The 10 to 13-year-old girls enter the bowling alley Nutmeg Bowl and head for the desk to wait in line for bowling shoes. As they look at the size of their shoes and take one off to give to the desk in exchange for bowling shoes until the shoes are returned, the girls chatter with those next to them in line about their bowling skills, their predictions, goals for these games, and the food they look forward to trying.
After trying on their bowling shoes to see if they fit, they split themselves into four lanes and decide who will be A, B, C, and D, depending on how many people are in their lane. They scan the bowling ball racks to pick out the ball with a weight that works for them.
While some find an appropriate bowling ball fairly quickly, others test the balls using a counselor's tip to try holding it with one hand before selecting one, the campers helping each other find the weight written on the balls.
The girls then begin their games. They get used to the feel of bowling again and the wave of anticipation that washes over them when watching the bowling ball roll down the lane towards the pins. They offer each other advice on holding the ball, making their bowling stance, and throwing the ball.
After several rounds, some of the girls decide to get in line to order food, discussing their desires to try the fried dough with sugar, the blue drink they later described as melted blue ice pops, the chicken, and the fries in particular.
Meanwhile, others continue to bowl to improve their skills and achieve higher scores. They carefully watch the bowling balls tip over the pins, occasionally spinning around to share their accomplishment with their friends while pointing at the animation on the TV screen, jumping up and down, and dancing in celebration.
The girls demonstrate their closeness as a group as they help each other make progress through their encouragement, advice, and friendly competition and are there to share and celebrate each person’s accomplishments.