Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Activities

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to throw the perfect kids’ bowling birthday party

For a cool kids' birthday party, head to a bowling alley

Dawn Miller
By
Child bowling at a bowling alley birthday party
Dziurek / Shutterstock

There are so many kids’ birthday parties during the year. When it’s your kiddo’s turn to throw a party, it can be tough to come up with a unique idea. If you’re on the hunt for something different to do with for your child’s upcoming birthday, plan a bowling party at your local lanes. You will definitely roll strike for his or her special day. Putting together a kids’ bowling birthday party won’t impact your spare time since the venue takes care of the majority of the party details. A bowling birthday party is a perfect pick for kids of all ages, from preschoolers to teens. So, let’s get the planning rolling.

Kids having fun at a bowling birthday party
Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock

How to plan a bowling birthday party

If a bowling party is right up your birthday boy or girl’s alley, then the first step is to check out bowling facilities in your area. Find out if they offer party packages and what they include. Many serve up food options as well as an attendant to help organize the bowlers. Ask if the party pack includes shoe rentals. Usually it does, but you don’t want any surprises on your child’s big day.

Recommended Videos

See if bumpers are available, especially if your kid’s birthday party is for younger children. Bumpers take away those tear-inspiring gutter balls and turn the bowling birthday party into a completely kid-friendly experience. Don’t forget to see what the cancellation policy is in case of illness on the big day to the quest of honor or an emergency. For more pointers on how to roll a perfect game for your child’s birthday, we’ve got all our planning pins lined up to help you.

Related

Invites

Once you’ve found a bowling alley to suit your party needs, booked a date and time, it’s time to send out the invitations. Using a bowling-themed invite is always a nice touch and can easily be found online at sites like Esty and Zazzle. Preprinted invitations are a huge time saver for busy parents.

Decorations

Decorations sometimes come with party packages, but if yours doesn’t, head online to dress up the party area at the alley with bowling-themed festive touches. With a bowling party pack, you can get paper plates, napkins, cups, and cutlery. Top it off with a brightly colored tablecloth or one with a bowling pin displayed on it. Setup and cleanup are quick and no fuss. For younger kids, you may want to glam up the party area with their favorite superheroes, Disney characters, or cartoons.

Cupcakes instead of cake

Cupcakes work best for kids and teen parties, especially when the festivities are away from home. They are a lot easier to deal with than cutting a cake and faster to hand out. A cupcake cake in the shape of a bowling pin or ball will definitely not be a gutter ball.

Bowling shoe sizes

Since it’s a bowling party, the participants will have to rent shoes. This can be a little chaotic, especially since your party will not be the only activity going on at the bowling alley. To make the festivities run a little smoother while saving you some anxiety and time, ask parents to RSVP with their child’s shoe size.

Before the party, write up or print out a list of all the party guests and their shoe sizes. Arrange to have all the needed sizes before the guests arrive. It will get the kids out onto the lanes a lot quicker and make the entire process less stressful for everyone.

Keep shoes organized

Kids and teens tend to leave their shoes anywhere. To avoid lost shoes, bring a container large enough to hold everyone’s shoes just in case the alley doesn’t have a place for bowlers to store their shoes. Bring sticky notes or labels along to write each participant’s name and stick it on the top of one shoe.

At the end of the party, one adult can hand out shoes and collect the bowling shoes to return to the facility. With a little shoe organization before and after the party, you will certainly be rolling a spare.

Party favors

Party favors or goodie bags are final parting gifts kids really enjoy. Bowling pin cookies or a chocolate bowling pin lollipop are deliciously delightful party favors you can order ahead of time from a local bakery or chocolate shop. Have the treats wrapped in clear or colored packaging with a bow for a festive touch. Other bowling party favor ideas include bowling key chains, finger bowling game sets, or bowling socks. Check out Etsy for other adorable party-ready bowling pin favors.

Kids having fun at a bowling alley party
New Africa / Shutterstock

Final bowling party frame

If you’re searching for a different kids’ birthday party idea for your kiddo, think bowling. A bowling birthday party is a perfect pick for multiple ages. Even adults enjoy a bowling outing, as do families. Most bowling alleys offer birthday party packages at different price levels, and booking one takes a lot of the party planning stress off you. Once you locate a family-friendly bowling alley, decide on the date and time along with how many guests.

Many alleys also serve up a party menu kids love, like pizza. That leaves you with just bowling-themed invitations, cake, and favors. Just remember to pack candles and the list of shoe sizes, and this bowling birthday will be a smashing strike.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dawn Miller
Dawn Miller
Contributor
Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
4-year-old birthday party ideas: 7 low-stress themes your child will love
Have a preschool party to remember with these cool birthday party ideas
Boy is excited for his fourth birthday

Birthdays are the best when your kids are in preschool. There's so much excitement wrapped up in their upcoming birthday. Of course, you will want to have a party to mark the special occasion. This is such a fun age. Preschoolers are curious, have a great deal of energy, and love to play. When putting together a fabulous fourth birthday party, you'll need to have an engaging theme, but you also don’t want to overload yourself with added stress. Thankfully, soon-to-be 4-year-olds have a wealth of interests to choose an engaging theme from. There also isn't a shortage of 4-year-old birthday party ideas that are absolutely amazing.

Whether you're hosting at home, outside, or holding the party at a venue, the theme sets the tone for the party’s decor, cake, and goodie bags. To avoid giving yourself extra anxiety, pick a theme that’s easy to implement, easy on the budget, and of course, one that kids will be thrilled about. So, let's get ready to celebrate because we have a list of 4-year-old birthday party ideas that are fantastic.

Read more
Healthy extracurricular activities kids and teens should explore
Turn off the screen and sign up your kids for healthier activities
Kids playing games outside

It's all about Fortnite, Roblox, and YouTube when it comes to what kids do with their free time. But certain activities aren't the best for their minds and bodies, are they? We want our kids to have hobbies that challenge them and help them be smarter than we ever will be. That means getting them involved in healthier extracurricular activities than gaming or staring at a screen, and we can help with that.

Why kids need extracurricular activities
Can't kids just sit and play video games all evening? Tetris is known to improve memory and could help reduce anxiety, so it can't be all bad. While it would be fine to spend a little time gaming, kids need other adventures to stimulate different parts of their brains and get their bodies moving. Kids and teens need to find out what they like, so they have healthy hobbies as adults.
There's no right age to start
Whether your child is 7 or 17, they could sign up for an activity. There are classes for newborns, toddlers, and grade-school age, and we know there are endless activities for high schoolers. Whenever your child shows an interest in something, that's the right time to get them involved.
Kids don't need to do all the things
But it doesn't mean your child should be in nonstop activities all year, every year. You like vacations and time off, and so will your children. Like you get burned out from time to time, a child put into too many activities will, as well. Have open communication with your kids on how they like what they are in, if they want to do more, and if they want to do less.

Read more
Baby play mat ins and outs: What age you should get one and the benefits for baby’s development
Play mats are fun for babies of all ages
Smiling baby on colorful play mat

There seems to be an endless array of baby gear available for little ones as they grow and develop, and it can be hard to determine which products are worth the investment. Play mats are a must-have item for many babies because they can provide endless fun and stimulation for your little one, not to mention allowing them to play on their own.

A play mat gives your child a comfortable spot where they can play on their back or their tummy and practice rolling over while also giving parents a nice break from holding or entertaining their baby. It's also a nice place where baby's classic toys are within easy reach for your mini human. 

Read more