Traffic Jam

Written By Lee Hartley

Collect as only one item at a time and take it back to your teams base.

When I call GREEN LIGHT you RUN. YELLOW LIGHT you SKIP/WALK. BLUE LIGHT you HOP. RED LIGHT you FREEZE. Move on red, and you are caught speeding and go to the speeding zone to do 3 jumping jacks. Team with the most fuel cans win. 3..2..1..go!

Objective:

Drivers (Red & Blue Teams) must collect fuel cans from gas stations across the city while obeying traffic signals. The team with the most fuel at the end of 3 rounds wins — but get caught speeding on a red light and it's an instant pit stop in the Speeding Zone.

Set-up:

  • Area: 30 x 30 yard rectangle ("the city"), grass or blacktop

  • City Limits: Mark the 4 corners with tall cones — the boundaries of play

  • Gas Stations: Place 4 hula hoops (one per quadrant), each with 8 bean bags or pinnies inside = "fuel cans"

  • Home Garages: Each team has a hula hoop on opposite sides of the field, outside the city boundary — this is where fuel is returned

  • Speeding Zone: A 5-yard rectangle marked with flat cones on one edge of the field — where caught "speeders" serve their penalty

  • Teams: Split evenly into 2 teams (red cars vs. blue cars, use pinnies)

  • Traffic Cops: 2 players (rotating) wear a different-colored pinnie and each carry a pool noodle — they patrol the city

  • Starting Positions: Drivers start at their team's Home Garage. Cops start at the center of the city.

How to Play:

  • Only 2 or 3 players from each team are allowed to go into the square.

  • When one player comes out they tag the next player in line to go in.

  • Coach is the Traffic Signal. They call out GREEN, YELLOW, or RED to set the pace for EVERYONE on the field.

  • GREEN LIGHT — everyone (drivers and cops) can sprint freely.

  • YELLOW LIGHT — everyone must skip or walk. No running.

  • BLUE LIGHT - everyone HOP.

  • RED LIGHT — everyone must freeze immediately. Any movement = caught by a cop = Speeding Zone do 3 jumping jacks then return to home garage.

  • Drivers sprint to gas stations to grab ONE fuel can at a time and carry it back to their Home Garage. Fuel inside the garage is safe.

  • Cops can only tag drivers ANYTIME using the pool noodle.

  • Caught drivers drop their fuel where they stand (coach returns it to the nearest gas station at the next break) and go to the Speeding Zone.

  • Game runs for 3 rounds of 3 minutes. Rotate cop roles between rounds so everyone gets a turn.

  • Winner: team with the most fuel cans in their Home Garage after all 3 rounds.

Progressions / Variations

Add one hula hoop in the middle of the field as the "Carpool Lane." Drivers inside this hoop cannot be caught, even on a red light. But only 2 drivers from each team can be inside it at once. Teaches patience and sharing space under pressure.

The Game Encourages

  • Listening and self-regulation (freeze on red)

  • Agility and reactive decision-making

  • Strategic risk-taking (premium fuel or play safe?)

  • Teamwork and role rotation (cops vs. drivers)

  • Sportsmanship (accepting penalties without arguing)

    SEL / PBIS alignment: self-management (freeze on red), responsible decision-making (risk vs. reward), respect for rules, peer accountability (calling your own "speeding" builds integrity)

Equipment

  • 8 tall cones (boundary markers)

  • 10 flat cones (Speeding Zone + interior markers)

  • 4 hula hoops (gas stations)

  • 2 hula hoops (home garages)

  • 32 bean bags or other items (fuel cans)

  • 2 pool noodles (for Traffic Cops)

  • Pinnies: enough to split into 2 teams + identify cops

 
Lee Hartley
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