How Many Pins Are Still Standing?

In small groups, children roll a ball at five bowling pins made from bottles, count how many fell and how many are still standing, and set them back up. It builds the idea of taking away, counting two groups and rolling a ball.

How to play

1. The teacher sets up four lanes with five plastic bottles each, and we count one lane's pins together: five (1 min).
2. Taking turns in each lane, a child rolls the ball with two hands from the line, crouching like a crab (4 min).
3. After each roll, the group counts out loud: "Two fell down… three are still standing!" (3 min).
4. The child who rolled sets the fallen pins back up, counting them one by one, and passes the ball to the next (3 min).
5. We switch lanes and try rolling with one hand or from farther away (2 min).
6. We pick up the bottles, counting, and line them up in rows of five (2 min).

Rules

• Roll the ball, never throw it in the air.
• Wait behind the line until it's your turn.
• Nobody wins here: we count what falls and what stays.

Variations

Adaptations

• Child using a wheelchair: rolls the ball down a cardboard ramp or gutter from their chair.
• Blind or low-vision child: bottles with a little rice inside, tightly closed, so they can hear how many fall.
• Children needing more support: move the line closer or use a bigger ball.

Learning goals

• Count what's taken away and what's left.
• Compare two amounts within one group.
• Roll a ball with direction.

Equipment for a class of 25

• botellas de plástico: 20
• pelotas: 4

Teacher tip

Add a little sand or water to the bottles if wind knocks them over outside. No more than four kids per lane so there's little waiting.

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