What 3 Year Olds Learn in Socatots Classes
Socatots football classes for 3 year olds develop skills across three core areas:
| Development Area | Skills Being Built |
|---|---|
| Physical/Motor Skills | Balance, Coordination, Movement, Speed |
| Cognitive Skills | Numeracy, Speech, Pattern Recognition, Listening |
| Social-Emotional Skills | Teamwork, Communication, Confidence, Self-Esteem |
Football is the medium but the outcomes extend well beyond the pitch. Children leave each session with skills that directly support their transition into school: sitting and listening, following instructions, recognising patterns, counting, and interacting with their peers.
The Benefits of Football for 3 Year Olds
The main benefit of football for a 3 year old is that your child is at an age where their imagination and their physical coordination both take off and football gives them a place to stretch each one. Three year olds live in a world of pretend and play, and football taps straight into it – a dribble becomes an adventure, a goal becomes a moment of celebration, and an ordinary session becomes a story your child is part of. Wrapping activity in imaginative play is one of the most effective ways to hold a three year old’s attention, and it means they are learning and developing without it ever feeling like hard work.
At three, movement itself becomes more sophisticated. Rather than a single kick or a chase after the ball, your child can start to string movements together, for example – running and then stopping, changing direction, controlling the ball with different parts of the foot and moving on to the next thing. Football gives this developing agility something to work towards, sharpening balance, timing and body control in a way that free play alone rarely does.
Three years old is also the age children begin to understand that games have a shape and a set of rules. Learning to wait for their turn, follow a simple sequence of instructions and understand that an activity has a goal is a genuine cognitive leap, and doing it through something as enjoyable as football makes it feel natural rather than imposed. Grasping structure in this low-pressure, playful way gives your child a real head start on the more structured world that comes next.
How Classes Are Structured for 3 Year Olds
At this age, children sit between Phase 2 and Phase 3 of our football programme. Their coach will decide when they are ready to make the move from Phase 2 to 3.
The Phase 2 sessions focus on learning the basics of football, including passing and dribbling. We will also begin to work with your child to identify colours and numbers. Within this class, your child will focus on two of the six parts of the feet each week, for example outside and the toes and all of the activities will revolve around using those two parts.
The Phase 3 sessions are for children aged 3-5 years olds. We expect these children to be very active and to know their colours, numbers and their left and right. In these sessions, the football aspects are increased and they will be doing passing, receiving, dribbling, juggling and balances. Within these sessions, the children will focus on three parts of their feet each week, for example insides, soles and laces and all of the activities will revolve around using those three parts. In this phase, they will also begin working with the other children in pairs and small teams. This is a crucial part of their development as they will learn the importance of teamwork, collaboration and communication.
“Cooperation can help children feel their sense of belonging and contribution. When in a group, children can better sense their role and place. They will know that they need to contribute and they need help from others. They will also realise at an early age that they can go further and get more things done if they work together.”
– Why it’s important for children to learn cooperation, Footsteps Early Learning Centre
This phase is for preparing the children to move up to our older children programme at Brazilian Soccer School.
How Do Socatots Football Class for 3 Year Olds Work
The sessions are structured to always allow free play for the first five minutes. This helps them to settle into the new environment which is particularly important if it is their first session or if your child is shy. Once the session starts properly, we do a short introduction, saying hello and learn everyone’s names, and then we do a warm up.
The middle part of the session is the technical section which consists of the dome, the skittles and the ball. The amount of activities that your child will do with the ball increases as they go up the phases. We then move on to a variable element which changes each week. It could be throwing and catching, some balance work or a game, with or without the ball.
Next, we do our cool down which helps to settle the children down before they leave. The session ends with your child getting a sticker, we do a debrief and then say goodbye.
Parents take an active role in every session, acting as individual coaches to their child – encouraging, demonstrating and guiding them through activities under the direction of one of our qualified coaches. This parental involvement strengthens the parent-child bond and is a proven contributor to building a child’s confidence and self-esteem.
