of course, if you’re going to make one on the ground, there’s one little thing I’ve learned about getting older.

Getting down isn’t always the hard part. It’s getting back up! When you’re 60, sometimes you look at the floor and think, Do I really need to get down there? So make your bowling alley wherever it works best for your family.

I know your going to ask me what you can use for Bowling Pins and I wanted to let you know you can use pretty much anything that will stand up and can safely be knocked over.

You could use:

• Empty water bottles
• Empty soda bottles
• Milk jugs
• Clean plastic containers
• Empty cans
• Paper cups
• Plastic cups
• Cardboard tubes
• Other lightweight containers you have around the house

If something is too light, you can put a small amount of rocks, pebbles, rice or another safe filler inside to give it a little weight. Just don’t make them so heavy that they won’t tip over.

Then let the kids decorate them! Grab some markers, stickers, crayons or whatever craft supplies you already have. Give the pins numbers. Give them names.

Draw funny faces on them. Make them look like your family members. Create your own bowling team colors. And when you’re finished? Line them up and bowl!

You don’t even need a real bowling ball. Use whatever safe ball you already have at home that works for your space. A small playground ball or soft indoor ball might work perfectly.

And if you’re bowling on the ground and you have dogs like we do, there is one more thing you need to know. You may lose your bowling ball. You line everything up. You get ready. You roll the ball.

And suddenly the dogs think you’ve just invented the greatest game in the history of mankind. “You threw the ball! You threw the ball! IT’S OUR TURN!” So if you have dogs, you might want to choose your bowling location carefully.

This is where we can turn a simple activity into a little learning experience. Give everyone a team name. Maybe you’re the: Pin Busters The Spare Bears The Cates Rollers or The Greatful Bowlers.

Or let the children come up with something completely ridiculous. Give each player a name and keep score. Now you’ve got a homemade bowling league. And without realizing it, you’re practicing:

• Counting
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Writing
• Taking turns
• Following rules
• Teamwork
• Hand-eye coordination
• A little friendly competition

That’s one of the things I loved about homeschooling. Sometimes the best lessons didn’t look like lessons at all. Now let’s turn U.S. Bowling League Day into a history lesson.

Bowling is much older than most of us realize. The International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame describes bowling as having a 5,000-year history, tracing the sport’s journey from ancient Egypt through Europe and eventually into America and modern bowling.

That gives children a lot to think about. People thousands of years ago were playing games involving balls and pins. Over time, different forms of bowling developed.

Ninepin games became popular in Europe. Bowling traditions eventually came to America. And over the years, the game developed into the ten-pin bowling we recognize today.

So when your child rolls a ball at a row of plastic bottles in the living room, they’re actually participating in a very old human tradition: Throw something. Knock something over. Have fun. Okay, maybe the ancient Egyptians didn’t have our plastic water bottles. But you get the jest.

I’m sure if you’ve been around for a while you know what a bowling league is but if not it’s a group of bowlers who play together in organized competition, generally over a series of games or weeks.

And that’s another opportunity to talk to children about what makes a team work. Everybody doesn’t have to be the best player. Everybody doesn’t have to have the highest score.

You show up. You take your turn. You encourage the other people on your team. You celebrate the good shots. And when somebody throws a gutter ball? You laugh, encourage them and get ready for the next frame. That’s a pretty good lesson for life, too.

For me the best thing about bowling is how it brings griends and families together That’s probably the biggest reason I wanted to write about U.S. Bowling League Day.

Bowling is one of those activities where different generations can participate together. Grandparents can bowl. Parents can bowl. Children can bowl. Teenagers can bowl. Dogs can try to bowl.

And if somebody doesn’t want to bowl—or can’t bowl—you can still be part of the day. You can keep score. Take pictures. Cheer for everyone. Or hang out at the Bar or resturant which is what I liked to do or play video games which most bowling alleys have.

Or you could visit a bowling museum. Make bowling food. Watch a bowling movie. Or make your own bowling alley at home. That’s important to me because I’d love to be able to start bowling again.

I think it would actually be a fun way for me to get moving and get some steps in. But right now, my shoulder isn’t exactly cooperating, and David’s knees aren’t making bowling sound like a wonderful idea either.

And that’s okay. Sometimes you have to find another way to participate. Maybe someday we’ll get back out there. Maybe we won’t. But bowling has already given us plenty of memories.

If you love bowling or your homeschooling—or even if you aren’t—why not turn U.S. Bowling League Day into a field trip? Did you know in Arlington, Texas, we have the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame.

