Introducing young children to soccer can be a delightful and engaging experience.
Soccer drills help focusing on developing basic motor skills, coordination, and a love for the game.
Here, we present you with some amazing soccer drills for 2 & 3 year olds.
These games & drills are simple, interactive, and tailored to their developmental stage, ensuring an enjoyable and educational introduction to the world’s most popular sport.
Animal Soccer:
This drill incorporates the excitement of animals with the fundamentals of soccer. Assign each child an animal, such as a lion, monkey, or elephant. Encourage them to move and act like their assigned animal while dribbling the ball. For example, a lion can take big, powerful steps, while a monkey can jump around the ball. This activity helps develop their imagination, coordination, and ball control skills, all while making the experience enjoyable.
Color Matching Game:
Set up a variety of colored cones or markers around the field, each representing a different color. Give each child a ball and call out a color. The children must quickly dribble their ball to a cone of the corresponding color. This drill helps develop color recognition, decision-making, and agility as they navigate the field. It adds an element of cognitive thinking to soccer training, making it both educational and entertaining.
Related: 15 One on One Correspondence Activities for Preschoolers
Traffic Light Tag:
This drill combines soccer skills with a classic childhood game. Assign one child to be the “traffic light” while the others have a ball. When the traffic light calls out “green light,” the children dribble their balls forward. When “red light” is called, they must stop and freeze. The traffic light can also call out a “yellow light” to signal slow movements. This activity enhances their listening skills, reaction time, and control of the ball, all while engaging in an interactive and energetic game.
Goalie Training:
Place a small goal at one end of the field and designate one child as the goalie. The other children take turns attempting to kick the ball into the goal while the goalie tries to make saves. Rotate the roles so that each child gets a chance to be the goalie. This drill helps develop hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness and introduces the concept of teamwork as the children take turns in different roles. It’s an engaging activity that nurtures their enthusiasm for the game.
Related: 20 Captivating Number 3 Activities for Preschoolers
Obstacle Course:
Create a mini obstacle course using cones, hula hoops, and other safe objects. Have the children dribble their balls through the course, weaving in and out of the obstacles. You can also incorporate simple challenges like hopping over a line or doing a toe tap at certain points. This drill promotes balance, agility, and ball control while making the training session interactive and dynamic. Children will enjoy the challenge of navigating the course while honing their soccer skills.
Simon Says:
Put a soccer twist on the classic game of Simon Says. Stand in front of the children and give them commands such as “Simon says dribble the ball,” “Simon says kick the ball,” or “Simon says stop the ball.” The children must follow the commands only when preceded by “Simon says.” This drill helps improve listening skills, coordination, and responsiveness to instructions. It also adds an element of excitement and challenge as they try to keep up with the commands while controlling the ball.
Soccer Bowling:
Set up a row of lightweight cones like bowling pins at one end of the field. Give each child a chance to be the “bowler.” They must dribble their ball and try to knock down as many cones as possible by kicking the ball toward them. This drill enhances kicking accuracy, and control and introduces the concept of target practice. It’s a fun and engaging activity that combines soccer skills with a popular game, keeping the children motivated and entertained.
Freeze Tag:
Combine the thrill of tag with soccer skills by playing freeze tag. Choose one child to be the “tagger” while the others have a ball. The tagger tries to touch the other children, who must freeze when touched. To unfreeze, a frozen player must have a ball kicked at them. This drill improves dribbling, agility, and decision-making under pressure. It adds an element of excitement and teamwork as the frozen players rely on their teammates to free them.
Balance Beam:
Create a narrow path using a line or tape on the ground to represent a balance beam. Have the children dribble their ball along the beam while maintaining balance. Encourage them to take small, controlled steps and keep their eyes focused ahead. This drill helps develop balance, coordination, and ball control. It also adds a sense of challenge and concentration as they strive to keep the ball on the beam.
Soccer Relay Race:
Divide the children into teams and set up a relay race course with designated start and finish lines. Each child in a team must dribble the ball from the start line to the finish line, then pass it to the next teammate, who does the same. The team that completes the relay first wins. This drill enhances dribbling speed, passing skills, and teamwork. It fosters friendly competition and encourages cooperation as the children work together to achieve a common goal.
Target Practice:
Set up a large target, such as a goal or a designated area marked by cones. Have the children take turns kicking the ball toward the target, aiming to hit it. You can make it more challenging by assigning different point values to different areas of the target. This drill helps improve shooting accuracy, concentration, and control. It adds an element of competition and reward as the children strive to hit the target and score points.
Soccer Tag:
Combine the excitement of tag with soccer skills by playing soccer tag. Each child has a ball and must dribble it while trying to avoid being tagged by the “tagger.” If a child is tagged, they become the new tagger. This drill enhances dribbling, agility, and evasive maneuvers. It promotes spatial awareness and quick decision-making as the children navigate the field while protecting their ball.
Follow the Leader with Obstacles:
Create a fun obstacle course using cones, agility hoops, and small hurdles. Choose one child to be the leader and have the others follow them, dribbling their ball through the obstacles. The leader can vary the speed, change direction, or introduce new movements, challenging the followers. This drill improves dribbling skills, coordination, and adaptability. It encourages creativity and allows the children to explore different movements while maintaining control of the ball.
Ball Retrieval Race:
Divide the children into teams and scatter several balls across the field. On your signal, each team must retrieve as many balls as possible and bring them back to a designated area. The team that collects the most balls within a given time wins. This drill enhances running speed, agility, and teamwork. It adds an element of excitement and camaraderie as the children race against time and collaborate to gather the balls efficiently.
Obstacle Dribbling Relay:
Set up a relay race course with cones and other obstacles, such as small hurdles or markers. Divide the children into teams and have them take turns dribbling the ball through the course. They must navigate the obstacles, make quick decisions, and pass the ball to the next teammate before their turn is complete. The team that completes the relay race in the shortest time wins. This drill improves dribbling skills, agility, and teamwork. It adds a competitive element while focusing on precision and coordination.
Soccer Alphabet:
Use this drill to combine soccer skills with letter recognition. Place large letters of the alphabet on cones or markers scattered around the field. Call out a letter, and the children must dribble their ball to the corresponding letter and touch it with their feet. This drill helps improve letter recognition, ball control, and decision-making skills. It adds an educational element to soccer training, making it both engaging and beneficial.
Musical Soccer:
Adapt the classic game of musical chairs to soccer. Arrange cones or markers in a circle, with one fewer than the number of children participating. Play music and have the children dribble their balls around the circle. When the music stops, they must quickly find an available cone to stand next to. The one without a cone is out, and a cone is removed for the next round. This drill enhances agility, quick thinking, and ball control. It adds an element of anticipation and excitement to the soccer session.
Soccer Bowling Pin Knockdown:
Set up a row of lightweight cones like bowling pins at one end of the field. Have the children take turns dribbling their ball and attempting to knock down as many cones as possible by kicking the ball toward them. Keep score or create challenges, such as hitting specific cones or knocking down all the cones in the fewest kicks. This drill improves accuracy, kicking technique, and concentration. It adds a sense of fun and challenge as the children aim to knock down the “pins” with their shots.
Soccer Tic-Tac-Toe:
Create a giant tic-tac-toe grid on the ground using cones or tape. Divide the children into two teams and give each team a different-colored ball. The teams take turns dribbling their ball and placing it on a square to claim it. The objective is to get three balls of the same color in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. This drill promotes strategy, decision-making, and teamwork. It adds a tactical element to soccer training and encourages the children to think strategically while enjoying the game.
