My students LOVE to tell their friends that they went bowling during their piano lesson! I did splurge a little bit on this item. It's just one of those things that I saw and had to add to my collection of fun piano activities. I tell you what, I am so glad I bought it! All of my students from Pre-K through Middle school really enjoy this game and the quality of the product is exceptional! Sometimes when we buy children's toys they fall apart after a week's worth of use but not this. I've had this bowling kit for over 6 years and it is still in excellent condition. I purchased it from "Us Toys" ® back where I used to live. Their website address is www.constructiveplaythings.com if you're interested in buying this for your students.
The only thing I added to the bowling pins were velcro dots; one half of the set onto the pins and the other half on whatever letter or staff cards I was using for the game (Picture 1). I placed the matching piano key pictures on a table (Picture 2 left), had the kiddos stand a few feet away from the bowling pins, and roll the ball to see how many pins they could knock down with two attempts (just like in real bowling). After rolling the ball twice they were only allowed to pick up the pins that had fallen down and match them to the corresponding pictures on the table. I give my students about 4 minutes to complete this. If they have time at the end they are then allowed to pick up the remaining pins and match them as well. I'm not sure who enjoys this game more, my students playing it, me seeing the excitement in their eyes, or my students' parents who can't believe that their children are having so much fun all the while learning and retaining crucial musical concepts. Until next time piano blogger signing off......
