August 5 International Traffic Light Day #InternationalTrafficLightDay
Today is August 5 International Traffic Light Day #InternationalTrafficLightDay. I thought I would remind you of a game I played with my children called Red Light Green Light. Don’t worry you don’t need a lot of room to play this game but you should head outside.
Remember to leave the #electronics inside. Grab plenty of water and sunscreen because once the kids begin to play they may not want to stop. I packed a lunch and let the kids decorate Cookies in the shape of Traffic Lights for there treats when I was #Homeschooling Charlie.
Directions:
To prepare for the game have everyone choose the traffic cop who will be directing traffic by yelling, “Red light” or “Green light.” The traffic cop is also the judge as to whether a child has moved on a “red light.” The traffic cop can be considered the finish line, because the goal of the game is to make it to the cop. Make sure the traffic cop has a loud voice so that everyone can hear the commands.
Have the cop at least 5m away from the other players because there needs to be enough distance between the traffic cop and the kids to make the game fun and challenging. Wherever the traffic cop stands will be the finish line.[3
The players need to be lined up next to each other in a straight line so that no one has an advantage. Leave enough space in between each player so that they can run and move comfortably, perhaps a foot in between each player. Everyone besides the traffic cop should be on the starting line.
The traffic cop should start by facing away from the players. They should not be able to see what anyone is doing to start. This is to ensure that they won’t try to catch a particular player off guard. Have the traffic cop yell, “Green light” which should be done while the cop is still facing away from the players.
When the cop yells, “Green light,” the kids should immediately begin to run towards the traffic cop. The cop should wait a few seconds to allow the kids to move before yelling, “Red light.” The kids should move fast, but not too fast or they won’t be able to stop quickly enough on “red light.”
The goal of the game is to reach the traffic cop first, so it is a balance between moving quickly and being able to stop immediately. To make the game more fun have the traffic cop yell, “Red light” and turn around. The traffic cop should be looking for anyone who is still moving on “red light.” All players must immediately freeze when the cop yells, “Red light” or that player is OUT until the next game.
Repeat until someone reaches the traffic cop. Each time, the traffic cop needs to turn away from the players to yell, “Green light,” and then face the players to yell, “Red light.” This will happen several times during a game. Anyone moving on “Red light” is sent back to the starting line. The first person to reach the traffic cop is the winner, which concludes the game.
The reward for winning the game is to take the place of the traffic cop and be the one in charge. Then whoever wins the following game will take that cop’s place. The former traffic cop can move to the starting line to play the game with everyone else.
Make sure you leave plenty of time for a water break and while resting the kids can read Greenlight: A Children’s Picture Book About an Essential Neighborhood Traffic Light or Who Controls the Traffic Lights? At the end of the day they could color the Traffic Light I have for you above.
For more information on Traffic Lights check out August 5 International Traffic Light Day #InternationalTrafficLightDay
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