The museum is located at 621 Six Flags Drive in Arlington, within the International Bowling Campus. It preserves and exhibits the history of bowling, including artifacts, photographs, film and stories from the sport’s long history.

The museum currently lists admission at $9.50 plus tax for adults, $7.50 plus tax for seniors age 65 and older and children ages 4–18, with children 3 and under admitted free.

Its current public hours are Tuesday through Saturday, with Monday and Sunday closed. Families should check the museum’s website before making a trip because hours, admission and special closures can change.

For a homeschool family, that could make a wonderful history lesson. You could study bowling at home. Make your own bowling pins. Learn some bowling vocabulary. Then take your lesson on the road and see the history for yourself. And you don’t have to be homeschooling to do it. Gather your family and go learn something together.

After your bowling lesson, why not have a movie night? One family-friendly option is Alley Cats Strike!, a 2000 Disney sports movie rated TV-G. The story revolves around teenagers and a bowling competition, with teamwork being an important part of the story. It runs about 1 hour and 27 minutes.

Make some popcorn. Make bowling-pin cookies. Let everybody wear their homemade bowling shirts. And turn the living room into your own little bowling night.

And since this is GreatfulMoments.com, you know we’re not going to have a family activity without talking about food. You could make: Bowling-pin cookies– Decorate sugar cookies to look like bowling pins. Bowling sandwiches– Cut sandwiches into fun shapes or decorate the plate like a bowling lane.

Bowling snacks– Use crackers, fruit, vegetables or whatever your family enjoys to create a bowling-themed snack tray. The goal isn’t to make something Pinterest-perfect. The goal is to have fun making something together.

I thought I would share another easy activity kids of all ages can do. Take a piece of paper and draw the outline of a bowling shirt. Then let your child create a team shirt.

What’s the team name? What number are they? What does their logo look like? What colors represent their team? You could even make a family bowling team.

And if your family actually goes bowling, wear your shirts underneath your jackets and pretend you’re a professional bowling team. Just remember I am the Captain.

Here’s my favorite activity of all. Ask somebody who remembers bowling when they were younger. Maybe it’s Grandma. Maybe it’s Mom or Dad. OIr a friend or family member.

Ask:

• Did you ever go bowling?
• Who did you bowl with?
• Were you ever on a bowling team?
• What did the bowling alley look like?
• Did you have a favorite bowling snack?
• What was your highest score?
• Did somebody in your family have a funny bowling style?
• Do you remember bowling with your parents?
• Do you remember taking your children bowling?

And if you’re lucky, you’ll hear a story you’ve never heard before. That’s what I love about activities like this. They connect the generations creating new memories to share with younger children.

So here’s your challenge. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. You don’t have to leave your house. You don’t even need a bowling set. All you need to do is to choose one:

Go bowling or make a bowling alley at home. Build a tabletop bowling game. Visit the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame. Watch a bowling movie.

Make bowling cookies. Design a bowling shirt. Interview someone in your family about bowling. Or do all of them. Make it a family day. Make it a homeschool lesson. Make it a date with your spouse. Make it a rainy-day activity. Make it a memory.

And maybe that’s what Bowling really is and it is why I started this article when I was thinking about bowling. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’m really thinking about people.

My best friend from high school. David and his bowling team. Charlie and that little bowling set that stayed in our toybox for years. And my mom and Suzzane. Oh, my mom and that granny shot. I really wish you could have seen her.

Maybe someday I’ll get back on a bowling lane. Maybe David and I will find a way to bowl again. Maybe we’ll just make a little bowling alley at home and laugh when the dogs steal the ball.

Either way, I’m grateful for the memories. Because sometimes the activity isn’t really what stays with you. It’s the people you did it with. And years later, you may not remember who won the game. But you’ll remember your mom’s granny shot. And you’ll smile. That’s a pretty good reason to celebrate U.S. Bowling League Day.

Your U.S. Bowling League Day Family Activity

Learn: Discover the history of bowling. Create: Make your own bowling pins and bowling shirt. Play: Build a bowling alley at home. Explore: Visit the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame. Watch: Have a family bowling movie night. Remember: Ask someone you love about their bowling memories. And most importantly: Have fun together.

HTML printable. Absolutely. I’d make this a multi-section printable rather than a plain checklist—something kids can actually color, write on, build from, and use while celebrating U.S. Bowling League Day.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com is a family blog filled with faith, family, memories, teaching moments, reviews, books, food, outings and the everyday moments that make life meaningful.

🐸 Rely on God • ✝️ Faith, Friends & Family • 🦋 Suzanne, Flying Free • 🎮 Charlie

Thank you, Glenda, David and Charlie Cates.

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