Play Traffic Cop

What You Need:

• Game participants (at least 3)
• Red, yellow and green construction paper
• Straws, or popsicle sticks
• Glue, or stapler
• Black marker
• Medium bowl for tracing
• Scissors

What You Do:

1. Gather several of your kid's friends (or family members).
2. Ask your child and his friends why there are traffic officers. They should know that they help people follow the laws so that people don't get hurt. Explain to your child that when traffic lights break down, or during special events where there's a lot of traffic, officers oftentimes direct traffic so that people don't get into car accidents.
3. Then, ask the kids what colors can be found in a traffic light. (They should identify the colors red, yellow and green.) Make sure they understand what each color means.
4. Have them trace the bowl, opening side down, on each color of paper.
5. Cut out the circles and write what the colors indicate when referring to a traffic signal (Red =  Stop, Yellow = Slow, Green = Go!).
6. Attach the circles to either popsicle sticks with glue, or to straws with a stapler.
7. Ideally, this game should be played outside in as big a space as possible. Line the kids up at the end of a driveway, long side of the yard, or on the far wall of a large, open room. Choose one to be the first traffic cop. Instruct the "cop" to hold all three signs at the opposite side of the room, or farthest point away from the group of game participants.
8. Explain to the participants that they must follow the traffic cops directions.
9. Tell the "cop" to hold up one of the signs. As soon as the sign goes up, the group of kids must follow the action of the sign. When the sign changes, they must rapidly obey the new signal or the traffic cop will send them back to the starting line. (It's your job to monitor this component of the game.) The child that reaches the traffic cop first becomes the traffic cop for the next round and the game begins again.
10. Play until each child has the opportunity to be a traffic officer.