The Ball Traffic Light
Each child moves around with a soft ball and follows the teacher's traffic light: green, roll it and chase it; yellow, carry it while walking; red, sit on it. It warms up the body and practices rolling and controlling a ball.
How to play
- Give each child a ball and explain the three colors by showing the cards (1 min).
- Green: roll the ball along the floor with your hands and follow it crawling or crouching (2 min).
- Yellow: pick up the ball with both hands and walk; red: sit on it or hug it and freeze (2 min).
- Finish with a long red light and walk the balls back to the basket (1 min).
- The teacher shows the green card one last time and everyone rolls their ball toward the basket (1 min).
Rules
- Watch the teacher's card.
- My ball rolls slowly, no kicking.
- On red, freeze like a statue.
- If my ball rolls far away, I walk to get it.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use only green and red, and the teacher says the color as well as showing it.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use all three colors and the teacher only shows the card.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, add blue: toss the ball up and catch it.
Adaptations
- Visual impairment: the teacher calls out the color, and each color has a sound (clapping, drum, silence).
- Limited mobility: on green the child rolls the ball across a table or along the floor from their chair, and a classmate rolls it back.
- Autism: give the child their own card to hold so the current color is always visible.
Learning goals
- Warm up with changes of pace.
- Roll and control a ball with the hands.
- Respond to visual signals.
Equipment for a class of 25
- soft balls: 25
- red, yellow and green cards: 3
Teacher tip
Switch colors every few seconds at first so they don't chase their balls too far. Foam balls roll more slowly and are perfect for this.
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