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🏀 Basketball · ages 4–5

Basketball practice plan for 4 and 5 year olds (30 minutes)

Checked · v0.1.0

The whole practice: Warm-up 5 · three drills 14 · water 2 · game 6 · cool-down 3 minutes, for 8 players and 4 balls. Every player is moving in every block, the game comes last, and nobody is ever out.

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This practice

🏀 Basketball · ages 4–5 · 30 minutes · 8 players · 4 balls

  1. 0:005 min

    Warm-up Warm-up

    Jog on the spot, Arm circles, Skipping. About a minute each, easy first, then a little bigger.

  2. 0:055 min

    Drill Cone weave

    X playerO partner or defender— run- - pass∿ dribble

    Set up. Five cones in a line, two big steps apart. Groups of three, each player with a ball, starting one after another. Gear: a ball each, five cones or shoes a group. With your players that is 3 groups of about 3.

    1. Dribble round the cones, in and out, with your right hand.
    2. Turn at the end and come back with your left.
    3. Go again as soon as the player ahead reaches the second cone.

    Say: “Eyes up” · “Low and soft” · “Other hand back”

    Easier: Walk it, and use two cones farther apart. Harder: Switch hands at every cone with a crossover.

  3. 0:105 min

    Drill Stoplight dribble

    Set up. Everyone dribbling inside the court's lines, the coach on the side. Gear: a ball each.

    1. Green: dribble and walk anywhere, not touching anyone.
    2. Yellow: dribble low and slow.
    3. Red: catch the ball with two hands and freeze.
    4. Nobody is ever out. If you get it wrong, just change to the right one.

    Say: “Head up” · “Find space” · “Two hands on red”

    Easier: Hold the ball and walk; bounce it only on yellow. Harder: Purple means switch hands; blue means dribble round your partner.

  4. 0:152 min

    Water Water break

    Everybody drinks, in the shade if there is some.

  5. 0:174 min

    Drill Ball tricks

    Set up. Everyone in a space of their own, arms out so nobody touches. Gear: a ball each. With your players that is 8 groups of about 1.

    1. Pass the ball round your waist ten times, then the other way.
    2. Round one knee, then the other.
    3. Tap it from hand to hand over your head.
    4. Bounce it once and catch it with both hands, ten times.

    Say: “Fingers spread” · “Eyes up” · “Soft hands”

    Easier: Hold the ball in two hands and roll it round your tummy. Harder: Figure eight through the legs without stopping.

  6. 0:216 min

    Game Treasure dribble

    Set up. Cones scattered round the court: they are treasure. Everyone with a ball. Gear: a ball each, a pile of cones or beanbags.

    1. On go, dribble to a cone and touch it with your free hand.
    2. Every touch is one piece of treasure for the whole team; the coach counts out loud.
    3. One minute, then a rest, then try to beat the team's number.
    4. Nobody is out, and nobody's count is better than anyone's: it is one team number.

    Say: “Dribble to it” · “Touch and go” · “Team number”

    Easier: Carry the ball and bounce it once at every cone. Harder: Only your weaker hand, or a crossover before every touch.

  7. 0:273 min

    Cool-down Cool-down

    Reach for your toes, Butterfly. About a minute each, easy first, then a little bigger.

Every plan here has a water break, two in practices over an hour (our rule). On hot days the CDC says to drink more water than usual without waiting to be thirsty, to start slowly and build up, and to practice when it is cooler. cdc.gov: Heat and Athletes. Head knocks and concussion: read CDC HEADS UP, the CDC's page for coaches and parents. cdc.gov/heads-up

peabody.kids/sports/plan/basketball/4-5v0.1.0 · Checked 31 October 2026

Why this practice looks like this

At four and five a ball is a new toy, so this practice is mostly getting the ball to do what you ask. Every child has a ball the whole time, nobody waits, and the only goal is a team number to beat. Use a smaller, lighter ball and a low hoop if you have one; the official youth guidelines start at seven, so 30 minutes is our choice for this age.

The drills are Peabody's own, in plain words, each with a drawing, three short things to say, and an easier and a harder way so one plan fits the whole team. The warm-up and the cool-down come from the Gym, where every move has picture steps a child can follow.

What the guidelines say at 4–5

  • The NBA and USA Basketball guidelines begin at age 7, so there is no official practice length for 4 and 5 year olds; Peabody's plans for this age are 30 minutes and mostly games. Source: NBA and USA Basketball Youth Guidelines.
  • For the youngest, the guidelines' advice to try many sports applies: they discourage specializing in basketball before 14. Source: NBA and USA Basketball Youth Guidelines.

More practices

Basketball at other ages:

Ages 4–5 in other sports:

Game day: make an equal-play-time lineup, or a bracket for the end-of-season tournament. All the tools are on the coaches' page.