Bowling is one of those activities that anyone can enjoy, but it's also one that can quickly cause sensory overload for some. The loud music. The sound of the balls hitting the floor. The lights. The crowds and cheering. It can sometimes be too much.
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to prepare your child for going bowling for the first time (or second or third). For instance, you can use social stories.
Another thing you could do is watch YouTube videos that talk about the rules of bowling or how to bowl.
Another option is to check out the Kids Bowl Free Program and try bowling for free during the summer. It's one of our favorite programs and we sign up every year (and buy the family pass so my husband and I can join in). It's something we look forward to every summer - we try to go bowling 2-3 times a week all summer long. I highly recommend it!
But before you hit the bowling alley, let's take a look at some free social stories about going bowling. Stories that you can use to introduce bowling to your child.
Free Social Stories About Going Bowling
Have you been looking for a social story about vising a bowling alley? Then look no further than these free printable bowling social stories. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.
I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you find the best bowling related social story for yourself or your child. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).
Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them.
1. Bowling Social Story from Kidmunicate - This social story is about 10 pin bowling specifically, but is very detailed. It uses full color photos and even has a list of 12 tips to prepare your child for the bowling alley at the end of the story. You can find the download link for the PDF in the 6th paragraph.
2. Bowling Social Story from Where I AUT-a Be on TPT - This story uses colorful clipart and has boxes on each page that I assume you stick something to. Not sure. It looks like the story is specifically geared towards Special Olympics field trip.
3. Social Story About Bowling Rules from The Buckner's Special Education Corner on TPT - Here's a story that uses clipart (some with watermarks still on them...). In the page previews, it looks like it has some weird text ("not lay down like spaghetti") and some pages have the text all in uppercase letters. So I'm not too sure about this story, but it could still give you some ideas of what to include in your own story.
4. Social Story for Bowling Trip from Joy de los Santos on TPT - The description says that this story was created in Boardmaker and is geared towards students in grade 7 and up.
5. Bowling Trip Social Story from Boardmaker - Here's a story geared towards a bowling field trip that involves riding a bus. The story includes a mixture of clipart, icons, and photos.
6. We are Going Bowling Social Story from Solution Psychology - I like the simple text and full color photos in this story. However, the story is written about a very specific bowling alley, but you could skip those pages or use ideas from this story to write your own.
7. Going Bowling Social Story from Family Network on Disabilities - This social story uses simple text and icon style clipart. It is geared towards 10 pin bowling and includes a few scripts for things kids could say, which is helpful for hyperlexic kids.
8. Doing Bowlabilities: A Social Story from Bowlabilities - This story focuses on 10 pin bowling and a specific learn to bowl program. However, you could use ideas from this social story as inspiration for writing your own story.
Video Social Stories About Bowling
Here are some video social stories that talk about how to go bowling. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, at home, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.
Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great, they might be specific to a particular program, or they might be filmed weird. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for helping your child understand how to go bowling, how to play, and what to expect at the bowling alley.
Whether your child is going bowling as a part of a class field trip or you are trying out the Kids Bowl Free Program this summer (you totally should as it's awesome!), these free social stories about going bowling should be helpful. Good luck and have fun!
