Fun Kids Soccer Drills That You & Them Will Love Playing!

Seeing the joy in their faces is priceless. The kids soccer drills that you design for them are the highlight of their day so make sure you come fully prepared.

No matter the age you're working with its important to come ready to coach and known the drills inside and out because you know the kids have wild questions you could have never predicted.

Find a list of the best kids soccer drills below that they will love, be sure to read through them and fully understand them before you try them out with the kids.

Whether it's one on one or with a group these fun soccer drills will help them improve their touch, technique and most importantly their overall love for the game.

We know we want to keep it fun at young ages so they fall in love with the sport like all of us did so be sure to show them coaching these drills just playing in them is fun for you as well. Oh and get ready for a "Coach why are the goal posts white?" question or two (you know how kids minds can be).

Kids Soccer Drills are suppose to be one thing, and one thing only, FUNNN! For you and more importantly for them. The list of drills below incorporate some soccer function but more importantly stresses the love and fun of the game which is the most important message we can convey to them at an early age. Ready? Let's do it!

Top 5 Best Kids Soccer Drills

Kids Soccer Drills Video Examples

At Home Kids Soccer Drills Video Examples

Top 5 Things To Remember When Teaching Kids Soccer Drill

1. It's All About The Fun

• Although you want them to improve and push them to be their best the most important thing for any kid under 10 is for them to leave practice feeling like they had so much fun.

• Kids are still learning to fall in love with the game at this point so mix in hard work with a high level of fun and enjoyment.

2. Find The Teaching Points

• Everyone loves to improve and learn new things so it's important to be communicate to the kids a few tips on technique, form or foot placement so they learn and develop new skills.

• This feeling of learning will keep them coming back for more and crave the sport every day, teach and have fun with it and the kids will have a blast.

3. Participate

• Jump in and demonstrate and play with the kids so they can see first hand not only how it's done but how it's done with a smile on your face.

• Kids look up to coaches and love to see them do moves and dribbles so they can aspire to do the same.

• Show them how much fun it can be to play the game and they will get a thrill out of seeing you in there with them.

4. Be All Knowing

• Just kind of knowing a drill won't cut it, there will be situations that come up that can make you look disorganized like more or less players than you expected, wait times in lines, lack of pinnies, balls etc.

• Be sure to have thought out every possible scenario and plan for them all.

• There will still be some ones you can't plan for but be sure to know the kids soccer drill inside and out because the questions are coming believe me.

5. Feel The Room & Adjust

• Sometimes things don't quite work the way we want them to so come with a plan and if it is going quite the way you want then change it up.

• Add balls, take them away, change teams, grid size etc to get what you want and get the kids enjoying the exercise you have planned.

Top 5 Things To Avoid When Teaching Kids Soccer Drills

1. Getting Frustrated

• If the drills aren't going as planned don't bring the negative energy to a fun practice environment, the kids will sense it and will associate negativity with practice so stay cool.

2. Being Too Rigid

• Be prepared to chop and change things that may stray away from your original practice plan.

• If it isn't working throw your original plan away and make it work for the group.

3. Winging It

• The opposite of being too rigid in your plan is not having one at all.

• Yes you want some flexibility and feel to go with these drills but you don't want to be making up everything on the spot either.

4. Not Enough Ball Touches

• Kids soccer drills are all about kids getting lots of reps with the ball at their feet.

• If you have drawn up a drill that has a lot of running but very little contact with the ball change it up so the kids have a ball at their feet at all times.

5. No Teaching & No Fun

• Being too quiet and letting them go through the motions without teaching or brining vocal energy to the training won't get you or them anywhere.

• You have to bring the energy and the coaching points for them to love coming to practice.

Top 5 Best Kids Soccer Drills

Dance, Dance, Relay!

This is a very simple drill to get the kids going, I always recommend demonstrating first any drill that may take some kids to break out of their shell just so nobody feels embarrassed when doing.

Kids soccer drills are suppose to be a fun time so make a fool out of yourself so they don't have to!

Set Up:

• Divide the group into 3 or 4 even teams.

• Set up 4 cones in a straight line about 7 yards from each other including one at the starting position.

Drill:

• Have each player dribble to the far cone (around it).

• When they reach the far cone make sure they put their foot on their ball and do a dance move which you have demonstrated already during the demonstration (anything from Saturday night fever will do!) and dribble back.

• When they reach their line of teammates they must give a high five to their teammate and sit down at the end of the line and cheer on their teammates as they do the same.

• Saying there will be a prize for best dance move will really encourage the kids to let loose.

• It's simple, fun, incorporates a little soccer and most importantly the kids love it.

Monster!

Another classic that they are going to love. Again for the first round of this game you be the Monster making all the appropriate sounds and body actions to scare them. Kids soccer drills should always involve you having just as much fun as they do.

Set Up:

• Make a square with the cones to accommodate for your numbers, make it so they aren't bumping into one another.

