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.
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- [For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
- Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Be a Hit! Popular Day Service Recreational Activities
- For Seniors: Enjoy Every Day! A Collection of Senior Recreation Ideas
- [For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Handmade Game Ideas You Can Enjoy
Easy! Plastic Bottle Bowling: For Seniors (1–10)
Bowling where you hit the pins with beanbags
Here’s a tabletop bowling game using beanbags and plastic bottles.
Secure the bottoms of the bottles with wide tape so they won’t fall off the table when hit by a thrown beanbag.
A key point is that it’s easy to stand the fallen bottles back up.
Line the bottles up in a single row, throw the beanbags, and score points when bottles are knocked down.
You can make it even more fun by varying the points based on where the bottles are placed—for example, give higher points to bottles near the edge of the table.
It’s enjoyable solo and also great for team competitions.
This game can spark communication and interaction among participants.
Colorful decorative bowling
Let’s decorate empty plastic bottles in colorful ways and turn them into bowling pins.
Put things like colored tape and craft pom-poms inside the bottles.
If you add small bells, they’ll make a cute sound when the pins fall over.
You can also have fun by using face-part stickers on each bottle to give every pin a different face.
Decorate the caps with masking tape or stickers, too.
Craft activities use the fingers, which stimulate and activate the brain.
Imagining the finished product as you create it also serves as brain training and is said to help prevent dementia.
It’s a project that’s fun to make and fun to use for bowling.
Bowling played on a desk
Introducing tabletop bowling that you can even play while seated.
With simple adjustments—like switching the ball to a rubber one—it becomes a game that’s easy for older adults to enjoy.
This time, we’ll show you how to play bowling on a desk.
Set up plastic bottle pins on a desk or table, then roll a ball to knock them down.
The key is to add weights inside the bottles.
That way, even if the ball hits them, they won’t fall over easily, working like roly-poly toys.
Depending on the table height, it can be played while sitting in a chair, making it accessible for wheelchair users as well.
It’s a great way to encourage interaction among participants.
Easy! Plastic Bottle Bowling: For Seniors (11–20)
Bowling under the chair
It might be an even more fun game if there are obstacles between the pins and the rolling ball.
In bowling, you watch the pins closely and roll the ball while controlling it so they fall, right? This time, let’s set up chairs as obstacles! Roll the ball toward the plastic-bottle pins you can see through the legs of the four-legged chairs.
If you hit the pins when you can’t see them clearly, you might feel an even greater sense of accomplishment than with regular bowling.
And even missing the pins could make things exciting.
Since you can roll the ball while seated in a chair, it should be approachable for older adults as well.
It’s a bowling game full of creative twists—give it a try!
Demon Bowling Game
Let’s make bowling pins by putting tissue paper inside plastic bottles.
Tissue paper can be easily placed into empty plastic bottles, making this a perfect craft for older adults.
After adding the tissue paper, try sticking on stickers or facial features to the bottle.
You can make them into anime characters, or choose seasonal themes like oni for Setsubun.
Roll up some newspaper into a ball and try knocking the bottles down.
Playing with something you made yourself makes it even more fun.
Give it a try!
Bowling with Various Rules
Bowling is usually a game where you compete by knocking down 10 pins to score points.
Try creating various rules to enjoy bowling in different ways.
For example, you can reduce the number of pins or change the points for strikes and spares.
Many older adults seem to have enjoyed bowling in the past.
It’s also a great idea to make a proper score sheet and record the pins knocked down.
This can help trigger memories of when they used to bowl.
For people with dementia, bowling may be a fun way to help them recall past experiences.
Upside-down bowling
Some day service centers and care facilities incorporate bowling into their recreational activities.
Many places use plastic bottles instead of pins, but have you ever found that they don’t fall over easily even when the ball hits them? When pins don’t topple in bowling, it can take away from the fun.
A recommended method is to place the plastic bottles upside down.
Normally, you’d set them with the base down, but try placing them with the opening facing down.
Just this small change will make them much easier to knock over with the ball.
If you put a little water in the bottles, it acts as a weight and increases the difficulty.
Once everyone gets used to it, try gradually raising the difficulty and enjoy!