Printable Hawaiian bowling game
ʻUlu maika, the Hawaiian bowling game you can play today
You want your kids to know a real Hawaiian game, not a craft with a flower on it. This is ʻulu maika, ready to play. Print it, find something round to roll, and head for the hallway or the driveway.
Printable PDF. Delivered to your email. Materials not included.
Sound familiar?
You want a real Hawaiian game.
Finding one shouldn't take your week.
The rules are buried in old books. It's hard to tell which "Hawaiian activities" online are real. And you don't want to sit down with your kids and teach them something wrong.
The fix
ʻUlu maika, ready to play
Open it with your child, and you're not researching or guessing. You're playing.
You can play today. No wood circle? Roll a ball or anything round from around the house. No stakes? Use two slippers, two cones or two strips of tape.
It fits your home. A hallway, a driveway or a flat path makes the lane.
You'll say the words right. All seven Hawaiian words come with how to say them, before you need them.
Everyone joins the calls. Shout "Maikaʻi!" for a good roll and "Auwē!" for a miss, the way the referee called them.
And when you're done, your kids get the story behind it, from tracks more than a mile long to a legend about two famous players.
Two ways to play
Pick the one that fits your day
Ready to Play · $5
For tonight, in the hallway or on the driveway
Open it with your child and be playing in minutes. No prep, no research.
Four printable pages. Ages 7 and up. Two or more players.
A say-it guide for seven Hawaiian words, so you say them right.
Easier and harder ways to play, and how to play with more people.
The story of ʻulu maika and a legend about two famous players.
ʻUlu Maika: Hawaiian Bowling · $19
For a class, a co-op or a group
Lead it with confidence. A run sheet tells you what to say, show and do, start to finish.
Twenty-five printable pages. Ages 7 and up. Everyone makes their own maika and takes it home.
Seven short history cards, with the sources listed on the last page, so you can answer "how do you know?"
Practice in pairs, then two group games and an eight-player tournament that crowns a champion.
A troubleshooting page, plus Words to Know and Pass It On handouts.
Not sure? Playing at home with your own kids: Ready to Play. A class, a co-op or a group: ʻUlu Maika: Hawaiian Bowling.
What you'll need
You gather the maika, the stakes and a lane. The download covers the rest.
Both are digital downloads. Nothing ships.
A maika for each player: a wood circle about 2½ in across and 1¼ in thick, sanded very smooth. An adult makes it.
No wood circle? Roll a ball of any size, or something round from around the house.
Two stakes and a foul line. No stakes? Use two slippers, two cones or two strips of tape.
A lane: a hallway, a driveway or a flat path, with the stakes up to 18 ft from the foul line.
Roll the maika, never throw it, and keep out of the lane while it rolls.
The game
About ʻulu maika, the Hawaiian bowling game
What is ʻulu maika?
ʻUlu maika (also spelled ulu maika) is a traditional Hawaiian rolling game, a lot like bowling. Players roll a smooth disc, the maika, along the ground between two stakes. Maika is the name of the game and also of the stone that is rolled.
The maika and the track
The first maika was an ʻulu, a breadfruit. Later, players rolled polished stones, and maika were also made of coral and wood. The game was played on a kahua, a long track of smooth, level, hard-packed ground. Some tracks were more than a mile long.
A famous sport
David Malo called ʻulu maika a "most worthy and noble sport." Charles Wilkes described a maika contest watched by about 3,000 people. A legend names Maloi and Kanekoa as the strongest maika players.
Where this comes from
This page and both downloads are based on Dr. S. Wilfred Navalta's 1978 doctoral dissertation, The Sports and Games of the Makahiki Festival: A History and a Unit of Instruction. It draws on David Malo, John Papa ʻĪʻī, Charles Wilkes, Buck, Culin and Pukui and Elbert. Some details have been adapted for modern play at home. Used with permission.
Keep reading
Questions
Good to know
What ages is it for?
Ages 7 and up.
How many can play?
Two or more players.
Do I need to know the game first?
No. Ready to Play puts what you need on one page. ʻUlu Maika: Hawaiian Bowling has a run sheet that tells you what to say next.
Is anything shipped?
No. Both are PDF downloads. You print the pages and gather the materials.
Do I need a wooden maika?
No. A ball or anything round from around the house works, and the download shows you how to set the stakes wider for a bigger one.
Can I use it in a class or group?
Yes. ʻUlu Maika: Hawaiian Bowling is written for families, homeschools, classrooms, Hawaiian studies programs, and youth and community groups.
Today, you could be rolling.
A real Hawaiian game. A few minutes to open. Nothing to research.