When children are assessed as being developmentally ready for competitive game play, large group games and traditional low organizational games need to be replaced by an approach that uses small-sided games, modified equipment and playing areas, and emphasizes game tactics. Manipulating factors that affect the structure and understanding of games enables children to better understand games and make decisions about changing or designing games themselves. Learning tactics and using tactics should be a central objective of games instruction. In this paper, the author describes how developmentally appropriate games instruction is different from traditional games teaching, including when and how to begin games instruction. Specifically, this paper provides the following: (1) a capsule description of early childhood game-like Instruction; (2) criteria for determining when to begin instruction in competitive games; (3) an explanation of initial games instruction; and (4) a discussion of game structure necessary for helping children understand game play.