Who Runs the Classes Football Classes for 3 Year Olds
All Socatots classes are run by FDS UK qualified coaches — either the franchisee directly or coaches trained by FDS UK Leadership. Every coach holds the following:
- DBS qualified
- UKCFDS qualified
- First Aid trained
- Insured
The Long-Term Impact Of Football Classes for toddlers
There are many benefits to getting your child to football classes from a young age. Alongside the benefits to their overall development, attending football class from 3 years old or younger, will help to build a love of physical activity that will help them stay active in adulthood. In the modern world, we have begun to live from sedentary lifestyles and this is not good for us.
“Inactivity is described by the Department of Health and Social Care as a “silent killer”. Evidence is emerging that sedentary behaviour, such as sitting or lying down for long periods, is bad for your health. Not only should you try to raise your activity levels, but you should also reduce the amount of time you and your family spend sitting down.”
– Benefits of Exercise, NHS website
Football classes can help to get your kid active throughout their childhood and help them to want to stay active throughout their lives.
Parents also regularly tell us that their children receive praise from PE teachers for being ahead of expected development milestones. Children who have attended Socatots from a young age consistently stand out in school sports and grassroots football teams which is a direct result of the physical skills, football technique, confidence, and teamwork they develop in our sessions.
Football Training for 3 year olds FAQ
Get answers to some frequently asked questions for 3 year olds
How long are the football classes for 3 year olds?
Our classes for 3 year olds are 40-45 minutes long.
Which football class is best for my 3 year old?
We break our age groups down into phases and, at 3 years old, your child is on the cusp of Phase 2 – Improving Balance and Phase 3 – Mastering Footwork. If they have been with us for 6 months, your child’s coach will be able to tell you when they are ready to move up.
If they are starting with us at 3 years old, you may want to think about where they are in their development. Head here to find out more about each phase.
Who is running the classes?
The classes have to be run by FDS UK qualified coaches. This could be the franchisee or coaches trained by FDS UK Leadership.
Can girls attend the classes?
Yes, of course! Some franchisees run girls only classes.
How do parents actively participate in SOCATOTS?
Parents act as individual coaches to the children, encouraging them, demonstrating to them and helping them how to take part in our unique activities and games (under the guidance of a qualified coach).
What kind of equipment is used in the classes?
These classes use a variety of age appropriate props to help children develop. These include domes, dice and hoops as well as our specially designed Socatots footballs and nursery rhymes.
Can siblings take part in classes?
We recommend that franchisees have a sibling policy that encourages sibling participation, but only within the relevant age groups and with one guardian/carer per child.
Can I pay by cash?
No, the only way we accept payment from customers is via the booking system.
Am I tied into SOCATOTS classes for a certain period?
Cancellations are actioned on the customer portal. Once the cancellation button has been clicked by you, the customer, one final payment will be required to be taken before the account is closed.
Is the monthly payment for 4 sessions a month / 1 session per week?
The monthly payment guarantees you and your child a place in the class chosen for twelve months worth of classes, some months have more than others but it all equals out over a 12 month period. Within a 12 month period we offer 41 classes, and this is what customers are paying for.
Do I have to buy the SOCATOTS kit?
Yes, this is a mandatory purchase, we like everyone to look the same in their kit. It’s a feeling of belonging to a team and the children look great! It’s potentially a one off purchase, and we suggest buying the size one up so that the kit can last longer. Some children only go through two kits their whole time with us at Socatots. You have 4 weeks to purchase the kit, otherwise your space will be given to someone else.
Can I make up for missed sessions if I am away?
Yes, providing there is space on the alternative session you would like to attend. Discuss with your coach which sessions have spaces free and you can double up or change for that particular week. We do not offer refunds for missed sessions.
Where is my nearest class?
We have over 90 classes in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands. Head here to find your local class.
Book a FREE Football Taster Session for Your 3-Year-Old
Book your free taster session at your local SOCATOTS training centre now. Enter your postcode or location below and see where your closest centre is.
Your first session is FREE – book now!