Physical activity, social interaction, friendly competition and basic math skills... that sounds like just the ticket for quality family time, and a #ThoughtfulDailyPost!

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There's something about a bowling alley that is just inherently magnetic and #fun... the sound of people cajoling and pins crashing, the invariably upbeat music and the faint rumble of balls rolling down the lanes. The bright, polished wood floors...

The Spare Room Bowling Lanes in Perth, Ontario. A classic vibe. Photo work c/o @kpfreelance... a fantastic shot! Thank you.

Let's Go Bowling!

Yeah, I'm in.
Are you in?

Is it just me, or does a day (or night) at the #bowling alley always sound like a great plan? (Shh... don't you dare rain on my parade. Just smile and nod. 😏)

I know my daughter, @sydney.potts, my girlfriend, @kpfreelance and her kids were all on board because that's exactly what we did yesterday for a little March Break fun day... followed by #pizza and movies!

My daughter, Sydney-- @sydney.potts-- trying for a spare.

A Family Five-Pin Affair.

Many of you may not even know about five-pin bowling, as it is unique to #Canada... but the two main differences are the size of the balls we throw-- which are quite a bit smaller-- and the number of pins, obviously.

But bowling is bowling, if you ask me, and the atmosphere at our #Canadian five-pin alleys is the exact same as any of the more customary ten-pin counterparts you have in mind. And we have ten-pin lanes too, so many that they have even overtaken five-pin in most areas.

We're keeping it alive though, come Hell or high water!

Why? For the Children, Of Course...

And for the future of humanity, at this point. We have frankly lost our marbles, and our #kids are being left to figure out how to fill up their own jars. (I have serious doubts.)

But wholesome activities like bowling are the beacons of light in this dark and digital world. So we need to get our kids into those alleys-- drag them by the neon blue emo bangs if we must-- and DEMAND they have fun, damn it!

Love is tough sometimes.

It's worth it though.

I even offered three good reasons to go bowling in the very first paragraph of this post. Did you catch them? Let's quickly run through the list and justify our enjoyment. But first...

A Convenient Pop Culture Bowling Plug!

Viewer discretion is advised though (for language and some lewdness). You'll either love it or hate it... so I'm very sorry and you're welcome, respectively. It's a classic film and a clear bowling theme, so I couldn't resist.

Bowling is serious business. 🙃 If you enjoyed that for the first time, you will definitely dig the whole film. Add THE BIG LEBOWSKI to your movie list! (And then go bowling. Sheesh.)

So let's unpack our nutshell...
Why is five-pin bowling so great?

1. Physical Activity

Our kids (and ourselves, for that matter) are less active than at any other time in history! Countless screens, automation and other technological luxuries have made our lives easier and more entertaining... and much less healthy. So any excuse to get kids moving is a good one. Period.

That's me-- @ThatCryptoDave-- striking my winning pose! 😋 Photo taken and styled by the talented @kpfreelance.

2. Social Interaction and Competition

Virtual reality must seem pretty slick and neat-o... but it really doesn't compare to real-life, tangible, analog REALITY! It's strange that I even feel the need to make a clear distinction between real and virtual life. These things are becoming more immersive, so we should make our move NOW...

To the bowling alley, that is! We'll teach them the force, and pit them against each other in a team-based steel cage match. The last children standing will win a plastic trophy (and bragging rights).

I'm kidding, of course... it's a perfect setting for friendly competition though-- having fun, learning to be a good winner and loser-- and making new friends along the way!

Athena (left) and Mikhaila (right)-- @kpfreelance's daughters.
Photos c/o @kpfreelance, and combined by myself on Canva. Teamwork!

3. Basic Math Skills

I mentioned the two main differences between five and ten-pin bowling: the size of the ball and the number of pins. But there is a third difference that helps keep math skills sharp... if you're the one keeping score!

In five-pin bowling, the pins have different values and they add up to 15. The center pin is worth 5 points, the two pins on either side of center are worth 3 points each, and the two outside pins are worth 2 points each. So a ball that knocks down the center pin and the two pins to its left (3 pins total) would receive 10 points... and so on.

So that makes it a bit trickier for the five-pin score-keeper... and then you're compounding the usual spare and strike balls in both bowling variations: a spare (all pins knocked down in two tries) gets the first ball from the next frame, and a strike (all pins knocked down in one try) gets the first two balls from the next frame.

If you want a more detailed explanation, and a real-time game demonstration, check out the video below. It's casual and fun... just like bowling! 👇

Some alleys have electronic means of keeping score, like the one in the video. But I would recommend grabbing a sheet and a pencil anyway! (Good mental exercise.)

It's safe to say the (manual) scoresheet will keep an average adult busy trying to keep it straight and do the math properly, so it really is a good challenge for kids.

My girl always wants to keep score, which makes me a very happy dad! She got a bit mixed up in one of the games this time, but she got it figured out. She is showing initiative and always jumps at the opportunity to learn...

(Sigh.) They Grow Up So Fast.

Sydney is twelve, and @kpfreelance's two older girls are nine and ten... and they all had fun-- despite losing to an old man-- and they burned off some energy before settling in for a movie night. I'd say it was a great day, and a seed planted in a few kids' heads that old-fashioned fun isn't lame.

It's exactly what we all need: to get back to basics.

A special thanks to all the girls... for letting me hang out with them and making my day a little brighter. Let's do it again soon.

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Did I break the record for 'longest bowling-related #Hive post'? Obviously. Did you stick it out like a champ and read the entire thing? Clearly. You are amazing! Thanks so much. Let me know in the comments if you've tried five-pin bowling, or if you're a ten-pin fan. It's all good. Peace out for now, alley cats! 😻