Before you introduce dribbling, shooting and passing activities, explain the importance of warming up before play. Stretching and light drills will prevent injury and ease the player into a game. Use dynamic soccer stretches, such as twisting from side to side or swinging each leg, and static soccer stretches, such as the squad stretch. One warm-up drill that's easy to teach and perform involves dribbling. Have the children dribble the ball, but after every 5 to 10 seconds call out "foot," "stomach" or another body part. When the children hear the body part, they have to stop the ball with that body part.
Dribbling activities teach children how to control the ball when they're running down the field. One popular dribbling exercise is "Red Light, Green Light." Each child is given a soccer ball and told to stand at one end of the field. As the teacher, you stand at the other end of the field and turn your back to the players. Shout, "Green Light" to signal to the players to start dribbling toward you. A few seconds later, turn around and shout, "Red Light" to signal to the players to stop where they are and control the ball. Each player that you see still moving must take five steps back. The winner is the first child to cross the line where you are standing.
Your preschoolers will be most excited to learn how to shoot since this is the only way they can score a goal. Shooting activities should teach the fundamentals of kicking the ball with the side of the foot for accuracy. One shooting activity is called, "Egg Hunt." Place all of the soccer balls in the field at varying distances from the net and have the preschoolers stand at the opposite end of the field. Instruct the children to run toward the balls and kick them into the net as quickly as they can.
The last soccer fundamental a preschooler should learn is passing. Like dribbling, passing is about control, but like shooting, it's also about accuracy; "Monkey in the Middle" will teach children both of these aspects of passing. Begin by forming a circle with the players and choosing one person to stand in the middle (the monkey). Give one person in the circle the ball and have him pass the ball to another person in the circle without the monkey intercepting it. Once the monkey gains control of the ball, the person who tried to pass the ball trades places with the monkey.