Why Bowling is a Great Idea for a Kid's Party in NYC

Is your child outgrowing your apartment? When it comes to throwing birthday parties, the last thing you want to worry about is trying to squeeze all of your son or daughter's friends into an inner-city living room. The solution? Take your party out of the house. Sure, garden parties and decking out a few park tables is an idea, but there is always the weather and other crowds to consider. For kids parties manhattan isn't always the easiest location. How about taking everyone for an afternoon at the bowling alley?

You can stop worrying about what theme your child wants this year, as the bowling lane atmosphere takes care of that. There is no need for a DJ, or Uncle Joe's iPod, when you have cool neon lights and lively music in the background. Even cleaning up is a no-brainer. Rather than hoping your child's friend will avoid spilling her grape juice on your new sofa or stressing about the after-party clean up, take them to the bowling lanes. The only food you need to think about preparing is the cake. If the kids are hungry or thirsty, they will have plenty of selection at the snack bar.

Holding your son or daughter's celebration at the bowling alley is a goof-proof way to hold a birthday party. Even if your kids are a handful, most bowling alleys have an adjoining arcade where children can hop on a virtual motorbike and ride out their restlessness.

As a cautionary note, let the kids bowl with the bumpers up-gutter balls are one thing that, in just one turn, can put a heavy damper on the birthday girl or birthday boy's mood!

Most young bowlers are not intensely competitive; if the game seems to be going a bit slow, though, there are plenty of bowling games to keep the fun running high. Try giving each frame a theme. For example, frame six could be bowled backwards, frame eight might have to be bowled granny style, slow motion, or even left-handed. To keep kids engaged when it is not their turn, guessing whether the bowler will knock over an even or odd number of pins is a simple but fun game for spectators.

At the end of each game, calling out made-up awards for the bowlers is an enjoyable way to round up the play. Whoever bowled the most strikes can be named "Strike Savvy," or whoever had the most daring moves could be called something like "Bravest Bowler." This makes scoring less important and puts the focus back on the fun.

Wherever you hold your child's party in New York City, there are a few things to prepare. Luckily, having a bowling party makes these final considerations a breeze. Every birthday boy or girl needs a cake, and bowling parties are no different. In this case, a round birthday cake decorated like a bowling ball is easy to make, and a bowling pin-shaped birthday cake is easy to buy. Who knew choosing a cake could be so straightforward? Get creative by decorating a bowling ball cake with a marble design of your son or daughter's favorite colors, or add a silly face to the bowling pin!

For party favors that will last much longer than the contents of a treat bag, buy some generic shirts from your local craft store and make personalized bowling shirts for your guests. Using the same color shirt for all the young bowlers doubles as a convenient strategy for keeping track of them as they run around the bowling alley. If you do decide to make treat bags for everyone to take home, plastic toy-sized bowling sets are fairly easy to find in party stores.

When you have been thinking about everyone else at your child's birthday party, it is easy to forget about fun for yourself and the other parents! Let everyone join the party by setting up a lane alongside the children where parents can play. You may discover that a bowling birthday party was the perfect way to celebrate in NYC. Who says grown-ups can't play as well?