Big Goal, Little Goal
What you need
- a big soft ball
- four shoes, or four plastic bottles, as goalposts
How to do it
- Make two goals on the grass with the shoes: a wide one, about two big steps across, and a narrow one just wider than the ball.
- Take turns kicking the ball into the wide goal from a few steps away.
- Try the narrow goal next, and talk about which one is easier, and why.
- Give one point for the wide goal and two for the narrow one, and let your child choose which to aim for each time.
Why it matters
Picking the easy goal or the hard one is their decision every time, and squeezing a ball through a narrow gap asks for a slower, careful kick.
What they're learning
- Kicking to aim
- Eyes on the goal, then on the ball.
- Wide and narrow
- Which gap is bigger?
- Keeping score
- One point, two points, how many now?
What to look for
Notice them lining up their foot before they kick.
A tip
A soft, light ball is easiest to aim, and grass slows it down so there's less chasing.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: stand closer, and stop the ball with a foot before each kick
Harder: move the narrow goal further away, or kick with the other foot
