Usually we don’t have to encourage kids to move around and be active. For both moving and stopping, kids can play a Red, Yellow, Green Light game.
The rules of this game are very simple and easy to remember. They are like traffic lights. Red signals a stop, green means it’s okay to run around fast, and yellow is for going slow, just walking along. A big space like a backyard is great but it’s also possible to play this inside. Some houses have a hallway or other space where little kids can run but the green light time might need to be quite short.
Young kids may need a parent, caregiver, or an older child to call the color of the lights. If kids are old enough, they can play this game independently with friends. One person gets to call the color of the light and the other kids either stop, walk, or run.
Movement activities for kids are absolutely essential. They optimize the development of brains, not just muscles. Through physical stimulation and movement, millions of connections for thinking form in the brain.
This red, yellow, green light game adds another layer to play, combining movement and simple rules. Kids match their movement to the color of the traffic light. Even children that can barely talk know red lights mean stop and green means go.
Kids can include sound effects as they play and make screechy brake noises when they hear, “Red Light.” The “Green Light” call invites them to rev their motors and change gears as they run around. And if somebody is too slow for “Yellow Light” it’s okay to honk a horn. Keep some small pieces of paper handy to write a speeding ticket for kids that go too fast and don’t watch out for others.
Do you know what the traffic light said to the cars? “Don’t look. I’m changing.” Has your child played the red, yellow, green light game?
One of the favorite transportation books for kids of a whole range of ages is Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. Did you know this was published in 1974? For over 40 years kids—and grownups—have been loving this book. Did you look for Goldbug on every page?
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon is another adventure. Duck learns to ride a bike just like kids. Although the other animals on the farm are somewhat skeptical, they soon forget their criticisms and try it out for themselves. This is a book that kids love over and over, especially the very last page which gives duck another idea and tickles the imagination.
Speaking of ducks, Truck Duck, by Michael Rex, has only 2 words on each page but sometimes reading them can be as funny as the illustrations. These two words rhyme which makes it harder not easier. How many times can you say Plow Cow without it becoming plow clow?
Mo Willems of the Elephant and Piggy series must have kids. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus sounds just like kids who are trying to convince their parents to let them do something. When you read this book, be sure to use the same tone you hear at home to whine and complain.