I'm Your Traffic Light

In pairs, one child is the traffic light holding a red and a green scarf, and the partner is a car that runs around them and stops or goes depending on which scarf is up. The whole body warms up with starts and stops, and children practice watching and following a signal.

How to play

1. The teacher is the traffic light with two scarves: green up, all the cars drive; red up, brake and freeze (1 min).
2. Make pairs: the traffic light stays in one spot holding both scarves, and the car stands next to it with a pretend steering wheel (1 min).
3. The traffic light raises green or red whenever they like, and the car drives in circles close to its traffic light (1 min).
4. Switch roles: the car becomes the traffic light and takes the scarves (2 min).
5. Last slow drive: every car parks next to its traffic light and they give each other a high five (1 min).

Rules

• The car always watches its traffic light.
• On red, the car brakes and freezes like a statue.
• Cars drive close to their traffic light and don't go far.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: be a car in a wheelchair or walker with short loops around the traffic light, or be the traffic light for as long as needed.
• Visual impairment: the traffic light says “green” or “red” while raising the scarf.
• Autism: start with the teacher as the traffic light before moving to pairs, so the signal stays the same.

Learning goals

• Start and stop with control.
• Respond to a visual signal.
• Take turns playing both roles.

Equipment for a class of 25

• pañuelos rojos: 13
• pañuelos verdes: 13
• pañuelos amarillos: 13

Teacher tip

Hand out the scarves already paired (one red and one green tied at the corner) to save time. At first the traffic lights switch colors nonstop; ask them to count “one, two, three” before changing.

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