List of Red Light Games for Preschool

Red Light, Green Light

• Perhaps the most popular red light game for preschool students is the classic Red Light, Green Light game. This game teaches preschoolers to listen, focus and follow instructions. It also requires them to control their bodies while at the same time enjoying engaging physical activity. One player or teacher stands at one end of the room and all the other students stand in a line at the opposite end of the room. When the teacher or student says ̶0;green light!̶1; students may run; when the teacher says ̶0;red light!̶1; the students must stop immediately. The first student to reach the teacher wins the privilege of calling ̶0;red light, green light̶1; during the next round of the game.

Frog Hop

• Frog Hop is a simple game that teaches preschool-age children to listen, follow instructions and play with peers. It also challenges children to express their creativity and exercise independent decision-making skills. Start the game similar to Red Light, Green Light but instruct children to hop like frogs across the room. When ̶0;red light̶1; is called, children must stop hopping. Allow the winner to choose what activity players will perform next. Children can slither across the room like snakes, crawl like cats, run like ostriches or climb like monkeys from one end of the room to the other.

Red Light Soccer

• Young children learning the basics of soccer can learn how to dribble and develop ball control skills through a simple Red Light Soccer drill. Give each player a soccer ball except for one child. Have all players line up 30 yards away from the child without a soccer ball. Give the child without a ball two flags, one green and one red. When the child raises the green flag, instruct players to dribble their soccer balls toward the child. When the child raises the red flag, players must freeze and stop their balls with their feet. Any player caught with a moving ball when the red flag is raised must take five steps backward. The first player to reach the child with the flags wins the privilege of controlling the flags during the next round of the drill.

Red Light Obstacle Course

• Red Light Obstacle Course teaches children to follow instructions. It introduces challenging physical obstacles and is a refreshing choice for a Sunday school game time or church game night for young children. Arrange various obstacles in a long hallway, large room or open field. Obstacles may include a rope that children must jump over, tires they have to walk through, a row of chairs to run around or a long cardboard box or mesh tunnel they must crawl through. Explain the sequence in which children must complete the obstacles. Stand at the end of the course with two pieces of construction paper, one red and one green, both attached to small wood sticks. Instruct the children to look at you every time they hear a whistle to see whether they can move. Explain that when they hear a whistle blow and see a green paper raised, they may move through the course, but when they hear a whistle blow and see a red paper raised, they must stop. Test their focusing skills by blowing the whistle without changing the color of paper raised so that they not only respond to the whistle but look for the appropriate color paper as well.