Awesome Sensory Bowling Activity for Kids

As a mother of a child with sensory processing disorder, I am always searching for new and fun ways that we can fulfill his sensory needs using sensory play. Bowling is such a fun game and a great way for my little guy to get the sensory input he needs. Since his plastic bowling game set is long gone, we decided to make our own sensory bowling game.

How to create and play sensory bowling.

Sensory Bowling Ingredients:

Flour
Baby Oil
Beads (optional)
10 Empty Bottles
Large Ball

Making the bowling set was part of the fun and sensory play. We started with making cloud dough, using this simple and easy recipe from Happy Hooligans. After making the cloud dough, we threw in some beads, simply to add to the sensory fun. Honestly, I think my kids got most of their enjoyment from mixing the beads into the cloud dough. After they had tons of fun playing in the cloud dough and made a total mess in my kitchen, we filled empty Gatorade bottles.

We filled some bottles all the way, some half full and the rest about a quarter of the way full to test which ones would fall more easily, but honestly, they all fell the same, so fill them however full you want. I just wanted to make sure that we used up all of the cloud dough so that I could get my bowl back. After we filled all of the bottles, we set the pins up and went bowling. We started with a 2 lb weighted ball but it was a little small and just pushed the pins around. Then we tried the basketball and all of sudden had 2 little pro bowlers that were knocking down all of the bowling pins.

This sensory bowling game was fun for all of us from beginning to end. Even better, it is an inexpensive activity that offers tons of different sensory input. The kids enjoyed making and playing in the cloud dough, which gave the kids tactile sensory input. Throwing the ball to knock down the pins offers both proprioceptive and vestibular sensory input.

Sensory bowling also helps with fine motor skills from setting up the bowling pins to using hand eye coordination to actually knocking down the pins. And don’t forget the heavy work. I made my child carry all the bowling pins and help with sweeping up all the spilled cloud dough that fell to the floor. Another bonus to sensory bowling is that this can easily be played inside or outside, so regardless of the weather, your little one can get some of their sensory needs met while having fun.

Erin is the mother of 2 of the most adventurous, hard headed, fun loving, perfect children. She is also a wife, part-time fundraiser for a public charity for children with complex learning disabilities, and an aspiring blogger. Connect with her via her blog Putting Socks on Chickens, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.