Traffic Lights
A travel game where swimmers respond to colour calls – great for warm-ups and forward travel.
- Stages
- Stage 1
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Water Confidence, Forward Travel, Backward Travel
- Equipment
- None, Float, Noodle
- Age
- 3–10 years
- Group size
- 3–15 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Keep the area small enough to see every swimmer at a glance.
What it develops
- Move forwards about 5 metres
- Move backwards about 5 metres
How to run it
- Swimmers spread out in standing-depth water.
- Green: travel forwards (walk, bounce or kick).
- Amber: travel slowly with bubbles in the water.
- Red: stop and hold a star shape or a still position.
- Add extra colours as they improve, e.g. 'blue' means turn around and go backwards.
Teaching cues
- Use arms to help you move – scoop the water.
- Keep your eyes looking forwards.
- Stop in control on red.
Make it easier
- Swimmers hold a float or noodle.
- Play in a line along the wall first.
Make it harder
- Green means feet off the floor.
- Red means a front float for 3 seconds.
Common faults
- Crowding together or walking into others.
- Arms held up out of the water.
Corrections
- Give each swimmer a 'lane' to travel in.
- Ask them to hide their hands under the water like a submarine.
Assistant / L1 role
- Travel alongside the least confident swimmer, offering a hand that you gradually release.