STEAM is a major focus in education these days, and bowling is the perfect way to demonstrate and teach STEAM principles!

Why is STEAM a focus in education?

If you’re not familiar with the acronym, STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. It has been estimated that by 2020, nearly 5 million jobs will have been unfilled because of a lack of STEAM-based skills in the US workforce. STEAM jobs are the future, and children with a solid grasp of STEAM concepts are more likely to do well in school, have access to better opportunities, and are more likely to be successful in finding good jobs once they graduate.

STEAM principles are not only important, but they’re also fun to teach! When demonstrated with real world, hands-on teaching, STEAM principles are incredibly engaging for students.

STEAM in Bowling

Speaking of engaging, bowling is a fun, novel, and hands-on way to teach physics. Kinetic energy, friction, and other types of forces are all wonderfully demonstrated in bowling. Hook balls, for example, are only possible with a good grasp of physics. Hook balls require the proper amount of torque applied to the ball so that it hits the pins at a roughly 30° angle. This angle of impact better distributes the force of impact on to the pins, resulting in more strikes than a ball thrown straight down the lane!

Looking for STEAM field trips in Staten Island? We can help you plan a STEAM field trip that is not only educational, but also fun! Contact us to book a bowling field trip as part of your STEAM curriculum today.

There’s always something fun going on around Staten Island, and this month is no different! Check out a few of our favorite October Staten Island family-friendly events below.

Fall Festival at the Mount

This amazing fall family event will have the largest pumpkin patch in Staten Island, music, food, fun rides, cool games, scarecrow-making, lots of vendors, and more! This family festival will take place on October 20th and admission is free!

Halloween Harbor

This cool upcoming Staten Island family event has a ton of planned activities! There will be a science workshop on creepy worms, a fun create-a-monster event, spooky (but not scary) family-friendly movies, a Halloween art workshop, trick-or-treating at the Staten Island Museum, pumpkin painting, live performances, a costume contest, and more, not to mention some fun craft vendors and delicious food.

Movie Night at the Staten Island Mall

On October 30th, Hotel Transylvania and Hotel Transylvania 2 will be playing at the Staten Island Mall. Check out these hilarious family-friendly movies and enjoy a delicious dinner from local food trucks.

Bowl at Rab’s Country Lanes

It’s always a great time to take the family bowling! Plus, we have lots of wonderful upcoming Staten Island events, including the 16th Annual Bowling Against Breast Cancer Bowl-a-Thon on October 28, Live Music: Karaoke every Thursday, Rab’s Gold Shootout on October 20th, and the Rab’s Youth Baker Classic on October 21st!

There’s always something fun going on at Rab’s Country Lanes. Check out our calendar for even more fun events to look forward to.

Can you believe that the history of bowling may date all the way back to 3200 BC? According to Sir Flinders Petrie, an early form of bowling was actually played in ancient Egypt!

Of course, bowling as we know it today is a much more recent invention. It is believed that the sport took form in Germany sometime around 300 AD, although the English and Dutch also have a history of pin-based games. We know for a fact that bowling was so popular in England that in 1366, King Edward III had to outlaw it because his troops were so busy bowling that they were neglecting their archery practice.

English, Dutch, and German immigrants brought the sport to America sometime prior to 1670. Bowling was so popular in New York that the heart of the Financial District is still known as Bowling Green today.

By the 1800s, there were so many different variations of bowling and bowling clubs in America that it was starting to become a problem. With so many regional differences, no one could seem to agree on the rules! That is until Joe Thum brought everyone together.

Thum called together bowling club representatives from all the major regional bowling clubs. Together they founded the American Bowling Congress in 1895. The Congress worked to standardize the rules and equipment used by bowlers which finally allowed for major national competitions and bowling leagues to be held! If you’re interested in joining a league, check out our Staten Island bowling leagues! Or if you’re looking for a more casual experience, then book a lane for open play at our Staten Island Bowling Center today.

With Staten Island schools back in session, it’s important to make time for some family bonding! So fight those back-to-school blues with a fun after-school trip to Rab’s Country Lanes!

Here are just 5 reasons to go bowling after school with your kids:

1. All work and no play is not good for kids! By making time for fun, you’ll help your kids de-stress after school. Spacing out school work and homework with some recreation time can actually help children focus.
2. Bowling helps kids unplug. It’s important to give kids active, social, IRL (ie “in real life”) things to do after school instead of just binging Netflix, playing video games, or being on social media 24/7.
3. It’s a great activity to learn! Bowling is a good family activity that you can all enjoy together, rain or shine. Bowling could even turn into a lifelong hobby or sport that will help them stay active and social their whole lives. What’s more, bowling teaches patience and hard work!
4. Sportsmanship is important. Not only can bowling help improve family bonding, but it’s also a wonderful way to teach teamwork and sportsmanship at any age.
5. Bowling is good for your health. Bowling helps improve flexibility, arm and core strength, and hand-eye coordination. Plus it can be enjoyed by any age group or fitness level.

So get your kids involved in bowling for a little after-school fun in Staten Island. And if your kids are really into it, sign them up for one of our youth bowling leagues. Fall registration is happening now!