According to The Bowling Foundation, a non-profit organization that partners with the United States Bowling Congress and the Bowling Proprietors Association of America, more than 21 million children between the ages of six and 17 bowled at least once in 2006. The cost of bowling, between lane rental and shoe rental, can be steep for larger families, but many AMF Bowling Centers across the United States and Canada have an answer: Kids Bowl Free.
Kids Bowl Free
Kids Bowl Free is an AMF Bowling Center initiative that started in 2009. The basic premise: sign up at KidsBowlFree.com and all kids in a household can bowl two games per day, free, at the AMF Bowling Center of their choice for the summer.
Most AMF Bowling Centers define the "summer" liberally, from sometime in May through Labor Day and sometimes beyond. Children aged five through 15 qualify for the program, though some bowling centers have different age guidelines; check the specific requirements for your area center before signing up.
Frugal Family Fun
In addition, while kids are always free (shoe rental is an additional cost, though parents can always find reasonably priced bowling shoes at consignment shops or at shoe retailers like Shoeline.com), now parents and other adults in the family can bowl with the Kids Bowl Free program – but for a modest cost.
For $24.95 up to four adults in a family can get the same two free games per day with the Kids Bowl Free Family Pass program. Not $24.95 per adult; up to four adults can sign up for a total of $24.95. Parents, grandparents, kids in the family 16 and older, etc. count.
Family Summer Bowling Program
To get started, find a Kids Bowl Free participating bowling center in your area. Follow the sign up directions. Once your family is registered in the system, you'll start to receive coupons each week. Follow directions to print the free game coupons before you go to your registered bowling center.
Kids Bowl Free participants can only go to one bowling center throughout the entire season, though if you need to change you can do so, but only once per summer. In other words, you can't go to one center for a week, then change to another, then change again, or go to two different centers in the same week (i.e. have two accounts).
For frugal family fun, this summer bowling program accommodates everyone; even families with babies and toddlers can rotate turns at the lane and turns on baby or toddler duty. Get an air-conditioned break from the summer heat and build a new sport skill that involves everyone.
Melanie Zoltan - Melanie Zoltan is a former college professor and administrator who has written for About.com, PCWorld, Brain Child, Thomson Gale, and ...
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