Fill six plastic bottles with a little water and arrange them in a row as skittles. Mark a bowling line three metres back. Children take turns rolling a ball or large stone at the bottles, counting how many fall. Reset and play again, scoring ten frames or counting totals.
What you need
- 6 plastic bottles
- water (to half-fill bottles for stability)
- ball or large stone
How to do it
- 1Half-fill 6 bottles with water and arrange in a triangle on flat ground.
- 2Mark a bowling line 3 metres away. Roll the ball along the ground — no throwing.
- 3Count how many fall. Reset after each go.
- 4Move the line back once they are getting too accurate. The game should stay hard.
Variations
- If they refuse to play: watch silently while you play a round alone. Most children want to join once they see it's fun without them.
- Wind down with a final round or a cooling-off activity. End before frustration sets in.
💡 Parent tip
Adjust difficulty by distance, not by rule-changing. When a child starts knocking everything down every round, take one step back. They'll self-regulate once they understand that's the lever.
What your child develops
- Force and direction — the angle of release determines which bottles are hit
- Counting and arithmetic — keeping score requires tracking across rounds
- Fine motor aim — controlling a ball's direction without throwing it is a specific skill
Safety notes
- Ensure bottles are stable before each go. Check the rolling path is clear of other children.
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