Mar 08, 2025
Children are less intimidated by having a go at writing when the writing has a purpose, such as keeping a score during a game.
By integrating writing into activities they already love, children are much more likely to develop positive writing habits that will support their literacy growth in the long term. Writing in this context gives children ownership of the game and a sense of responsibility. They are actively contributing to the game’s progress and success.
Use empty bottles as pins and a soft ball to create your own bowling alley. Keep score by having your child write down how many pins get knocked over when each person has a turn. They can do this by making a mark for each pin that gets knocked over, using a tally system, writing a numeral or copying a numeral that you write.
Write numerals on the bottles with a permanent marker. Help your child add the score for each person to identify who has knocked over the most pins. To support this give your child an object, such as a counter, stick or stone, for every pin that gets knocked over and then count the total at the end of the game to determine who has knocked over the most pins.