Game submitted by Shelfer: James O’Brien
Think long and hard.
Do you own bowls?
If you do, can you think back to the uses you have had for them? Maybe you treated yourself to a nice bowl of Lucky Charms for breakfast, or a crispy salad with likely too much dressing, or even a warm bowl of soup while you were sick that one time.
See any trends? All of those examples come straight from the kitchen.
I am here to tell you today, that your bowls have so much more range than you are giving them credit for.
Bowls have the ability to make a tailgate new and exciting, so you don’t have to keep playing Pong every-time.
Bowls have the ability to bring parents and children together on a rainy day in the Summer.
Bowls have the ability to create genuine competition among long time time friends.
Bowls weren’t made for your kitchen, bowls were made for Bowl Dash.
Who Can Play?
The game requires 4 players.
With that being said, you can always have more players waiting in teams to join in on following games.
The ages for this one can really range to whatever you like. It can be a really fun family game for any ages old enough to hold a ping pong ball.
And don’t think you are too old, this game is great to get the competitive flair going among friends.
Even from an accessibility standpoint, the game can be modified to play with anyone!
Goal of the Game:
Teams race to score 21 points!
2 teams will compete against one another. Using ping pong balls, players will attempt to throw or bounce the ping pong balls into their teammate’s bowl to collect points.
When points are collected, they require the opposing team to pause their shooting and abide by the rule designated for the game, before returning to gameplay. When a team has collected 21 or more points they win!
Materials:
4 Bowls
Some Water
2 Ping Pong Balls
1 Table (You can also use a floor or any other flat surface for this game)
Setup:
The first thing you are going to need to do is decide on where you are playing.
As mentioned in the materials, a table is probably your best bet, but playing on a driveway, sidewalk or hardwood floor can be just as fun!
The next step is to place 4 bowls out. If you have a table, you will place each bowl on the 4 corners of the table. If you are playing on a floor, you can place the bowls about 8 feet apart (length) and about 4 feet apart (width).
Fill each bowl about halfway with water so the ping pong ball can land into the bowl.
Decide on a rule for the game. The rule is a penalty for the game that can easily be converted into times or seconds (ie. scoring 2 points would make a penalized team have to do 2 jumping jacks)
Have teams of 2 players stationed across from one another (length)
Give each team 1 ping pong ball to start.
Directions:
The game will start on a “3, 2, 1” Countdown
At the start of the game, Team A and Team B will try to bounce and/or throw the pong ball into their teammate’s bowl
Both players on Team A and Team B will go back and forth throwing as many times as they would like to try and make it in their partner’s bowl. When a shot is made into a bowl it is considered a point.
The only time Team A is restricted to throw is when Team B has made a ball into their teammate’s bowl. At which time, Team A must complete the penalty for the number of seconds/times Team B scored points (and vice versa).
Points can continue to add up while the opposing team completes their penalty, therefore lengthening the opposing team’s required number of seconds/times before resuming play!
Once a team reaches at least 21 total points, the round is over
The game is over when a team has won 2 rounds
Rules:
In order to earn points, players must land the pong ball into their teammate’s bowl
Make sure when your team scores that you announce the # of points so the other team can take their penalty
A regular throw in the air and into the bowl is worth 1 point
Each bounce that the ball has before entering the bowl is worth a point (ie. 3 bounces and a land into the bowl = 4 points)
Points are translated into seconds/times that the other team must be penalized for (ie. 4 points means that the other team must be penalized for 4 seconds/times before returning to play)
It is a dash! So erratic balls, and missed shots are part of the game, there is no pausing or timeouts until the game is finished!
The penalty should be safe and agreed upon by all players
There is no limit for the number of bounces/points on a throw
Teammates cannot use their body to direct the ball into their bowl
Play On:
Bowl Dash is one of many examples of games you can make with items in your own households.
The game is fast paced so if you were looking to get the blood and adrenaline going, Bowl Dash is your game.
The game is not only great because it requires some skill and luck, but also your own creativity.
Each game can be tailored to who you are playing with. When you decide the rule at the beginning of the game, it can be as simple as jumping jacks or as complex as tying and untying your shoe!
The fun part about the game is that teams are not only scrambling to score, but also trying to complete their penalties as soon as possible! It creates for some great banter and effort.
So what are you waiting for, go on and play the game today!
Have you ever made a game? If so share it below in the comments or on our site!
About LowerShelf Games LowerShelf Games is a free game sharing website that provides a one stop shop for family/party game lovers. The site is a showcase for the numerous games that exist in this world. It provides a single platform for people to not only share games with common items they would find around their house, but also standardized instructions on how to play them.
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