Top 5 Best Bowling Balls for Kids in 2023

It’s no surprise that bowling is a well-loved activity among kids. Kids love bowling because it allows them to flaunt their athletic prowess as well as unleash their more competitive side. It’s also a great activity for parents and kids to bond over since bowling is a challenging but fun game for grown-ups.

Do take note though that the bowling balls of grown-up and children are different. Bowling balls for grown-ups tend to be bigger and heavier – more than what the kids can take. With that in mind, there are specific bowling balls that should be for kids only. If you want to take your kids bowling, you must get the balls that are suited for their stature and skill level.

That’s why we have created a list of the best bowling balls for kids. If you’re a parent or just a kid who enjoys bowling, then this list is for you.

Top 5 Best Bowling Balls for Kids: Reviews

But, kids will usually want to play bowling with high-performance balls that they see the pro players use in competitions, so we came up with a narrowed list of 5 of the best bowling balls for kids as per our own research and experience. As hardcore bowlers, we study different types of balls that even kids can use to recommend balls for the younger crowd. We believe these five kids bowling balls are best to check out with the benefit of our experience and the full reviews of other bowlers.

1. Brunswick TZone Patriot Blaze

This bowling ball is not only great for kids but also for grown-up beginners as well. The reason as to why this ball is very popular among children is because it’s elementary to use. This ball is actually a plastic-type of the ball, which means that it specializes in going for straight shots. If your kid has just learned how to bowl, then this is a great ball to have. It’s also great for any oily conditions. It won’t skid no matter how oily the lane is. Because of that ability, it’s a perfect choice to have if you’re looking for an excellent ball for your kid or if you are yourself a beginner and would want to practice.

Aside from being a great ball for beginners, it’s also a great ball for picking up spares. Most spares are addressed with straight shots since there are only 1 or 2 pins left. If you hook your ball, there’s a big chance that you’ll miss your shot. That’s why this ball is a great ball to keep around in the event that there are spares.

Finally, it’s got a really nice look to it. Because it has a great color combo, kids will love carrying it around with them.

2. Champion Sport Rubber Ball

We included this in the list because it’s one of the easiest to use, and it’s the lightest, only 2.5 pound bowling ball. It’s ideal for children who can’t lift up regular balls because they don’t have enough strength. In fact, it’s a ball that even toddlers could lift up because of its lightweight built. The reason why it’s such a lightweight bowling ball is that it’s made out of very lightweight rubber, and thus it’s effortless to carry. In fact, it can be used as a great practice ball for kids that’s interested in bowling.

Not only is it straightforward to use, but it’s also really safe to use as well. Since it’s made out of soft and light rubber, it won’t hurt you that much, even if it fell down on your foot. In fact, it can also be used for lawn bowling parties with those plastic pins. You can say that it’s actually like a toy that you can play around.

Another great thing about this ball is that it can fit various hand sizes. In fact, it comes with four finger holes, which is one more than the traditional balls. It has two thumb holes that allow you to choose which size of hole fits your thumb size best. The combination of the lightweight built and the two thumb holes make it one of the most comfortable balls to use – especially for children of very young ages.

3. Storm Mix Urethane Purple Bowling Ball

If you’re looking for a ball that’s extremely durable and has a long shelf life, then the Storm Mix Urethane Purple Bowling Ball is the one that you’re probably looking for. The urethane material makes it very strong and really smooth. The greatest thing about this ball is that it is also a heavyweight ball that allows you to strike down the pins in just one go.

Since it is a high-performance ball, it’s more suited for the more advanced junior bowlers who have had some experience in the field. If your kid is more of a curve shooter, then this one will be the right choice for your children. Of course, it’s not only ideal for advanced players, but it’s also a good choice for the novice players trying to improve their curve or hook shots as well.

Another thing that you’ll love about this ball is its 3-piece core. The symmetrical core allows the ball to have a more balanced movement down the lane. Also, it could be used on dry lanes because the urethane material allows the ball to move quickly even if dry lanes give off more friction. So, if your kid is the type that likes to throw fast balls, then this may be a good one to buy.

4. Hammer Black Widow Gold

Hammer is a pretty well-known brand of bowling ball manufacturers, so you’re pretty sure that the Hammer Black Widow Gold is going to be good too. First, let’s talk about the Gas Mask core design. This core is an amazing core that allows total control over the ball when you’re planning to do some good curve shots.

For kids, this is a good ball for games because it will allow kids to utilize more sophisticated moves. It’s definitely a reliable ball that many bowlers, whether young or old, can truly appreciate.

Besides that, you’ll also notice that the coverstock of this ball is the Semtex Pearl, making it’s smooth and suitable for any oil conditioner. We definitely recommend more experienced junior bowlers to use this ball if they’re going to compete. This is an excellent asset for any young bowler to have when he or she signs up for those junior tournaments.

