Welcome readers of The Yorkshire Reporter to my children’s article. I hope you all had a fantastic first month in 2014. This month I am reviewing a fun indoor place for all the family to enjoy. It’s Hollywood Bowl at Cardigan Fields, Kirkstall. This is a place packed with bowling, arcade machines and food.
The price is reasonable from £4.25 for children and £5.25 for adults per game for bowling, and other activities such as the amusements and arcade machines are also reasonably priced. Everything is very good quality.
As you enter there is an arcade packed full of everyone’s favourite games such as Pac man and Superbikes 2. Plus, from some of the machines you receive tickets that you can exchange for prizes. You put them in the ticket eater which gives you a receipt with your points. If you have enough you can then get prizes such as headphones and kids toys. I think the arcade is really good, especially because there is something for everyone to enjoy playing from small children to adults! I tried the Pac man game which is exactly the same as the computer game and you get tickets from it. I also had a go on the superbikes where you sit on a pretend bike and have to lean over to turn corners which was great fun, and I really liked competing against my Dad on the air hockey. If you hit the puck really hard it flies so fast it’s difficult to see it!
Next to the arcade is a bar which serves a lot of different drinks including beer and wine for adults and soft drinks for kids. You can also get coffees and there are comfy sofas to sit on. At the other end of the bowling alley is a cafe which serves very yummy food such as pizza, burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and a lot more. There is a children’s menu with healthy options available and the prices for food are really good too. You can eat in the cafe, or you can press a button while you are bowling and someone will come to take your order and bring your food and drink to you while you play.
The bowling was excellent. The alley is all lit up and the pins are aluminous, which makes it look a lot more interesting and exciting. There are different weighted balls for you to choose the best for you to use and they have different sized finger holes for if you have bigger or smaller fingers. Each weight is a different colour so it’s easy to find the one you are using. The bowling is good for all ages as there is the option to have bumpers down the sides and a ramp to help small children play without having to throw a heavy ball. I found the bumpers very useful as the ball kept going in the gutter to start with! The score board is clear and easy to see if you are winning or losing. Also, if you get a special score such as a strike, cartoons and videos come on the screen. The floor where you bowl is very slippery so that the ball can go faster, so you have to wear funny clown like shoes. You just tell the person at the desk your shoe size and they give you some shoes to wear. I found all the staff at Hollywood bowl to be very friendly and helpful.
Other activities at Hollywood Bowl that I didn’t get chance to try on this occasion are pool tables and a karaoke booth to go in with your friends. You can also have birthday parties here. Overall, I would say that Hollywood Bowl is excellent for all ages and a great place to go for a family day out. I give it 9 ½ out of 10!
By Selina aged 10
WIN a family game of bowling!
Hollywood Bowl are offering a 2 game package for
a family of 4. If you want to enter the competition,
please answer this question:
How many pins are there in 10 pin bowling?
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Terms & Conditions – Entries must be in by the 22nd February. The winner will be contacted on the 23rd February. Yorkshire Reporters decision is final and no cash alternative will be offered.
