Score a strike with a fantastic bowling party! You can create a high-scoring birthday party 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
Planning a bowling party can be right up your alley! A popular option is to plan your party at a local bowling alley. This is an easy way to throw a party because you reserve a date and let their staff handle 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 and you'd rather not have the party at home, consider using a local recreation center room, a community clubhouse, or your church hall. Or try 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.
- A second option is to cut 4 ¾ inch circles from black cardstock. Then add three white circle stickers as the finger holes to create a bowling ball. Turn it 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! Try our suggestions, or create your own!
[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, we suggest giving a start time 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, which is perfect when you want to send your invitations quickly. Check out all of our bowling party invitations.
Bowling Party Favors
Thank your guests with fun party favors like mini bowling sets, bowling stickers, and small trophies. You can also choose from our large selection of individual bowling party favors, favor bags, and favor boxes to create your own goody bags.
And to simplify your planning, consider our complete Bowling Favor Set that includes a matching bag! If you want to add candy, we offer lots of sweet treats that kids love.
For a final, special touch, 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:
- Your guests will feel like a real bowling team if you hand out matching shirts! Perhaps you can purchase kid sized bowling shirts, or order colorful tee shirts with a bowling design, or even 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.
- Another option is to purchase colorful socks in a fun pattern for each guest to wear during the party.
- Make a banner that says “Welcome to the [your last name] Bowling Alley” and hang it near the party entrance. See our bowling banner and let us do the work for you!
- Consider using our Bowling Party Box, which comes filled with bowling-themed partyware, streamers, balloons, and more.
- See our bowling party decorations for more quick and easy decorating choices!
Decorating Ideas for a Bowling Alley Party:
- Some locations will set up the food table directly behind the lanes where your guests are bowling. Plan to bring table covers with a bowling theme, and add red and white streamers draped from each end.
- Anchor a group of balloons at one end of the food table with a balloon weight.
- Decorate each lane of your party with a group of helium 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.
- If the bowling alley provides a party room, tie a balloon to each chair, and tie a group of five balloons to the birthday child’s. Set up small plastic bowling games as decorations on each table.
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. Then write a guest’s name on each one, and attach them to the walls of the party space.
- 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.
- 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 birthday child’s chair!
- Consider a pull-string piñata if you would rather not have small children swinging a bat. 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.
And for a sweet finale, let the children create their own “Bowling Alley Banana Split” to tie in another bowling term. (In bowling, a “split” occurs whenever the first roll knocks down some pins, but creates a space between the pins still standing. It is more difficult to knock down all the remaining pins on the second roll.) Set out bowls of bananas sliced lengthwise, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and any other toppings your guests enjoy. Offer chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, and let the children choose the toppings they prefer.
Children love shaped cakes, so why not make a Bowling Ball Birthday Cake! It’s easier than it sounds, because all you need is an oven-proof glass bowl. 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!
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