5. Pyramid Path Bowling Ball

This is one of the best all-around bowling balls that you can find in the market. It’s a great ball for all skill levels and all ages. Whether you’re a novice or an advanced player, this bowling ball can benefit you. First off, let’s talk about the material. The material used by this ball is plastic or polyester, which means that it’s suitable for making those straight shots needed for spares. It’s also great for practicing.

That doesn’t mean it can’t be used for hooks. You can also use the ball for some hook shots but very light hooks only. If you’re okay with the majority of your shots being straight with a few very light hooks, take this ball. You will definitely prefer to have this ball if you’re the type of person who likes simple shots that have some power behind them. If you know how to use it, then you can really use its speed and strength.

Fun and Specialty Bowling Balls

There are many bowling balls for kids, which your children will enjoy for sure, Fun bowling balls or Specialty bowling balls like football and tennis balls, military balls, flag balls, animal balls, animated movie characters balls, and many more fun opportunities. These balls weigh ranges between 6 lbs to 16 lbs. To name a few:

Fun and Specialty Bowling Balls:

Also, there are foam and rubberized bowling balls, which are an excellent option to inspire kids for physical activity. These balls weight starts from 1 lb up to 6 lbs. Here are some examples:

Foam and Rubberized Bowling Balls:

Kids’ Bowling Ball Buying Guide

Now that we’ve gone through five of the best children bowling balls that you can buy let’s go a little deeper and increase our knowledge of kids’ bowling balls. While you do have five choices in your arsenal, you’ll most likely only need one since a kid can’t carry that many balls at once. In order to choose the best one, you need to have a guide that can help you.

To address this, we created a guide that can help you further narrow down your choices from 5 to just 1 or 2 picks. All you have to do is pick according to our criteria, and apply it to you or your kid. Check out our comprehensive rules below:

Ball Weight

The first thing that you have to take into consideration is the right weight of the ball. Always remember that every kid has different strengths. Some kids may not be able to take heavy balls while some can. It’s pretty much like grown-ups. So, the rule of choosing your kid’s bowling ball weight is to match it with his or her age and weight. Let’s start with age.

Generally speaking, the age of your kid will match their weight in pounds. For example, if your kid is 7 or 8 years old, then he or she will do pretty well with a 6 lb or 8 lbs bowling ball. The same thing goes if your kid is around 9 or 10 years old. For this age, your kid will do well with a 9 pound bowling ball or a 10 lbs ball.

Of course, this rule isn’t set in stone. This also depends on how comfortable your child is with that weight. You can use this as your initial guide and adjust from there. For instance, if your boy is 11 years old, give him an 11-pound ball. If he thinks that it feels a bit too heavy, then you can try replacing it with a 10-pound ball. If it’s too light, try 12 pounds instead. Just play around with the weight by using this guide.

Another way to determine the ideal ball weight is to check the weight of your child. Experts will usually follow the golden ratio of 10:1. This means that for every 10 pounds your child has, add one pound to the ball. So, if your kid is 100 pounds, then you’ll need to give your kid a 10-pound ball. What if your kid weighs something like 85 pounds? For these cases, you can just round off the number and consider it to be 90 pounds. For that, you’ll want a 9-pound ball. Again, this rule isn’t set in stone and may differ depending on what your kid finds most comfortable.

You can also combine the two, so you can further get the right weight. For instance, if your kid is 8 years old but weighs 60 pounds. If you follow the age guide, you’ll be inclined to give an 8-pound ball, but if you follow the weight guide, you’ll want a 6 lbs bowling ball. In this case, you can look for a ball in the middle like a 7 lb bowling ball. From the 7-pound ball, let your kid find which weight is comfortable for your children. 7 pounds will just be like his or her guide.

One crucial moment that you should keep in mind when buying a bowling ball for kid:
First, try to identify the bowling ball weight using the rule of 10% of body weight or the age rule, then always analyze the bowlers’ shoulders. The bowler should get a bag with the tested ball, and if the ball is too heavy, the shoulder will drop. If that happens, then try a lighter ball, until the shoulder doesn’t drop.

Material Used

Another thing you’ll want to take into consideration is the material used. Do remember that there is no perfect material. All materials have their own pros and cons. The best one is determined by how comfortable your child is with it. The three coverstocks that children often use are plastic or polyester coverstock, urethane, and resin coverstocks.

Plastic is the most common because it happens to have the lowest price. However, polyester balls are only suitable for straight balls since they can’t curve. That’s why they’re often used as spare balls. Aside from spares, they’re also good for practice balls. Since children won’t be able to learn how to hook balls right away, they should practice how to make straight balls first. For that purpose alone, plastic balls are the best.

