Jungle Stretching Story
A 6-minute cool-down for U6 to U10: the coach tells a jungle story and each animal is a stretch — giraffe, flamingo, frog, cat, snake and turtle.
- Age
- U6–U10
- Players
- 1–20
- Duration
- 6 min
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Intensity
- Low
- Area
- Full pitch / open
- Type
- Physical
- Approach
- Analytical
- Format
- Circuit
- Objectives
- Physical: Recovery & flexibility, Coordination
- Concepts worked on
- Physical:FlexibilityBalance
Training diagram
Children sit in a circle with their ball while the coach tells the story and shows each animal.
Legend
- Attacker
- Neutral / support
- Ball
Young children will not hold a hamstring stretch for 25 seconds, but they will happily become a flamingo or a turtle. This routine hides gentle stretches inside a short story, so the session ends calmly and the children leave in a good mood. Each child keeps their ball, which is used in some of the animals and keeps everyone in their place.
Objective
Lower the heart rate and stretch gently through a story, and end the session with a calm, positive moment.
Organisation
- Children sit in a circle with their ball in front of them. The coach sits in the middle or as part of the circle.
- The coach tells the story and does every animal with the children.
How it works
- Elephant walk: walk slowly around the circle swinging the arms like a trunk and breathing deeply (1 minute).
- Giraffe: on tiptoes, reach as high as possible for the top leaves. Hold 5 seconds, three times.
- Flamingo: stand on one leg holding the other foot behind (heel towards the bottom). Count to 10 on each leg.
- Frog: sit with the soles of the feet together and gently flap the knees like wings.
- Cat and cow: on hands and knees, arch the back like an angry cat, then let the tummy drop. Five times.
- Snake: lie on the tummy and lift the chest slowly while hissing.
- Sleeping turtle: kneel and curl up over the ball, arms around it, hiding in the shell. Take three slow balloon breaths: breathe in to blow the tummy up, breathe out slowly.
Coaching points
- Keep it slow and quiet: speak softly so the children calm down.
- Show every movement; children copy what they see.
- No competition and no corrections in front of the group — everybody does their own version.
- Finish with a high five and one positive thing from today's session.
Progressions
- U9–U10: hold each animal for 15 seconds and add a hamstring stretch — sitting, legs straight, roll the ball from the knees to the toes.
- Let one child choose the next animal.
Regressions
- U6: three or four animals are enough.
- Do the flamingo holding a partner's hand.
Variations
- Change the story every few weeks: the sea (starfish, crab, jellyfish) or the farm.
Key principles
- Calm voice, slow rhythm.
- Finish the session with a positive emotion.
Share this task
Useful? Send it to your coaching staff or save the diagram.