The Soft-Landing Traffic Light

Children move among mats and follow a traffic light: green means walk, yellow means squat down, and red means sit down slowly on a mat. It warms up the body while practicing getting to the floor with control.

How to play

1. The teacher shows the three colors and the class practices each move in place: march, squat, sit on your bottom (1 min).
2. Green: walk between the mats; yellow: squat wherever you are (1 min).
3. Add red: find a mat and sit down slowly, bottom first and hands behind (2 min).
4. Now green means a light jog, and red means sit and rock back once in a ball (1 min).
5. End with a long red: sitting, take deep breaths and wave the feet like windshield wipers (1 min).

Rules

• On red, our bottom goes gently to the mat.
• No flopping: we bend our knees to get down.
• Watch the light, not your friend.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: green rolls the chair forward, yellow brings hands to knees, red stops with hands on the tummy.
• Hearing impairment: the traffic light is fully visual, so just hold it up high.
• Autism: give a heads-up like "Changing now" before each color and don't switch too fast.

Learning goals

• Lower to the floor by bending the legs.
• Respond to visual signals with the body.
• Warm up gradually.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Mats: 8
• Green, yellow and red paper circles: 3

Teacher tip

Practice the slow-motion sit before you start: knees bent, bottom close to the floor, then sit. The typical mistake is dropping down with straight legs.

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