Here is an exercise that comes from Footy4kids- perhaps this will help your kids
"Take off your shoe and sock. Sit on the floor, with both feet on the floor... knees inside your arms...start by kicking the ball out of your hands (like a punt). But, just do it lightly so that the ball only goes up about 2 feet or so.
Make sure that your toe is pointed and that you keep your ankle "locked". Strike the ball with the "laces" part of the foot. If your ball goes up without any spin...or with a little "top" spin... then you are doing it correctly. If the ball comes back towards your face...then try again. Keep doing this over and over...it will develop a good feel for what it is like to hit the ball with your laces. After you have managed that...try hitting the ball twice with the foot. But, make sure that there is still a proper spin...ankle locked...toe pointed. When you get good control it is time to stand up.
Now, do the same thing… kick the ball out of your hands (like a punt) but have the ball only go up in the air about 6-7 feet high. Look for the ball going up with no spin again. Keep your foot in that good position. Your knee needs to be slightly bent as well. Kick the ball straight up in the air. Again, you are just trying to get a good feel for the ball. The ball's spin tells you if you are doing it correctly."
I hope this helps them learn how to kick correctly - Remember these skills take a lot of time to master so encourage your kids to practice on their own.
This a helpful article about kicking without toe punting and it points out that you don't need to ban toe punting completely in younger players. It's taken from http://www.bettersoccercoaching.com
Coaching side-foot passing
Coach your players how to kick using the side of their foot. Side-foot passing is for accurate, short, quick passing all the way from one box to the other. Repeat this soccer drill frequently and you'll find side foot passing skills start to come naturally to your players.
In young players, kicking with the toe is very effective - the shot goes straight and harder than it would otherwise, so don't tell your players never to toe punt the ball.
This is an absolute that isn't true and your players will see players of the calibre of Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho - even Ronaldo - using the toe to direct the ball. It generates power!
But when you're short passing, toe punts are not easy or accurate. Ignore them unless you see a player continually doing it, then take him to one side and give him a quick lesson to show how accurate he can be with the side of his foot.
Try the following soccer drill to coach side-foot passing skills.
Soccer coaching tips
Get your players to approach the ball at an angle of about 30 degrees so that you have room to swing your kicking leg through.
Tell them to put their non-kicking foot close to the side of the ball, using their arms for balance and keeping their heads still and eyes on the ball.
The ankle should be firm. Get your players to bring their kicking foot through and strike the centre of the ball (to keep it on the ground) with the side of the foot.
With this type of passing your players are looking to keep the ball low so that it is easy for a team-mate to control.
The weight on the pass is also critical Follow through with the kicking leg to increase power, but the weight of the pass will depend on how far away your players and opposition players are.
Repetition is important for younger players - get them doing this soccer drill at every training session.
