PAS Traffic Light: Run, Stop, Act

A moving warm-up where each card color triggers one step of the PAS sequence: red is protect, yellow is alert, green is help. It gets the body going and makes the right order automatic in an emergency.

How to play

1. Easy jog around the whole space with ankle, knee, hip and shoulder mobility (2 min).
2. Introduce the colors with different movements: on the red card, stop, look around and point out a hazard out loud (2 min).
3. Add yellow: pair up with someone nearby and say '911 (112 in Spain), I'm at…, what happened is…, there are… injured' (2 min).
4. Add green: go to the nearest cone, kneel and tap its 'shoulders' asking 'Can you hear me?' (2 min).
5. Final round with faster running and all three cards in PAS order; anyone who mixes up the order repeats it walking (2 min).

Rules

• The order is always protect, alert, help.
• Stop in two or three steps, no skidding.
• One person per cone so nobody collides.
• Run looking ahead, not at the card.

Variations

Adaptations

• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: large cards always held up in the same visible spot.
• Students with low vision: along with the card, one clap for red, two for yellow, three for green.
• Limited mobility: move through a wide area in the wheelchair and, on green, touch a cone placed up high.

Learning goals

• Warm up the body progressively.
• Memorize the order protect, alert, help.
• React quickly to a visual signal.

Equipment for a class of 25

• colored cards: 3
• cones: 15

Teacher tip

Spread 15 cones out before you start. Common mistake: on green they sprint to the cone without looking; remind them you always protect before you help.

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