Football drills for 5 and 6 year olds: fun games that work

What 5 and 6 year olds can and can't do

Children this age think about their own ball, not the team. Passing to a team-mate isn't really on their radar yet, and that's normal. Their attention lasts a few minutes, they love to run and chase, and they learn by copying and playing rather than by listening.

So the goal of a session is simple: lots of touches of the ball, lots of smiles, and children going home wanting to come back.

Games that work

• Traffic lights: everyone dribbles; green means go, amber means slow, red means stop the ball with your sole.
• Sharks and minnows: minnows dribble across, sharks try to knock their ball out. Caught minnows become sharks.
• Robin Hood's treasure: steal balls from the middle and bring them home with your feet.
• Tiny matches: 2v2 or 3v3 on a small pitch with small goals, no keepers.

You'll find all of these with diagrams in our warm-ups and dribbling drills.

How to run the session

Plan 45 to 60 minutes with four or five short games, and change game as soon as the energy drops. Demonstrate instead of explaining: show it, say one sentence, then play.

Make it easy to succeed: big goals, small areas, more balls than children. Praise effort and bravery ("great try, you went for it!") more than results.

If you want a ready-made plan, the session plans by age have sessions built for this group, and the session planner will make one for your numbers.

When things go a bit wild

They will. Have a simple attention signal (hands on heads, or "1, 2, 3, eyes on me"), keep a spare game ready, and let them have a drink break. A child who wanders off usually just needs a ball and a job, such as being the shark.

Drills to work on it

Traffic lightsWhole squad players · U5 to U9 · 8 to 10 minsSharks and minnowsWhole squad players · U5 to U10 · 10 minsRobin Hood's treasure6 to 16 players · U5 to U9 · 10 to 12 mins3v3 festival game (no keepers)6 per pitch players · U6 to U8 · 6 to 10 mins per game