Need a new idea for fun summer activities? Turn your backyard into a bowling alley with Splash Bowling! In this exciting water activity, kids don’t roll a ball—they ARE the ball! Children slide down a slippery track to knock over pins at the bottom, combining the thrills of a slip-n-slide with the satisfaction of toppling pins.
It’s a perfect activity for hot summer days when everyone is looking to cool off while having active fun outdoors.
Table of Contents
Materials Needed
- Plastic tarp or slip-n-slide (at least 15 feet long)
- Baby shampoo or dish soap
- Garden hose
- 10 empty plastic bottles for pins (you could also cut up pool noodles)
- Water to partially fill bottles
- Towels for drying off
- Optional: Food coloring for the bottles
- Optional: Scorecards and pencils
Setting Up Your Splash Bowling Alley
Find a gentle slope in your yard for the best sliding experience. The slight incline helps kids slide without needing to push themselves.
But if your yard doesn’t slope- no problem! It just requires a bit of a running start to get down the slip-n-slide.
Lay down your plastic tarp or slip-n-slide and secure the edges.. This prevents shifting and keeps the slide in place during enthusiastic play.
Add water from your garden hose, then squirt baby shampoo or dish soap across the surface. This creates the perfect slippery track for human bowling balls!
At the bottom of the slide, set up ten plastic bottles in a triangle formation, just like bowling pins. Fill each bottle with 1-2 inches of water so they stand upright but can still be knocked over.
For added visual appeal, you could add food coloring to the water in the bottles. Different colored pins make the game more exciting!
I have also purchased pool noodles from the dollar store in different colors and cut them to size.
How to Play
Players take turns sliding down the slippery track on their stomachs, trying to knock down as many pins as possible with their body. The natural momentum from sliding provides the force to topple the pins!
After each player’s turn, count how many pins were knocked down and record the score. Then reset the pins for the next player.
For a complete game, play ten frames just like in regular bowling. The player with the highest score at the end wins!
When setting up the pins, I set them back a bit from the end of the slip-and-slide and spread them out more than traditional bowling pins to make it a bit more challenging.
Fun Variations
Team Splash Bowling: Divide into teams and combine scores. This can be fun, especially for larger groups.
Splash Bowling Tournament: Create a bracket-style tournament where players compete head-to-head. The winner advances to the next round!
Target Bowling: Assign point values to different pins. Pins in the center or back might be worth more points than those in front.
Splash Bowling Golf: Set up multiple rounds, each with different pin arrangements. Players try to complete the course with the fewest slides possible.
Costume Bowling: Have players wear funny hats or costumes while sliding. This adds an extra element of hilarity to the game!
Tips for Success
Make sure the sliding surface is well-soaked and soapy. Reapply water and soap between players if needed to maintain slipperiness.
Take turns being the “pin setter” who arranges the bottles after each slide. This job is actually fun since you get to see the action up close!
Whether you’re hosting a birthday party, family gathering, or just looking for a way to make an ordinary summer day extraordinary, Splash Bowling delivers refreshing fun that creates lasting memories and hours of splashy entertainment!