This site has five free sports games starring Doodle the dinosaur: two football (soccer) games, tennis, badminton and a swim race. They play in the browser on a tablet, phone or computer, with no ads and no sign-up. Here’s what each one is like, which suit younger or older kids, how the controls work, and how to keep kids moving afterwards.
Four rivals in every game
Every sports game has the same four rivals, each harder than the last: Bun the bunny (Easy), Kiki the kitten (Medium), Bruno the bear (Hard) and Bolt the robot (Champion). Against Bun the games give extra help, and against Bolt they’re a real match for grown-ups. Beating a rival earns a trophy, or a medal in the swim race.
The five games
Doodle football: one on one
Doodle football is head football: one goal each, seen from the side. Doodle runs and jumps to head the ball, and holding Kick winds up a power shot. When the super meter glows, Super fires a shot that flies like a rocket. A match lasts one minute against Bun and up to two against Bolt, or ends at five goals. A tie goes to a golden goal.
Doodle team football: six against six
Doodle team football is seen from above. Your child runs the player nearest the ball, passes, shoots and slides in to tackle. Gift boxes pop up with funny items: a rocket ball, a crow that steals the ball, banana peels, a giant ball and freeze. There are no fouls and no offside. A match lasts two minutes against Team Bun and four against Team Bolt. It’s for one player.
Doodle tennis: real scoring
Doodle tennis is played from the side of the court, and an owl umpire calls the score: love, fifteen, thirty, forty, deuce and advantage. A game takes four points and a lead of two. A match is first to 2 games against Bun, rising to 6 against Bolt. Your child taps as the ball reaches the racket, and a shot into the gift balloon wins something silly, like a frying pan for a racket or a jelly ball. Against Bun and Kiki, Doodle runs to the ball by himself and a marker shows where it will bounce.
Doodle badminton: every rally counts
Doodle badminton uses rally scoring, like the real game: every rally is a point, and you have to win by two. It’s first to 7 against Bun, 11 against Kiki, 15 against Bruno and 21 against Bolt. Tap to hit, jump and hit to smash, or hold Soft to drop the shuttle just over the net. The shuttle flies like a real one, fast off the racket and then floating down.
Doodle swim: a four-lane race
Doodle swim is a race to touch the wall first. Your child taps left and right in time with a ring, and steady taps beat mashing. Holding Dive swims under rubber ducks and beach balls, but it uses up breath. A tap on Dive just before the wall makes a flip turn. Against Bun, the race is one 25 m length with no turns; against Bolt, it’s 100 m with three turns. Every race ends on a podium, with kind words even for fourth place.
Which games for which kids
For a 4- or 5-year-old, these are gentle first games:
- Swim against Bun. One length and a forgiving beat. Slow, uneven taps still reach the wall.
- Football against Bun. The game runs slower and Doodle kicks by himself, so it’s just running and jumping, for one minute.
- Tennis or badminton against Bun. Doodle runs by himself, and a tap a little early still hits on time.
Team football has more to follow at once: passing, switching players and when to use an item. It’s a better fit for older kids, or for anyone who already plays football. Older kids and grown-ups can take on Bruno and Bolt.
Football, tennis, badminton and swim can also be played by two people on one screen. Pick “A friend” on the start card. It works well for brothers and sisters, or a grown-up and a child.
Tablet or keyboard
On a tablet, each game puts big buttons on the picture:
- Football: arrows on the left to run; Kick, Jump and Super on the right.
- Team football: drag on the left half to run; Shoot, Pass and Item are on the right.
- Tennis and badminton: tap the picture to hit, with Jump and Soft beside it.
- Swim: tap the left and right arrows in turn, and hold Dive to go under.
Two players on one tablet each get their own buttons or half of the picture.
On a keyboard, the arrow keys or A and D move, and Space is the main button in most games: kick, shoot or hit. In the swim race, the arrows are the strokes and Space dives. P or Esc pauses. Two players share one keyboard, one on the letter keys and the other on the arrows.
On a phone, the full-screen button gives a bigger picture. Sound stays off until your child turns it on, and wins are saved only in that browser.
Keep moving after the match
The CDC’s guidelines for children say children 3 to 5 should be physically active throughout the day, and children 6 to 17 need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day. A match on screen can be the warm-up for the real thing:
- Football. Two shoes make a goal in the yard or the hall, and a soft ball does the rest. Try heading a balloon.
- Tennis and badminton. Tape a paper plate to a ruler for a racket and hit a balloon over a line of string or a row of cushions. Pick up popped balloon pieces straight away, because they’re a choking risk for young children.
- Swimming. Swim on the rug: left arm, right arm, then a big dive onto a pillow.
If the swim game makes your child want the real pool, the American Academy of Pediatrics has a page on when to start swim lessons. It says many children can start at age 1 and most are ready by their 4th birthday. It also says lessons don’t make children “drown proof”: children need constant, close supervision whenever they’re in or near water.
Ending a match is often the hard part. “One more match, then outside” gives a clear finish. Our screen time plan has more ideas for stopping without tears.
