Bowling pin set

Bowled over

Difficulty: 2

Preparation time: 3

Cleanup: 3

Activity time: 1 hour

You will need:

• Six to ten empty plastic water or mil bottles.
• Acrylic paint.
• A sponge or paintbrush.
• Old newspaper.
• A ball.

Step 1:

Lay the newspaper down on a table or the floor and get painting. Depending on the age of your child, decide if you would like to paint the bottles yourself or get him to help you. Paint the entire bottle including the cap. You can paint all the bottles the same colour or make them different colours.

Step 2:

Let the bottles stand overnight to make sure that the paint is completely dry.

Step 3:

Group the bottles together in a ten pin bowling formation and show your child how to roll the ball and knock them over, Let him do this himself. He can roll the ball and throw it. This will exercise his hand-eye coordination. Once he is able to hit the pins with ease, move him a little bit backwards to increase the difficulty of the activity. You can also get him to take a running start.  

TIPS:

The bottles that you've painted can also be used for other activities:

1. Let your child screw off the lids and then put them back on. This is also a good exercise for fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination.
2. Get him to fill the bottles with rice, sand or water and empty them again.
3. The bottles that you've filled with rice also make good rattles for making music with.