If you’ve been paying any attention at all to the news these days, you’ve probably heard all the warnings about how kids don’t get enough exercise. My son, while not overweight, is not a team sports kind of kid.
He loves reading, drawing, playing with Legos, and playing video games. Getting him interested in physical activity takes work. So far, what we’ve had the most success with is bowling.
Bowling is great for kids who aren’t into the competitive aspect of team sports. It doesn’t burn as many calories as a lot of activity choices, but it’s much better than letting them sit on their butt all day. You can increase the fitness benefits simply by limiting the number of people in each lane so there’s not as much downtime between turns.
One thing you’ll want to do if you plan to take your kids bowling on a regular basis is to invest in bowling shoes. Everyone in my family has a pair of Etonic shoes. They are much more comfortable than the rental shoes at the bowling alley and definitely more stylish. Many of the designs glow under the black nights used for cosmic bowling, which is something kids love.
My son actually bowled his very first strike after getting his first pair of Etonic shoes. He is now convinced the shoes have magical powers and will not bowl without them.
Buying new shoes on a regular basis for him is a bit of a pain. But, even if you go bowling only once a month or so, I feel like the cost averages out in the end. You’d have even bigger savings if you have multiple kids to pass the shoes down to as the older children grow out of the smaller sizes.
Photo credit: Bowling.com