As your kid advances in skill, you can slowly graduate from plastic and go to something that can curve a bit more. Enter the urethane ball, which is a high-performance type of ball used for more advanced shots. These types are ideal if you want to learn hook or curve shots that can allow you to land strikes instead of spares. They are significantly more expensive bowling balls than the plastic ones, but they’re needed if you want to level up your game. You can say that buying a urethane ball is pretty much an investment.

On the other side of the lane, there’s the resin ball. Just like the urethane ball, the resin ball is also high in performance and great for that hard-to-do hook or curve shots. In fact, resin balls are known to have more hooking power than urethane balls. So, we recommend that these balls be used by kids who already have more bowling experience.

Finger Hole Size

Every kid will have different finger hole sizes. The beauty of getting your own ball is that you can drill holes that match your kid’s finger sizes. So, instead of relying on the house balls, we recommend that you always consider this as part of your criteria when choosing a ball. Bowling alley balls will somehow always be too tight or too loose for you, so you might as well customize your own ball.

Brand

If you’re looking for overall quality performance and durability, then you need to consider the bowling ball brand. We recommend that you only get the well-known brands when you buy your childrens bowling balls. Not only are you ensuring their performance during their games, but you’re also ensuring their safety when they handle the ball. You’ll also be guaranteed durability and long shelf life if you buy balls from well-known brands.

Do remember, though, that balls from well-known brands don’t exactly come cheap. However, think of these balls as investments that can help your child enhance his or her game in the long run, so, in this case, the bowling ball price should be the second in order. Keep away from the cheap balls that are brand-less or come from unknown brands because those balls can throw away your child’s game. They may also wear out faster, forcing you to buy a new ball very soon.

Why You Should Encourage Your Kids to Take Up Bowling

While balls are the topic of interest in this bowling ball reviews analysis, we’d like first to emphasize why bowling should be encouraged. Bowling can help your child become more confident and even smarter. Here are a few specific benefits that your child can get from taking up bowling:

Higher Self Esteem

While growing up, children flourish in self-esteem and accomplishments. Not all kids have the ability to perform more strenuous sports like basketball or boxing. If your kid can’t do sports like these, they might feel left out from the more athletic kids. So, to help boost their self-esteem, introduce your child to a less strenuous sport that requires more brain than brawn. This is where bowling comes in.

Increased Patience

Bowling is actually a game of patience because it entails a lot of analysis and a lot of waiting before the ball hits the pins. You can’t just roll the ball down the lane and expect to strike. You need to stand, analyze your position, and angle the ball in the right direction so that you can hit all the pins down. By teaching your kid the value of patience, he or she will grow up to become a much better person.

Sharper Cognitive Ability

As mentioned above, there is a lot of analysis involved in bowling. You need to measure the angle of your position, the strength you need to put in, the moves you need to make to hook the ball, and the number of pins you’re aiming for. By practicing their minds, they’ll sharpen their cognitive abilities, allowing them to solve problems faster and more efficiently while growing up.

Better Math Skills

When bowling, you’ll need to use quite a bit of mental math when counting the pins. If you’re having a hard time teaching your kid addition and subtraction, then bowling is a great exercise that will allow your kid to have a practical application. If your child is having fun while learning math, then he or she will absorb the subject matter even faster.

Stronger Body

While bowling isn’t as strenuous as a lot of other more hardcore sports like football or basketball, it still keeps you fit and strong. In order to bowl well, you’ll need to use a lot of muscle control because you need to control your strength from time to time. There are situations wherein you’ll need to use less power and other situations where more power is required. In order to be versatile with your strength, you need total body control. Bowling helps your child achieve that, and in turn, makes your kid much fitter.

Now that you know the various benefits that your kid can get from bowling, we can officially start our guide by introducing the best bowling ball for kids that you can buy. If you’re now convinced that you want your kid to take up bowling, you need to get the necessary bowling equipment like the best bowling shoes for kids, but the bowling ball is the bare essential.

Best Bowling Balls for Kids: Frequently Asked Questions

Do you still have a few unanswered questions that you may have at the tip of your tongue? Allow us to use this section to answer some common questions that most parents have about kid’s bowling balls. Here are a few FAQs and their respective answers:

Verdict

And that concludes our complete guide on how to choose your child’s bowling ball. As a parent, you’ll want your child to take up healthy activities that can help him or her become fitter, smarter, and more confident. Bowling is a sport that can help your kid achieve all of those.

Of course, letting your kid take up bowling requires you first to give your kid have a suitable ball. The game centers around how good the bowler is at handling the ball, so it is no surprise that bowlers put heavy emphasis on high-performance balls. The same thing goes for when raising kids to be bowlers. They also need to have balls that suit their body structure and comfort.

With that in mind, our list of the top 5 best bowling balls for kids gives you the choice of which one you’ll want to buy for your kid. Since we have narrowed down our picks, you just need to use the buying guide to help you choose the best one out of the five. You can do this by relating the buying guide to your own child and play around from there.

Last update on 2024-03-13 / Product Images