Add It Up with Tennis Can Bowling

Want to go bowling without having to leave the comfort of your home? Now you can, with Tennis Can Bowling! Fill empty tennis cans with sand, set them up, and roll a ball to knock them down. This indoor game isn't only fun, but it will also help your child improve her math skills! In second grade, kids expand their knowledge of addition by bringing in double-digit numbers. Your child will get to practice this as she adds up her bowling score! Even younger children just learning to count can play.

What You Need:

• 15 tennis ball cans with lids
• 7 1/2 cups of sand
• Colored tape
• Permanent marker
• Medium-size soft ball, such as a Nerf ball
• Paper and pencils

What to Do:

1. Put 1/2 cup of sand in each tennis can. Pop the lids back on and tape them closed.
2. Help your child use the permanent marker to write one number from 1-15 on each can.
3. Set up a bowling zone by taping two long strips of the colored tape in parallel lines on the floor.
4. At one end of the bowling lane, put a line of tape across the two parallel lines to mark the point where the ball will be rolled from.
5. Arrange the cans in a triangle shape at the other end of the lane. Place 5 cans in a line in the back row, 4 in the next, 3 after that, then 2, and 1 up front. The numbered cans can be in any order from 1-15.
6. Hand the first player the ball. Have her stand a few feet behind the bowling lane line, then roll the ball towards the pins to knock them down. After every turn, encourage the player to pick up the pins and set them up again.
7. To keep track of the score, invite your child to see which pins she knocked over. Help her find the two fallen pins with the highest numbers.
8. Have her add the two numbers together on a piece of paper and that number is her score. For each turn, the player will add the sum of the two highest numbers with the previous score. Offer help if your child is having a hard time adding everything up. (Note: for younger children, simply have them count the number of pins they knocked down.)
9. The next player takes a turn and does the same.
10. After 3 rounds, invite players to compare scores. The player with the higher score is the winner! If you wish, play a couple more "bonus" rounds without keeping score.