1. Warm-ups and stretches
  2. Wrestling

Wrestling Warm-Up Games, Ages 4 to 6

A 3-minute warm-up game for wrestling at ages 4 to 6: follow the leader, animal walks, a freeze game, soft landings and a little wrestling play. No lines, no waiting.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Ages
4 to 6
Time
3 min
When
Before training
Bring
Mat

Before training

  1. 01Follow the leader
  2. 02Animal walks
  3. 03Traffic lights
  4. 04Hop and stick
  5. 05Animal moves
Moving, never still holds: the still stretches come after training.

The steps

How it goes

  1. Follow the leader: your grown-up leads a slow jog around the space, then marching with high knees.
  2. Animal walks: a few steps each of bear crawl, frog jumps and crab walk.
  3. Traffic lights: green means jog, yellow means walk, red means freeze on one foot.
  4. Hop and stick: 5 hops on two feet, landing quietly like a cat.
  5. Animal moves: bear walk, then crab walk, then stand up tall like a soldier.

Coaching points

  • Keep everyone moving: no lines and no waiting.
  • Soft, quiet landings, like a cat.
  • It is play, not a test: praise the trying.

Safety: 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

Game version

Play follow the leader: your child leads one move, then you lead one, swapping until every move has had a turn.

Story

Zoo morning: wake up as a slow bear, hop like a frog, then tiptoe like a cat so nobody hears you land.

Practice makes progress

Start every session this way

In SSTracker every planned session starts with the warm-up for the child's age and ends with the cool-down, so the habit is built in.

Free for families and teams

Save the week with this routine built in, free

Sign up and the free wrestling week opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.

Start free training for your child Coach? Set up your team free

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.