Tin Can Bowling Game Tutorial

It's no secret that most things in Norway are quite a lot more expensive than most of the rest of the world. But a few weeks ago we went shopping and happened to have a browse in the toyshop for the kids. In the entrance was a game that looked like a lot of fun. It was a 10 can bowling game with numbered cans and 2 little bean bags. However, the thing that stopped me in my tracks was the price; it was eye watering!

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And so we came home and decided to make one ourselves and share it with you all. It's one of those fun riotous games that you can put out at outdoor parties or when the kids have a playdate and everyone can have a go from the youngest to the oldest.

Given that it was inspired by a toyshop find, I am going to let my eldest daughter, Millie, guide you through the simple steps to making this fun game from repurposed items that you would normally put in your bin.

You will need:

• 10 empty tin cans. The taller ones are the best, but ideally they should all be the same size

• Plain paper or some ends of wrapping paper

• A marker pen or paints

• Glue. We like PVA because it's non toxic and washable

• Scissors

• A ruler

• A pencil

• Two balls or small bean bags

Step 1

Gather your materials

Step 2

Clean the cans. If you soak them for a few minutes the labels will just come off. If they have sharp edges keep the little ones fingers away until you have put some tape around the cut part of the tin. I find that masking tape is great for this and stops small fingers from getting nasty cuts.

Step 3

Measure the cans from top to bottom and cut strips of paper to wrap around them. If you are using A4 paper this is long enough to cover the can and you will get 2 cans out of one sheet of paper

Step 4

Glue around the can using PVA or craft glue

Step 5

Starting at one edge, roll the can onto the paper and stick it down with more glue on the end edge. Hold it on for a minute to let it stick

Step 6

Allow the glue to dry for a few hours

Step 7

Paint numbers from 1 to 10 onto the cans. It's good to do this in a contrasting colour.

Step 8

Allow the paint to dry

Step 9

Ta dah!

Step 10

Let's play!

We kept the rules super simple. Stack the cans in a pyramid and role a ball at them. For each can that you knock over you score the points on the can (the numbers you painted on). We had 3 turns each and the person with the highest score after that was the winner!