10 Fun Football Games for Kids

Whether you’re looking for a fun way to get kids interested in football or you want a more engaging way to get them up to full fitness, there are lots of games that can help achieve this.

10 Fun Kids Soccer Games

The following article will outline some of the most enjoyable football games for kids.

1. Sharks and Minnows

For this game you will need to mark out a grid and assign the role of the ‘shark’ to one child (the rest will be ‘minnows’).

The game works a bit like Bulldog in that the aim is to make it from one side of the grid to the other. Each minnow will have a ball and has to dribble it to the other side without being tackled by the shark.

Each time a minnow loses the ball, they too become a shark. The game continues until there is only one minnow left.

This game will help develop dribbling, awareness, ball control, shielding, and tackling technique among other skills.

2. Traffic Lights

Once again, you will need to set up a grid for this game. Before the game starts, assign three different instructions to each of the traffic light colours. The simplest version of this game will have the red light mean ‘stop’, amber mean ‘slow down’, and green mean ‘go/accelerate’.

Once everyone understands what the colours mean, the game can begin. Ask players to dribble around the grid listening out for the colours. When the colours are stated, players must quickly follow the instruction.

The game can be adapted to have players eliminated when they are the last to follow the instruction or to have more complex instructions.

This game is great for improving awareness, dribbling, decision-making, and coordination.

3. Simon Says

Everyone knows Simon Says and the game can easily be adapted to be played with a football. This follows a similar premise to the traffic light game explained above.

Rather than assigning instructions to colours, simply say “Simon says” followed by an instruction. You can really mix up this game with lots of different calls like asking players to pass their ball to someone else or asking them to make a sharp turn.

This game is great for developing listening skills, dribbling, and awareness.

4. Piggy in the Middle

Another simple game that you will probably have encountered at some stage is Piggy in the Middle. This game can be played with as few as three players and is a great way to warm up.

One player is designated as the ‘piggy’ whilst the others have to pass the ball between them, avoiding the piggy. If the ball is intercepted then the last person to touch it swaps in for the piggy.

There can be lots of variation to this game with additional players, more people intercepting and limits on number of touches.

This game is useful for developing passing accuracy, decision-making, anticipation, and interceptions.

5. Cops and Robbers

This game has a little bit more to it but is easy enough for young kids to grasp after some practise.

You will need a set of cops and robbers with the cops outnumbering the robbers. Cops start with a ball each which the robbers do not have a ball. The aim of the game is for the robbers to tackle the ball off the cops and take it a marked-out area known as the bank. Once the ball is stopped in the bank, the cop who lost the ball now becomes a robber. The game continues until there is only one cop remaining.

Cops and robbers is a good game for improving tackling, shielding, dribbling, and awareness.

6. Musical Chairs

Another well-known game that can be adapted into a fun football drill is musical chairs.

This will work in much the same way as musical chairs. Play music with a set of football placed next to each other. Make sure that there is one less ball than there are players. Have the kids walk around the balls until the music stops, at which point they must race to collect a ball. The player left without a ball is eliminated and the game continues until one player is left.

This version of musical chairs is great for sharpness, stamina, and reactions.

7. King of the Hill

This game can be a little chaotic but is a lot of fun and definitely has its benefits.

Set up a grid for each player to dribble a ball within. The aim of the game is to keep control of your ball whilst trying to eliminate other players by kicking their footballs out of the grid.

Lots of skills are involved in this game including shielding, tackling, dribbling, timing, and speed.

8. Relay Race

This game can be as simple as the name suggests. It can be played with several teams competing against each other to see who finishes first or with just one team trying to beat your previous time.

Players must run from one marked line to another where the next player will be waiting. The next player starts their section after being tagged. This game can be played with or without a ball.

Relay races will help improve teamwork, pace, and reactions among many other skills.

9. Grab ‘Em

For this game you will need to mark out an area for each player. These areas must be equidistant from the central communal area. In the communal area there will be several balls. Kids must race towards these and take one back at a time to their area. The player with the most balls in their area when the communal area is empty is the winner.

This game is great for improving sprinting technique, stamina, and ball control.

10. Gates

Set up a playing area in the same way you would set up a football pitch. The main difference here are the ‘goals’. You’ll want to make these goals smaller as player will need to dribble the ball through them or pass it through. There are no goalkeepers in this game as the main aim is not to shoot but to get past your opponent with skill or careful passing.

This game is perfect for improving teamwork, movement, passing, dribbling, and defending as a unit.

If your child wants to have fun whilst playing football why not bring them down to a Samba Soccer Schools? We specialise in teaching football the Brazilian way! For more information, click here.

FAQs About Fun Football Games

What are the best football games for kids?

The above article describes some of the best football games that kids of all abilities can play.

Can football games help kids develop football skills?

Absolutely. Football games aren’t just fun and have lots of different benefits to your child’s football development.

What team football games are there?

The article above has lots of different games that can be enjoyed in groups or teams.