Anyone hosted a bowling party for 8-year-olds?

not hosted but my dc have been to several bowling parties and it’s absolutely fine. They love it and enjoy the food after

I have! The two hours was actually 1.5 hours as half hour was spent eating their food. It all went very quickly and nobody wandered off.

I would definitely have 2 lanes with 4 kids in each. Then maybe 1 hour of bowling and then food. You could also do the arcade afterwards if they bring change - most bowling alleys have arcade games too

We’re saying don’t book it as a package. It works out way more expensive, the food portions are tiny (I’m assuming this is Hollywood bowl!) and it doesn’t work as well for the kids. Just book 2 lanes for 1 game each and order food when you’re there to be delivered to the lanes.

Oh with the food being served as part of the 2 hours it will be grand. I thought you meant 2 hours bowling and then food. They’ll probably move you to a party room for the food to be served

My DH is mechanic and sometime front of house manager at the local bowling centre. Is that two hours of bowling or an hour bowling and an hour to eat? Is that two lanes? Most lanes only accommodate 6 players so if it was local to us it would have to be 2 lanes. Just as an example - obviously all centres are different - but at our local

1 hour bowling for up to 6 people - £ 40 so for 7 - 12 guests £ 80.00
Or, as he would always advise, for youngsters, pay for one game each. Then it would be £ 7.00 per head - £ 56.00

A big difference in cost and with 4 players to each lane they would not be waiting too long for their turns

Can you not book two lanes for one game each - with four players on each lane that would take about 40 mins - and then buy food separately?

The sort of party you are describing would be a nightmare for my husband - no food and drink allowed near the lanes because they are used for national league games and there's no way anyone, adult or child, would be allowed near with a slushie or a pizza! His advice would be to book 8 games and order food to be ready after 45 minutes in the diner - either order a couple of pizzas and a pile of chips or children's meals and a couple of jugs of squash.

My kid has been to 2 bowling parties. Dropped off and picked up 2 hours later

Surely the 2 hours includes the food also?

1 hour of play and 1 hour of pizza/hot dog and cake

Go bowling without the party package and just order food/slushies afterwards?

Can you get two lanes and just leave early?

I’d say get 2 lanes and split them 4 per lane and deffo have the bumpers down. If the 2 hours includes their time to eat and wander around the arcades and isn’t 2 hours of bowling then I think you’ll be grand.

Honestly I'd sack off the package. Book two lanes for an hour, get food ordered and brought over. Then when they've finished (assuming there is one) give each child a couple of quid to play in the arcade. If you don't have the package you can work it out as you go along if they are chaotic, bored or really engaged in it.

I haven’t, but I did once stupidly buy a piñata 🪅 for my dd’s 3rd birthday party which went terribly wrong. A bunch of 3 year olds waving around a cricket bat, WTF was I thinking.

I did this for DD's 8th or 9th birthday. Rather than booking an official party we just booked 2 lanes for 1 or 2 games of bowling (can't exactly remember) then gave them all a choice of a main meal and drink food option and brought our own cupcakes. It was several years ago but was a bit quicker and cheaper than an official party.

Yes, 2 hours bowling is definitely too long. Even an hour is too long to bowl. I’ve found they get bored waiting, wander off to the arcades, then you’re waiting to find them when it’s their turn. 🙈 I’d book one game and buy food when you’re there.

Did one for DD but older than 8. It worked well and they had that thing so kids dont have to actually bowl the ball. I think 8 is a bit young though.

I have but ours was one hour and split over two lanes. 2 hours is a long time for an 8 year old.

Just leave early? Make it a 90 minute party? If they don’t complete the second game, ‘oh, that’s a shame’.

Our local bowling parties last two hours, but there is an hour of bowling and then an hour in a party room for food/games etc.

I think two hours of bowling is far too long. I would take them bowling and then to McDonalds - I have done that on my own but you may prefer another adult with you.

Can you not just DIY? for DS' 7th i had 12 kids across 2 x lanes, we did one game and it was fine (2 games would have been too much). It was in a complex so I had booked a pizza restaurant for afterwards which was cheaper than the package at the lane and nicer pizza!

I would check with the staff whether the bowling parties generally tend to take the full 2 hours or finish a bit earlier. That way you can gauge what time to ask parents to pick up their DC.

I did this several times, with similar age kids 15 odd years ago. I can’t really remember anything about the parties, which suggests that there were no disasters. And the fact that I did it for all my children suggests that it went down well at the time.

1 hour of bowling and food is fine, and long enough
Our bowling has arcades