Traffic Lights (Basketball)

Boy bouncing a basketball

Traffic Lights is an imaginative basketball dribbling game that puts children in the driver's seat as they learn to dribble! Develop ball skills as they explore new ways to move with a basketball. Children must have their own basketball or similar.

Set up

Designate a playing area on a hard surface, large enough for the children to dribble freely. Additional obstacles or equipment is optional. Each child must have their own basketball.

How to play
Step 1:
  • The children begin "driving their car" by dribbling around the play area
Step 2:
  • Call out instructions
  • Examples of instructions that can be used include:
    • Red light: children stop dribbling and freeze with their foot on top of the ball
    • Green light: children continue dribbling
    • School zone: children dribble slowly, keeping the ball close
    • Freeway: children dribble as fast as they can
    • Bumpy road: children move around the space, throwing their ball to themselves
    • Parking ticket: call this, and then children outside of the playing area are given a 'ticket' and must complete an instruction, such as 5 star jumps 
    • U-turn: children must change directions and dribble the other way
    • Car wash: children dribble around markers (e.g shoes) in a zig-zag
    • Tunnel: children roll their ball under someone's legs
    • Parking garage: children try to shoot a basket
    • Car crash: children must dribble up to another child, and swap balls
    • Pump up the tires: 3 figure eights between the child's legs
    • Round-a-bout: children dribble the ball around a marker and return to their initial spot
    • Turn on the radio: children do a silly dance 
Step 3:
  • Continue until the road trip is over! Children can finish off with a shot at goal to park their car if desired
Variations
Make it easier
  • Keep instructions simple, allowing children to focus on the skill rather than remembering what an instruction meant
  • Allow 2 handed bounce and catch!
Make it harder
  • Introduce a police man! Children keep the ball away from the adult, who tries to knock it away
  • Stack instructions, for example: "go through the tunnel, then visit the car wash, and then drive on the freeway to the tree!"
Activity information
Age: Pre-Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
Equipment: Basketballs, Markers (optional)
Duration: 10 minutes
Skill focus
Explore these skills for teaching tips
Skill teaching

Demonstrate how to dribble, reminding children to:

  1. Push the ball down with your fingers (pat the dog)
  2. Ball in front and to the side
  3. Bounce ball up to your waist
Physical literacy tips
  • Let a child call out the instructions
  • Ask children to create a new driving-related instruction