Easy! Plastic Bottle Bowling (for Seniors)
In this article, we’ll introduce lots of ideas for a “bowling game using plastic bottles.” Bowling is a game that really gets everyone excited.
But to be honest, resetting the fallen pins can be a hassle.
Here are some ideas to make that cleanup easy.
We also have games that use a folding fan, as well as fun activities where you roll the ball like in gateball.
You can use a desk and sit in a chair, or kick with your feet.
Please choose activities that suit the condition and abilities of older adults.
Easy! Plastic Bottle Bowling: For Seniors (1–10)
gateball
Some seniors may have enjoyed gateball or ground golf, right? There are also day service centers and care facilities that incorporate them as recreational activities.
Here’s a game that combines those two well-known sports among seniors with bowling.
The rules are simple: use a stick or similar item to roll a ball and hit plastic bottle pins.
You compete on the total points from the pins you knock down, so it should be exciting as a team competition.
Besides dedicated gateball or ground golf sticks, canes or umbrellas work fine.
Those who have difficulty standing can also play while seated.
Easy-Clean Bowling
These are recommended items for bowling during recreational activities.
The more pins you knock down, the happier you’ll be, right? However, when many pins fall, it can take time to set them back up.
To solve this, place the pins in frames made from empty milk cartons to keep them in place.
Make rings out of milk cartons and secure each one to a base at a single point.
Put double-sided tape on the bottom of the plastic bottle pins and set each bottle inside a ring.
Even if they get knocked over by the ball, they won’t scatter.
Moreover, because the plastic bottles and the rings are attached to the base, tilting the base will return them to their original positions.
It’s easy to make, so give it a try!
kick bowling
Here’s an introduction to Kick Bowling, a fun way to exercise your legs.
As we get older, we tend to have fewer opportunities to move our bodies.
When physical activity decreases, balance and walking ability decline, which can lead to falls and fractures.
In some cases, fractures can even result in being bedridden.
Try moving your body with Kick Bowling by kicking a ball with your foot to knock down water-filled plastic bottles.
It’s a great way for many older adults to enjoy themselves while focusing on leg movement.
For safety, prepare a chair or something similar to hold onto when kicking the ball, as a substitute for a handrail.
Some older adults may find it difficult to kick the ball.
Please make adjustments to suit their abilities and have fun.
Bowling using a folding fan
Here’s an introduction to a quirky kind of bowling that uses a folding fan instead of a ball.
In Japan, there’s a game called “Tōsenkyō,” where you throw a fan to knock down a target.
It’s a pastime that dates back to the Edo period, so some older folks may be familiar with it.
Players compete based on where the fan and the target land to score points.
Using a similar idea, try lining up empty plastic bottles and throwing a fan at them.
Since it’s a fan, you can also enjoy knocking them down by creating wind.
Once you get the hang of it, try variations like increasing the number of bottles or adding water to make them heavier.
It’s easy to set up, so give it a try for recreation or group activities.
Bowling with newspapers and plastic bags
Bowling is a game where you aim at pins with a ball, but it can be pretty hard to aim, right? In times like that, why not try this PET-bottle bowling? You can easily make the pins from empty plastic bottles and the ball from a plastic bag stuffed with newspaper, and best of all, it’s designed so anyone can enjoy it! The trick is that a stick fixed in front of the pins is connected to the ball with rubber bands.
Pull and stretch the rubber bands, then let go—the ball snaps forward with force and knocks down the pins.
With this setup, aiming should be a breeze!
Bowling with marbles in it
Bowling is a game where you knock down pins, but doesn’t it sometimes feel like a hassle to set them up again? Here’s an idea to shorten the time it takes to arrange bowling pins.
Prepare empty plastic bottles to use as pins.
Put marbles inside the bottles to act as weights.
Even if the ball hits the pins, they’ll be less likely to scatter everywhere.
Since the steps are simple, it seems like something you could enjoy making together with older adults.
With handmade items, a bit of creativity can reduce the effort of setting up and also create more enjoyable time making them with seniors.
Hanging bowling
Back in the Showa era, bowling was incredibly popular.
Many seniors probably enjoyed bowling, too.
At an actual bowling alley, the pins are lowered from above and set in place before you throw the ball, right? You can realistically recreate that by attaching strings to plastic-bottle pins.
Attach a string to the cap of each of the ten plastic bottles.
When the game ends, pull up the ten strings together from above the pins.
The mechanism will neatly reset the ten bottles into a triangular formation.
The key is adjusting the height and position of the strings that suspend the bottles from above.
It should also bring back fond memories of bowling.