Game version
Clear the yard: kick balls over the line into your grown-up’s yard, and they roll them back softly. Nobody ever has to finish first.
Clear Your Yard
All the balls start in the child’s “yard”. They kick them, one at a time, over the line into the grown-up’s yard; the grown-up rolls them back slowly.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Put a rope or a line of cones across the middle of a small space.
- Ages
- 4 to 6
- Time
- 3 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Size 3 soccer ball, 3 to 6 balls of any kind, a rope or line of cones
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Passing & Receiving
The steps
How it works
- Put a rope or a line of cones across the middle of a small space.
- Put all the balls on your child’s side.
- They kick the balls, one at a time, into your side.
- You roll some back slowly. After a minute, count the balls on each side together.
Coaching point
Praise the try: “Great kicking! You used both feet.”
Safety: Kick low along the ground, and only when nobody is in the way. Play on grass or a soft, flat, clear space with nothing to trip on. Stop for a drink and a rest whenever they want one.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Story
You are a gardener sweeping leaves into the neighbor’s yard, and the wind blows them back.
Practice makes progress
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