The Traffic Officer’s Signals
Children drive pretend cars (a hoop as the steering wheel) around the town square and follow the traffic officer’s arm signals: stop, go, turn one way or the other, slow down. It builds reacting to visual signals, laterality and street safety rules.
How to play
- The teacher, as traffic officer, shows the signals: raised hand (stop), waving arm (go), arm pointing sideways (turn that way), hands pressing down (slow) (2 min).
- Start the car with the steering wheel (hoop) and drive around the square; practice only stop and go (2 min).
- Add turns: the arm points to a side and we turn that way, going around a cone (2 min).
- Slow and fast: hands pressing down means very slow; arms moving quickly means speed up (2 min).
- Children take turns as traffic officer, standing in a hoop in the middle of the square (2 min).
- Park the car: each child takes their hoop to a parking space next to a cone and switches off the engine (2 min).
Rules
- I always watch the traffic officer.
- Hand up means I stop completely.
- I drive without bumping other cars.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, only stop and go, and the teacher is always the officer.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add turns and slow down.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the officer chains signals and drivers say “right” or “left” out loud as they turn.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child drives their own wheelchair following the signals.
- Visual impairment: the officer pairs each signal with a word or a short whistle.
- Hearing impairment: this game is visual and plays to the child’s strengths; position them facing the officer.
Learning goals
- Respond to visual signals.
- Turn left or right on cue.
- Learn basic traffic safety rules.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Cones: 12
- Hoops: 25
Teacher tip
Practice each signal standing still before driving. Kids tend to look down while driving; say “drivers look straight ahead.”
PatioLab has "The Traffic Officer’s Signals" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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