Block Bowling: A Cooperative Large-Motor Challenge

Lesson 271 • By Paula Diekhoff (Expanded Version)
Grade Level: Preschool

Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Strengthen large motor skills through rolling, aiming, and retrieving a ball.

  • Practice cooperative play by taking turns as both the “roller” and the “pin setter.”

  • Use problem-solving and thinking skills when arranging the blocks.

  • Build eye-hand coordination by aiming at a target.

  • Explore experimentation by designing block arrangements of increasing difficulty.

Materials

  • 3 large cardboard blocks (avoid wooden blocks for safety)

  • 1 small rubber playground ball or small basketball

  • Open floor space

  • Optional: tape to mark a “rolling line”

Activity Setup

  1. Create a long straight line where children can sit.

  2. Place the blocks and ball near the teacher (the first pin setter).

  3. Mark a spot on the floor for children to roll the ball from.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Children Sit in Line

All children sit in a line on the floor, legs crossed (“criss-cross applesauce”) or straight out.

2. Teacher Demonstrates First

Teacher acts as the first pin setter:

  • Arrange the 3 cardboard blocks in any configuration—triangle, row, zig-zag, tall stack, wide base, etc.

  • Explain that this person sets up the “pins” and returns the ball.

3. First Child Rolls the Ball

The first child in line:

  • Holds the small ball

  • Rolls it toward the blocks

  • Tries to knock them down

Encourage aiming, gentle rolling—not throwing.

4. Switch Roles

After the child rolls the ball:

  • The pin setter retrieves the ball

  • Gives the ball to the next child in line

  • The roller now becomes the new pin setter

This ensures everyone rotates through BOTH jobs.

5. Continue Until All Have Turned

Repeat the process so each child:

  • Rolls the ball

  • Stacks and arranges the blocks

Encourage cheering and positivity among the group.

Thinking & STEM Connections

Ask children:

  • “What kind of block tower would be easy to knock down?”

  • “What would make it harder?”

  • “If you stack the blocks tall, will the ball knock them over?”

  • “Does it roll straighter if you push gently or hard?”

This introduces early physics concepts:

  • Stability

  • Balance

  • Force

  • Motion

✨ Optional Variations

1. Increase Difficulty (as Skills Grow)

  • Add a 4th or 5th block

  • Raise blocks on a shallow ramp

  • Move the rolling line farther back

  • Let students choose any block arrangement they want

2. Team Challenge

Two pin setters work together to design a “tricky tower.”

3. Roll for Colors or Shapes

If blocks have colors/shapes printed on them:

  • Ask kids to knock down a block of a certain color

  • Practice matching or identifying shapes

4. Bowling Alley Tape

Use painter’s tape to create:

  • A rolling lane

  • A “do not cross” line

  • A block “pin area”

Kids LOVE the “official” lane.

5. Sensory Version

Use soft foam balls or textured balls for children who need sensory input.

️ Safety Notes

  • Use only cardboard blocks to avoid injury.

  • Remind children to roll, not throw.

  • Keep all children seated behind the roller for safety.

  • Space out the “pin area” so no one gets hit by the ball.

Informal Assessment

Observe whether students can:

  • Take turns

  • Roll the ball with control

  • Stack blocks creatively

  • Aim toward a target

  • Show cooperation and patience

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