Score a strike with your son or daughter by throwing him or her a bowling party! Your party is sure to be a hit with our bowling party decorating ideas, planning tips, food suggestions and bowling games. Bowling parties are popular with all age groups, so you can be sure everyone will have a ball!
Planning & Invitations
Your first decision will be where to have your party. A popular option is to book a few lanes at a local bowling alley. This is an easy way to throw a party because you can let the alley staff handle all the details. Ask for lanes with bumpers if you're bringing along younger kids so that everyone will feel like a winner! Bumpers will stop the bowling balls from rolling into the gutter, which keeps the game fun for kids who are still learning to handle the ball.
If this doesn’t fit your budget, you can throw a high-scoring bowling party at home. Just follow some of the ideas outlined in the Bowling Decorating Ideas below. Or, consider one of the other locations listed in our When & Where to Have the Party article.
What Do I Need for the Party?
If you plan to use paper tableware and bowling party supplies, our Suggested Party Supply List may be helpful while you're shopping. Please note that you may not need everything on the list; it is intended only as a guide.
Bowling Party Invitations
Creative invitations build excitement and can increase attendance at your child's bowling party. If you have time to make your own bowling invitations, be sure to involve your child in choosing the design and filling in the details. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Cut out the shape of a bowling pin from white cardstock, and add red stripes around the neck with a thick red marker. Use red ink to write your party details on the back side.
- Cut 4¾ inch circles from black cardstock. Add three white circle stickers to each "bowling ball" to serve as finger holes. Turn your invitations over and write your party details on the back in silver ink. These invitations will fit into paper CD sleeves, which you can use as envelopes to mail them. Paper CD sleeves and white circle stickers (often used as price tags at yard sales) can be found at office supply stores and discount department stores.
- Use fun wording on the invitation and your guests will be excited before the big day arrives! Create your own or try something like this:
[Your child’s name]’s birthday party is right up your alley!
The king pin is turning [age]
Strike the date [give party date]
Spare the time [give party time]
Bowl on over to [give party address]
Get in the frame and RSVP to [your phone number]
- If your party is at a bowling alley, include a start time on your invitations that is 15 minutes earlier than your reservation. This will give your guests enough time to arrive, put on their bowling shoes, and settle down in their assigned lanes.
- Seal the envelopes with bowling stickers.
- For a special touch, let us print personalized invitations for you! We’ll include your child’s name and all the party details with a background design that complements your bowling theme. You can also take a look at the blank invitations we offer. These are quick to fill in and mail.
Bowling Party Favors
Thank your guests with fun party favors like mini bowling sets, bowling stickers, and small trophies. Or hand out colorful socks in a bowling pattern for each guest to wear during the party. You can also choose from our large selection of individual bowling party favors, favor bags, and favor boxes to create your own goody bags. Also, don't forget to check out our personalized bowling party favors like stickers, magnets and bag tags, which can be printed with a special message or your guests' names. Just choose a design, and we’ll do the rest!
Whichever favors you choose, your party is sure to be a striking success!
Additional Party Planning Tips
To simplify the rest of the party planning process, check out our Party Planning 101 section for our party planning timeline, a printable RSVP sheet, birthday cake ideas, and other party planning basics. Or, just read the paragraphs below for decorating and food ideas, party activities, and more for your child’s bowling party.
Bowling Decorating Ideas
The location of your party will be a factor in choosing decorations. Generally, a bowling alley party will have fewer opportunities to decorate, while a party at home offers more freedom! Look through our suggestions below and choose the ideas that will work best for your party.
Decorating Ideas for Any Location:
- Hand out matching shirts to your guests to make them feel like a real bowling team! Purchase kid-sized bowling shirts, order colorful tee shirts with a bowling design, or make your own! If you make the shirts yourself, look for inexpensive tee shirts at the craft store, and draw a bowling pin design on the front with fabric paint. If you like, add each child's name just below the bowling pin. A big advantage to matching shirts is that your guests are easy to spot inside a bowling alley, which may help if the party location is crowded on the day of your event.
- Make a banner that says “Welcome to the [your last name] Bowling Alley” and hang it near the party entrance or entrance to your assigned lanes. See our personalized bowling banner and let us do the work for you!
- Set up a small plastic bowling game as a centerpiece for the food table.
- Anchor a group of balloons at one end of the food table with a balloon weight.
- Tie a balloon to the back of each chair, and tie a group of five balloons to the chair where the birthday child will sit.
Decorating Ideas for a Bowling Alley Party:
- Some locations will set up the food table directly behind the lanes where your guests are bowling. Cover the table with a bowling-themed tablecloth.
- Drape red and white streamers along the edges of the food table.
- Decorate each lane of your party with a group of balloons to add a festive look. The balloons will also help the children and their parents identify your assigned party area, or return to the right lanes after a bathroom break. For greater impact, combine shaped balloons with colorful latex balloons.
Decorating Ideas for a Party at Home:
- Cut bowling pin shapes from white poster board and add two red stripes around the neck with a thick red marker. Write a guest’s name on each one, and attach them to the walls of the party space.
- If you have a hallway leading up to your door, or a hallway inside where your guests will walk, lay down a strip of tan fabric. Draw little arrows in a triangle near the beginning to resemble a bowling lane. Set up bowling pins at the end and use this as an activity later on.
- Make giant bowling balls from black poster board or construction paper. Use round white stickers (such as those used for price tags at a yard sale) to create the three finger holes, and write bowling terms or other messages in silver ink. Some phrases to consider are “Throw a strike!”, “[Your child’s name]’s bowling team!”, “No gutter balls!”, “Have a ball!”, and “Bowling is right up your alley!” Attach these to the walls around the party space.
- Make bowling ball garland! Purchase Styrofoam balls at any craft store. Paste three round stickers to each to resemble finger holes. Paint the balls black, and once they have dried, peel off the stickers. String them together with a needle and thread, and drape them around your party area.
- Balloons always say “party” to children! Tie groups of helium balloons together and anchor them in place with balloon weights. For greater impact, combine shaped balloons with colorful latex balloons. Tie a balloon to the back of each chair, and tie a group of five balloons to the chair where the birthday child will sit!
- Hang a piñata in the party area. We offer a selection of traditional and pull-string pinatas, but any traditional pinata can be converted to a pull-string using our easy instructions.
Easy Bowling Party Snacks
If the party is at a bowling alley, you may be required to purchase food from their concession stand. In this case, you will need to provide only the cake. If you are allowed to bring additional food, you may want to offer some healthy snacks for your guests to round out the typical concession stand food options. Choose a kid friendly vegetable tray and serve it with a simple dip. Or bring a platter of grapes and apple slices, along with some cheese cubes and wheat crackers.
If you are not at a bowling alley, it can still be fun to serve some of the food items typically found at a concession stand. Start with pizza or hot dogs, and add pretzels, popcorn or french fries. You’ll want to include some healthier options such as grapes, sliced apples, cubes of cheese, and wheat crackers. Serve the drinks with shaped silly straws.
For a sweet finale, let the children create their own “Bowling Alley Banana Split”. Offer chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream. Set out bowls of bananas sliced lengthwise, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, chopped nuts, etc., and let the children choose the toppings they prefer.
Children love shaped cakes, so why not make a Bowling Ball Birthday Cake! Simply pour the cake batter into a greased 2 ½ quart bowl and bake. Cool as usual, and flip the cake over onto a serving plate. Cut out three “finger holes” and place a white tea light candle in each. Cover the rest of the cake with chocolate frosting and add your child’s name in decorator icing. For larger groups, bake several bowling ball cakes, and frost each one in a different color!
|
