How to give away an evening of pinball and bowling

June 19, 2007 10:41 AM

BirthdayGiftFilter: Looking for a clever way to give my father an evening of bowling and pinball.

As a gift for my fathers birthday tomorrow i am going to take him bowling and playing pinball. He enjoyed both these things in his youth but haven't done it for years.

I am looking for some clever way to package this gift, the best would be some kind of basket with stuff related to bowling and pinball. Another idea would be to have some kind of theme for the evening that involves both activities.

Please metafilter help i am getting desperate. Birthday is tomorrow and my only chance to buy stuff are in the morning. (I am in europe so dont get confused) For making cards or other paper things i have access to a scanner and a color printer.

posted by ilike to shopping (4 comments total)

Some sort of bowling-pin-ball pun?
posted by magikker at 10:47 AM on June 19, 2007

print off some pictures of pinball machines he enjoyed playing in his youth. Search Internet pinball database for pictures. Design custom coin rolls using the pinball pictures. Wrap several rolls of coins (whatever coins european machines take) and present those rolls of coins to him, along with a card . The bowling theme could be something like a personalized bowling towel.
posted by cosmicbandito at 11:03 AM on June 19, 2007

I like the idea of a personalized bowling towel - you could get a roll of coins from the bank, and then roll them inside the towel as a gift wrapper so that it looks like a big piece of toffee (you know, with the ends twisted closed).
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:15 AM on June 19, 2007

Time is probably an issue, and I can't vouch for where you are, but here every thrift shop/secondhand store I go into has several (if not MANY) bowling ball bags, even a few half-size that were made as 'retro-hip' purses - That's an option for a container, and maybe an inexpensive bowling glove from the sporting-goods section of a department store. I kind of like the towel and coin options too., it could all go in, with 'coupons' for 'free' shoe rental, 'free' drinks, whatever you want to try.
posted by pupdog at 12:05 PM on June 19, 2007