Pumpkin Bowling

Materials
1. A couple small round pumpkins about the size of a bowling ball
2. Use a knife or cutter for apple cores to cut finger holes in the pumpkins similar to those on a typical bowling ball (A Thumb, index finger and middle finger should fit in the holes.)
3. Empty plastic bottles filled with a little water and the screw top replaced (up to 12 bottles). More water will make them more difficult to knock over. Adjust the difficulty to suit your group.
4. Level outdoor ground surface area about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide.

Activity
1. Place the plastic bottle "pins" at one end of the level area in a triangle formation.
2. Youth take turns bowling with the pumpkins. (Caution: pumpkins have been known to self destruct on occassion so have a few extras)
3. Award 1 point for each pin knocked down. Play one or more rounds. The person with the most points at the end wins.

Application
1. Trials and struggles - Have you ever felt like one of the bowling pins? What things seemed to be focused on knocking you down in life? How can you respond to setbacks / failures? (2 Corinthians 4:8)

Variation
While designed for a fall "Harvest Festival", this activity can be used at any time of the year. You can also use other seasonal vegetables and fruits. Cucumbers, zucchini or gourds can be used for bowling pins. Simply cut off the bottoms to create a flat surface that can allow them to stand upright. Watermelons, cantaloupe (rock melons) or other melons can be used for the bowling ball. Choose smaller fruits and vegetables for a table top version of bowling.

Looking for some icebreakers for your party or event? My eBook, "IceBreakers Ahead: Take It to the Next Level" found at http://www.creativeicebreakers.com
not only provides 52 of the most world's popular group icebreaker activities, but also includes life changing lesson ideas and questions to smoothly transition into discussions about issues common to most groups.