Game version
Bottle bowling: take turns kicking the ball to knock down the bottles, and stand them up together each time.
Knock Down the Bottles
Stand up empty plastic bottles like pins and kick the ball to knock them down. Aiming at a target builds kicking and passing.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Stand 3 to 6 empty plastic bottles in a row against a fence or wall.
- Ages
- 4 to 6
- Time
- 3 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Size 3 soccer ball, 3 to 6 empty plastic bottles
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Shooting
The steps
How it works
- Stand 3 to 6 empty plastic bottles in a row against a fence or wall.
- Your child stands 3 big steps away with the ball.
- They kick with the inside of the foot to knock the bottles down.
- Stand them back up together. Count how many fell, and try to beat their own count.
Coaching point
Praise the try: “Good aim! You used the inside of your foot.”
Safety: Empty plastic bottles only, never glass. Kick toward the target only when nobody is standing in front of it. 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
The bottles are sleepy monsters, and your ball tickles them so they tumble.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
Free for families and teams
Save this drill to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free soccer week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.