• Every player needs a ball.

Drill:

• As the kids dribble around the square with their ball the MONSTER (you) will drag your leg and make big bad monster sounds chasing them trying to kick their ball out.

• Don't do it right away let them have fun with it until there is one player remaining, not important if the game even ends just so they have some fun and realize how enjoyable soccer can be.

Hunter

This game here use at your own risk! The kids are going to want to play this every single time you step on a field with them.

This is the most popular of all the kids soccer drills ever and they will love it to death and ask you over and over and over to play it every moment of every day.

Set Up:

• Make a rectangle about 10 yards wide and about 15 yards in length.

• Select one kid to be the Hunter and the rest are Deer without a ball.

Drill:

• Have all the deer line up and one end of the box and when you say go they have to get to the other side without getting hit.

• The Hunter has a few balls lined up along the outside of the grid on the side and as they run across he tries to shoot the ball and hit them in the feet (or below the knees lets say to be safe).

• If a player gets hit (you're the judge) they join the hunter and try to hit people out.

• Game ends one there's one deer left and they are the winner.

• Remember kids soccer drills like this aren't about winning or losing so a quick "round of applause for so and so" and a "who wants to play again" will make the kid feel good for a moment then back to the fun again.

• Again remember they are going to ask you more than any other of the kids soccer drills to play this one every single day every moment. So give them just a taste of it at a time.

Shoot The Coach

This game is fun for the kids because they finally get to give it back to the coaches, and for some bizarre reason they really want to hit you in this drill, geez I thought we had something kids!

Set Up:

• You can do this a few different ways, you can have all the players line up and all the coaches and have them chase you in a straight line or do it in teams.

Drill:

• 1 point for every time they hit the coach and they have 30 seconds or so do it in.

• This is more of just a fun thing for them and believe me they'll love it whichever way you set it up.

• There's nothing more fun in kids soccer than a game that involves hitting you, and believe me they'll love it. Enjoy!

Dribble, Dribble, Dribble

Great kids soccer drills such as this one are simple and straight forward but a good way to get the kids on the ball and going. Be sure to adjust according to age if too easy or difficult.

Set Up:

• Each player needs a ball.

• Depending on your numbers create a simple square outlined with cones so the kids have enough room to dribble a ball without crashing into each other.

Drill:

• Now have the kids dribble when you say go, and assign a movement or action to a number. For example, "Okay kids every time I yell the Number 1 you have to sit on top of your ball".

• Continue to do this up to about 4 numbers or so, more than that the kids start to lose count of which number is which.

• BE CREATIVE! BE BE CREATIVE! mix it up, this should be one of your go to soccer warm up drills for kids because you can use your own flavour and assign different actions to each number that you know they will enjoy.

In case you can't think of any here are some listed below.

Ideas for Actions associated to the numbers:

Switch balls with a partner.

• Go through so and so's legs.

• Put your foot on the ball.

• Give a friend a high five!

• Step Overs over the ball and continue.

• Dribble around a corner cone.

• Pass it between the inside of your left and right foot.

• Dribble with only left foot, only right foot.

• Put each knee on the ball and continue.

• Put your foot on the ball and do your favourite dance move.

• The options are limitless!!! Have fun with it.

Simon (Or Whatever Your Name Is) Says

Yes yes the children's game we all know and love is also one of many proven warm up soccer drills for kids and is always a hit! Kids love this game and of course all the old school tricks apply.

You can incorporate a soccer ball or soccer movements before saying Simon says but it's up to you really. In case you need to brush up your skills on the game here it goes:

• Have the kids stand in front of you in rows or a big group either one.

• Yell out actions for them to do and the objective is you have to say Simon says before the action for them to copy it.

• If they do what you said and you haven't said Simon says then they are out!

• A trick that always works is have them sitting when you explain the game really quickly then say "okayy everyone up lets get started". You'll see about 80% of them stand and be out.

• Yes I know there suppose to be fun kids soccer drills but we can be ohh so cruell!

Duck, Duck, Goose!

Another big hit is Duck Duck Goose but soccer style!

A hit when it comes to warm up soccer drills for kids!

It's all about incorporating games they already love but throwing in a soccer movement or ball to get them to associate fun with soccer. In case you've been under a rock for the past 20 years here's how it goes:

• You get everybody in a circle, I like them standing in a circle so nobody is goofing off or feels not involved.

• Have them close their eyes in the circle.

• Choose one person to go around the circle while dribbling a ball.

• They tap each person they pass saying duck, then when they choose somebody they say GOOSE!

• The two kids then race in opposite directions to return to where they started from. Then the game continues in the same manner.

• Like always feel free to mix things up if you want to say Maradonna and Pele instead of Duck and Goose or anything else you think might be fun.

These Kids Soccer Drills are sure to be a hit because these are long time proven classics and there are so many variations you can take from them. Good luck and the kids are sure to love you!