AMF Bowling for Children (Centerville, VA)

A Fun Family Find for YOU and your children in Northern Virginia!

We were looking for something fun and different and hadn’t been bowling in years.  In reality, we probably would've have even thought of bringing our preschooler and toddler here had we not attended a birthday party at AMF and realized that it was pretty kid friendly now. As opposed to the bowling allies of our youth, AMF has these stands made specifically for small children. The stands are designed so that a young child who is not strong enough (or let’s just say it- coordinated enough) can instead push it from the top.  The ball rolls down the stand (gaining momentum your typical two year old would probably not be able to replicate) and directly into the actual alley (see photo).   This leads to another development that we had no idea about. The bowling allies have rails now that prevent the balls from going into the gutters. So, more than likely, your child’s ball will strike at least some pins.

Okay, other than the new (or maybe not so new and we’ve been out of the bowling scene for way too long) developments, there were even more things we found really appealing about our bowling night. Between the music (videos are projected over the allies) and the casual, family friendly environment, the atmosphere was actually fun for us too. There is a food service area, and the one we visited also had a bar.  However, I would note that the typical fair is not so healthy (nachos, club sandwiches, pizza, French fries) so if this is a concern you may want to eat first.

We typically go around 5 or 6 PM.  Staff members told us that on Friday nights it is generally quieter from 6PM-8PM, while Saturdays stay pretty busy all day.  This will probably vary from location to location.

The only downside we could find was that this outing can get pretty expensive. You have to pay for games as well as shoe rentals.  We also chose to eat out while there and this can add up as well.

All in all, this is one fun family find that can be enjoyed by all.