Foot skill ideas (you need everyone to have their own ball for most of these):
Start with something easy. Have them put one foot on the ball and one on the ground. Then have them switch, hopping back and forth from left foot to right. Let them go as fast as they want. This drill and the next one are a great warm-up.
Have them pass the ball back and forth between their feet. Again, let them go at whatever pace works best.
Red light, green light Line all the kids up at one end of the field, each with a ball, spaced a few feet apart. When you say green light they start dribbling toward the other end. When you say red light they stop. Add a yellow light or reverse for even more fun.
The snake line (or the train) Have the kids line up single file and give the first player the ball. Tell them they can dribble wherever they want on their field on the rest of the team will follow. After 30-45 seconds, they give the ball to the next player in line and go to the end. Keep it going until every player has a chance to dribble. Kids love this for some reason.
Relay races Use your imagination. Instead of dribbling around cones, have them dribble around their older brothers/sisters. Or dribbling through their legs. Or crawling through their legs.
Set up a box using cones, about 20 feet long and 15 feet wide. This box has many uses, such as:
Crab soccer Put two players (or use the older brothers/sisters again) in the box as crabs. They need to be in crab walk position. Everyone else gets a ball and spreads out at one end of the box. When you say Go they try to dribble to the other end without going outside the box or having one of the crabs kick their ball out of the box. Everyone thats knocked out becomes a crab for the next run. Keep going back and forth until everyone is knocked out.
Tag Everyone has a ball but the tagger. They have to dribble inside the box while the tagger chases them down. If you want to make it harder for the tagger, play Freeze Tag. Players who are tagged are frozen. They can be unfrozen if another player tags them (or dribbles through their legs or any other crazy idea you have). The tagger is done when everyone is frozen. Or have the tagger try to kick all the other balls out of the box (this game has many names).
Dribble and shoot Give every player a number, say, their uniform number. Every player gets a ball and dribbles in the box. When you call out a number that player passes you the ball, you pass it back to them, and they shoot. If you have an assistant you can both call out numbers, one at each end, using two goals. It sounds complex but four year olds can do this.
Heres a guaranteed winner with the kids. Give each player a ball. Have them dribble the ball in the box. Every 20 seconds or so, tell them to stop and put a body part on the ball. See how many know their left foot from their right. The kids really have fun when you ask them to put their stomach, nose, or chin on the ball. But for some reason the all-time favorite is the ear. Youd be surprised how many can hear the ocean!
The goal of all of the above games is to get the kids to control the ball. Change speed, change direction, start and stop.
Passing and shooting:
Surprisingly, passing back and forth isnt a bad idea. Just dont do it for more than a couple minutes. The players should use the big flat surface on the inside of the foot. Its hard for young kids to turn that foot to trap and kick so dont be discouraged when they struggle.
The Super W Have the kids line up in a W formation. Put one player about 15 feet from the goal and zigzag the rest toward the opposite goal. Put all the balls at the far end. Have the players work the ball from the farthest player to the closest, back and forth down the field. The player closest to the goal shoots. Encourage them to track down missed shots and keep working until its in the net. Keep the balls coming until theyre all in the goal.
Pass and shoot The easiest and most popular drill ever. Use your assistant coach and two goals to keep the lines short. The player will pass you a ball, you pass it back, and they shoot. Again, if they miss encourage them to keep shooting until the ball is in the goal. Liven it up by having them dribble around a cone first before they pass it to you.
The idea behind these drills is simple passing and persistent shooting. Dont stop until the ball is in the goal.