Toddler Activity #1- Bowling

Alright, here is my first toddler activity post! My goal is to provide you with inexpensive activity ideas for a toddler- one who is not yet a preschooler, but one that has more skills than an infant!

Activity: Toddler Bowling


Materials:
plastic bottles (I used various sizes, but they can all be the same size)
rubber ball

Examples of words to introduce/emphasise: roll, ball, up and down

Skill/concept development:
hand-eye coordination
gross motor development
cause and affect

Tips from doing the activity:
1) Let your toddler explore the bottles first. This is a fun activity in and of itself! Weston and Eli enjoyed hearing the sound the bottles made when they hit the floor.

2) I found it easiest to have two adults- one to set up the "pins" and one to guide the toddler in standing back and rolling (or throwing) the ball.
3) Let your toddler guide the activity. If they have fun running up to the bottles and throwing the ball at them from 6 inches away- let them:) If they find it easier to kick the ball- let them:)

4) Have them experiment with different ways to knock down the pins- i.e. with their hands, feet, pushing a box, etc...
5) Don't forget to get excited and clap when they knock the pins down!

Extension: With an advanced/older toddler you can count how many pins he/she knocked down and how many are left standing. "One, two, three are up; one, two, three, four, five are down!"

Finally, this is what happens when Daddy joins in the fun- human bowling:)