Strike Bowling Chatswood Review – And 5 Top Tips for Surviving Bowling and Laser Tag With Kids

Ten pin bowling and laser tag can provoke a range of emotions in my household. All of the four Smith kids love them dearly, and to find both in the same place leaves them giddy with anticipation.  For myself it’s more of a love and hate thing… the noise, the banging and crashing, the bright lights, the expense of the arcade games… hmm…. my poor brain….

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When Strike Bowling got in touch to ask if my twins would like to be treated to a play in these last school holidays, I thought it was time for me to take the bull by the horns and make a visit work for all of us. And it did, it worked really well.

I had put my thinking cap on and came up with a few ideas to smooth the path. Read these below.  I had also taken along another set of twins, aged almost 8 just like mine, their mum and I met at twins’ prenatal classes so the kids have all been pals since they were in the womb.

Why travel with one set of twins when double the number means twice the fun?

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First up, the shoes, and hooray for kids being old enough to put on their bowling shoes unassisted!

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All four of the kids had been to bowling before so they knew exactly what to do and how to do it.

Strike Bowling – A Few Facts and Figures

Strike Bowling is one of the larger bowling chains and has 11 locations in the eastern states, most offer bowling, laser tag and karaoke for the adults too.

In the school holidays Strike offer all day bowling and laser tag specials – it’s well worth waiting for the holidays as these make a trip much longer and more affordable.

Things that worked well:

  • There was no music playing in the bowling area – great!
  • The kids’ loved the pizza which were thin and crispy and yummy.
  • Fruit juice was available instead of fizzy drinks.
  • There’s also adult area with karaoke and darts and pool/snooker.
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I lay down on the floor to take these shots. Don’t they capture the kids’ joy and energy? 

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The kids were so busy, they didn’t even notice that I was snapping away like a demon.

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My 5  Tips For Surviving Bowling and Laser tag

1. Go early!! I made sure that we booked in for the very minute the doors opened at 10am. Even in the holidays my kids are pretty early risers so this was no trouble at all. It’s almost certain that anywhere will be quieter in the mornings. In fact, other people did have the same idea, but it wasn’t too noisy at all.

2. Call ahead to see how many parties are booked in. This is something I would always do in term times, especially at weekends. If there were lots and lots of birthday parties booked in, I’d avoid going altogether. The start of the day is generally not busy with parties though, of course.

3. Don’t visit with very young children. Strike Bowling is for children aged 6 and over, and I think 6 is a good age to start. Or older… where’s the hurry. I think parents often take children to places they are a bit young for and then regret it. The twins are all very nearly 8 and were quite self sufficient, a great age for this activity.

4. Explain the ground rules clearly. Discuss this the night before. Make a plan for how many games the kids will play, how much money you will give them for the arcade games and so on. If you write it out for the kids before you go then they are much less likely to cause a fuss  when the money supply is switched off. Also it’s easier for you to stick to a plan when you have a clear one.

5. Think through and discuss some issues which will arise.  Yes, one child will get more tokens when they play the arcade games than the others and will win a better prize. These tragic scenarios – great lessons in life – are also best discussed in advance.  Role play helps… I do a marvellous devastated child which always makes my kids laugh.

On this occasion the kids very generously shared their tickets around so everyone got a prize they liked. I nearly collapsed with pride, and relief.

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My kids have all adored laser tag. It worked really well here as there weren’t too many kids in at a time. The joy of going early.
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Drinks and pizzas, much needed as they were expending heaps of energy.
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My kids love arcade games but rarely get to play them, so this was a big treat.
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So all in all, a very good family expedition. I hope you find my tips helpful.  I must keep them in mind as the twins have planned a bowling and laser party for their upcoming 8th birthday. And I’m invited!

Do you kids love bowling and laser too?

What about yourself? 

Any other top tips for families?

Thank you, Strike Bowling, for hosting these four children at your centre in Chatswood. The visit was very much appreciated, and they will be back.

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6 Comments

    1. says: Seana Smith

      It is fun. I’d always say that I love outdoors fun best and I did take this lot to a huge playground in Ryde after this indoor extravaganza… post on that coming… soon… soonish! I just love them doing their own shoes, not sure why it’s such a delight for me, but it is.

  1. I can’t believe how competitive I got at laser tag when playing it with my son. It is so much fun.

    Chatswood sounds good, with the bowling. You are such a great mum to your kids and the shots of the kids jumping off the floor are terrific. I think they capture their joy pretty well actually.
    Carolyn

    1. says: Seana Smith

      Thanks Caro, the light was very low and it was hard to take pix, but i love all those low down shots. I used the auto on the tiny Lumix I have, my proper DSLR just couldn’t handle the low light. Well, I couldn’t make it work – so much to learn.

  2. says: Julie

    I’m a bit odd because I love bowling. It’s something we can do as a family and kids always love seeing their parents getting competitive and into it. I agree with you, early is always best and book ahead especially on wet days, hot days and in school holidays.

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