£55 for a family of 4 - 2 games of bowling?!

[icecreamsundae32]

Is it just me or is this a ridiculous amount of money?

It's pouring with rain here and was looking for ideas of something to do today as we stayed in yesterday due to the rain. Kids are 11, 8 & 2. I hate soft play on a weekend it's packed and oldest is not into it anymore anyway. The trampoline park will be too busy for the toddler to bounce safely. Swimming is not an option today as local pool has a gala on. So I thought we'd give bowling a go, not been in ages so looked it up - £55 for 2 games for 2 adults, 2 children! This does not include any food/drinks, parking and the petrol to get there - 30 min drive each way.. I just can't believe how expensive it is! I'd rather save the money for a dry day and go for a proper day out instead of a couple hours in a bowling alley. Why are family activities so expensive these days? Cinema is easily £50, even swimming £25. No wonder so many kids spend winter weekends on consoles! It's so much easier in summer to go for walks etc but it's literally pouring down and is set to all day!!

Bowling has always been expensive, birthday treat only.
Do you have ice or roller skating rink, indoor skateboarding or climbing (also expensive but better value as lasts longer)

Trampolining?

I’m with you OP. I don’t think people living outside of the south east understand how bloody expensive it is. We have similar prices for bowling so now only go for one game as a special treat for a celebration - and it’s still over £30. At least they don’t charge extra for teens though Unlike the local cinemas. My local (flea pit) cinema charges £45 for the 4 of us and the local nice cinema nearly £60. So we very rarely go to the cinema as a family - maybe once or twice a year.

We are getting the board games out this afternoon. Much cheaper.

I still look at places with walks etc - generally country parks. Loads have visitors centres and you can find plenty of stuff to do indoors still.
Plus we invested in waterproofs and wellies so we could still outside in bad weather!
Always went into the park at country lakes and generally found being under trees meant we were sheltered from worst of rain anyway!

Totally agree £55 is ridiculous!

@Bellringer the ice skating rink will open in November I think but it will be similar price for 45 min session!
Couple of their mates have come round now so just got to entertain the toddler, so puzzles and crafts it is... might bake some brownies too!

It's less than £7 per person for a game. That doesn't seem that extortionate to me?

It wouldn't be if it were the cost for a game each but your per game calculation is for 4 people paying almost £7 for the same game.

Absolute extortion.

@Boobiliboobiliboo

It’s not hard to find deals

It's hard enough to find a bowling alley here (closet one is 45 miles away) let alone one that has 'deals'

I think it’s ridiculous money for throwing a ball! I don’t think bowling is interesting enough compared to its cost.
I’d be tempted to go and buy a DVD/snacks/board game and stay in.

My local vue isn't £4.99 😳

I don’t think people living outside of the south east understand how bloody expensive it is.

I'm up in central Scotland & have just checked & I'd be £47 for bowling & I'd be £44.50 for the cinema for 2 adults & 2 kids we also have mini golf which is £24 for a family ticket which seems reasonable but if it's empty lasts about 45mins & if it's mobbed there's a lot of hanging around - high prices for activities aren't a south east thing at all.

I agree OP it's ridiculous & like you to visit free museums in Glasgow/Edinburgh it's a school holiday thing not a wet weekend thing. I have a Historic Scotland membership & there's a few properties in our county so take DS to those (for ruins we just wrap up & shove wellies in the boot) & save the castles for nicer days in the holidays.

I checked the prices where I live (north east) £47 for the bowling and cinema £37

I can drive to other towns about 20-25 minutes away for £5 cinemas though.

our local cinema is £2.50 a ticket

That’s ridiculous

Of course we realise how expensive in is in the south east. That's why we moved out

You need to get both children invited to parties at the bowling alley. Both the places near us give a free voucher to anyone who has been to a party, I save them for weekends like this one. Presumably this isn't universal then?

Swimming here is cheap, we don't pay for children under 8. And my over 8 has lessons and therefore gets in for free as well. I'm sure it used to be free for under 16s but the government cut that.

It's less than £7 per person for a game. That doesn't seem that extortionate to me?

Except a "game" is rolling a ball down a lane twenty times. You pay 35p every go you take. If you weren't sharing a lane with others, you'd be done in ten minutes. Forty odd quid an hour is terrible value.

I’ve always thought that bowling was expensive but I think it’s too do with square footage bowling lanes take up for the amount of people who use them.

Our local bowling place used to be a cinema. Obviously they’ve had a major refurb but the actually building is the same. I’m sure they used to fit more paying customers in when it was a cinema.

So I actually think the cinema is more of a rip off even if it’s a similar price because they fit more people in. £13 an adult per ticket here. And we’re up north. But only one cinema in a 20 mile radius so they have a monopoly.

It doesn't sound as bad when you work out per person per game, but obviously when you're the one paying for everyone it adds up.

In my local bowling place there are special offers at certain times, and it's definitely worth making sure you go at those times, rather than just walking in and paying for a couple of games at any random time. The difference in price can be amazing!

My partner, his son and I went bowling the first time I met his son (the ice-breaker activity haha) and we ended up spending over £100 on the bowling, food and then a little on the arcade games at the end. Definitely not the cheapest trip out!