Easter Football Games
Fun Easter Training Ideas For Kids
Spring can be a great time for youth football. The evenings are lighter, the weather’s getting better, and everyone’s recovered from the post-Christmas slump. However, motivation can still dip at this time of year thanks to school holidays, family plans, and Easter. You might find that attendance is inconsistent, and players can lose focus. A themed training session is a great way to keep players engaged and excited. Easter football games and challenges help to create a fun atmosphere while still focusing on key football skills. To get you started, we’ve put together a selection of Easter football games and training drills for kids. These activities work well for most youth teams and can easily be adapted for different ages and ability levels.
Planning an Easter Training Session
Before choosing your games, think about how you can create an Easter atmosphere around the whole session. Small details can make a big difference to engagement and enjoyment. You could consider:
- Easter Dress Code – Suggest that your players wear bright spring colours or Easter accessories. Maybe everyone can wear bunny ears and a tail? Provided this will be safe for training.
- Spring Music Warm-Up – Play upbeat music during arrival and include fun warm-up activities to build energy straight away.
- Themed Team Names – Use Easter-themed team names like Rabbits & Chicks or Eggs & Bunnies.
- Mini Prize Rewards – Hand out small Easter treats or stickers after displays of good teamwork, effort, or a positive attitude.
- Team Easter Photo – Finish with a fun team photo for parents and social media channels.
- Community Connection – Suggest that your team donate Easter eggs. Check for any local drop-off points or food banks that might be looking.
- Easter Quiz Break – Find time to include a quick Easter quiz during a drinks break. You can either hand out Easter prizes or offer an advantage in a later drill.
Basically, you want to create a memorable and fun training session that keeps players engaged. You can be a bit more relaxed without losing the focus of basic training. Always keep football development at the centre of the session.
Easter Football Games
One of the easiest ways to keep players interested is to give familiar drills as Easter twist. Refer to footballs as Easter eggs and goals as nests. To keep things simple, you can just adapt what you’re already doing. Alternatively, introduce some new Easter football games. We’ve included a few below for inspiration.
Egg Hunt
Focus: Close control, scanning, agility.
Equipment: Footballs, cones, coloured markers (“eggs”).
Set-Up:
Divide players into teams. Scatter cones or markers randomly across a grid to represent hidden Easter eggs. Use four cones to create a basket at each end. Each player has a ball.
Instructions:
- Players dribble freely around the area searching for eggs.
- When they reach an egg, they perform a skill move before collecting it.
- Players return eggs to their team’s basket.
- The team with the most eggs at the end wins.
Coaching Points:
- Encourage small touches and head-up dribbling.
- Promote awareness of space and other players.
- Reinforce quick acceleration after turns.
Progressions:
- Assign different values to coloured eggs.
- Add defenders who can steal eggs.
- Players must use their weaker foot.
Bunny Hop Relay
Focus: Speed, coordination, finishing.
Equipment: Hurdles, footballs, small goals.
Set-Up:
Create relay lanes that end with a shooting area and a goal. Players line up in teams.
Instructions:
- Players move through a series of cones using quick footwork or hopping patterns.
- At the final cone, they collect a ball and shoot.
- A goal gives one point to their team.
- The next player begins immediately.
Coaching Points:
- Fast first steps after movement.
- Controlled body shape before shooting.
- Accuracy over power.
Progressions:
- Add a defender or goalkeeper.
- Include a skill move before shooting.
- Use timed team challenges.
Protect The Nest
Focus: Possession, teamwork, decision making.
Equipment: Footballs, cones, and bibs.
Set-Up:
Create four nests (square grids) in the corners. Each team starts with several balls inside their nest.
Instructions:
- Players steal eggs (footballs) from other nests and bring them back to their own.
- Players cannot be tackled inside a nest.
- Once outside, normal challenges apply.
- The team with the most eggs after time wins.
Coaching Points:
- Encourage communication and team roles.
- Promote shielding and awareness.
- Players should scan before leaving the nest.
Progressions:
- Add bonus golden eggs worth extra points.
- Limit how many players can defend.
- Introduce passing rules before scoring.
Easter Egg Relay
Focus: Agility, coordination, teamwork, and decision-making.
Equipment: Footballs, cones, agility ladder, hurdles, bibs, Easter eggs (or alternative).
Set-Up:
Divide the players into teams. Create an obstacle course for each team with the following stations:
- Agility ladder
- A line of cones
- Hurdles
- A football
Create a zone at the end with as many cones as possible placed in a random order. Hide Easter eggs under certain cones.
Instructions:
- The first player on each team completes the obstacle course:
- Using quick feet on the agility ladder
- Side-stepping through the cones
- Jumping over the hurdles
- Keepie uppies with the football
- When they reach the end zone, the player must pick a cone and look for an Easter egg.
- If they find an egg, they can collect it. If not, they replace the cone.
- The first player sprints back to the start and the next player begins.
- The race ends when all of the eggs have been found. The team with the most eggs win.
Coaching Points:
- Promote balance and coordination through obstacles.
- Remind players to stay composed rather than rushing.
- Encourage communication and teamwork during transitions.
- Players should be aware of other players so they know which cones have been checked.
Progressions:
- Add a defender for players to get away from.
- Add a skill move before checking under a cone.
- Place forfeits under cones that players must perform before returning to the start.
Keep Players Engaged
Running a themed training session full of Easter football games is a simple way to encourage players to attend. It can be simple to set up, and you don’t need to put loads of thought into it. As long as you can find some fun games that can be given a simple Easter twist, you’ll ensure your players develop skills and create fun memories, especially if you reward them with some chocolate at the end.
Looking for more ways to keep sessions fresh? Explore more of our football games for kids so you can keep training fun all year round.
