You will need the book "Red Light, Green Light," by Anastasia Suen. Download the "Traffic Light" worksheet from the Twisty Noodle website. Complete a model of the worksheet showing the correct light colors. During circle time, read the rhyming book "Red Light, Green Light" (e.g. "Red light, stop. Green light, go. Cars and trucks drive to and fro."). Share the colorful pictures and descriptive language about a boy's toy car set that seems to become real. Show and discuss your traffic light worksheet and what each light means, and attach it to the whiteboard. Pass out the worksheets and have students color their traffic lights and trace the words "Traffic Light."
Sing the song "Traffic Light" with your students to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star from the DLTK website:
Twinkle, twinkle traffic light,
Round the corner shining bright.
Red means stop,
Green means go,
Yellow means very, very slow.
Twinkle, twinkle traffic light,
Round the corner shining bright.
To make the milk carton traffic light you will need empty milk cartons with a hole cut in the bottom, red, green, yellow and black construction paper, paper towel rolls, scissors, tape and glue. Have students glue black construction paper to the milk carton and cut out and glue on the circles. Then fit the paper towel roll into the hole at the bottom and tape it tightly.
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Your class can take a walking field trip around the neighborhood to look for and talk about traffic lights and traffic signs. You can discuss the safety rules for each signal and sign and then cross the street(s) following the safety rules. Also, discuss the rules for the bike trails and train tracks in the area. Then go back to your kindergarten classroom and have your students use their journals to draw a picture of and write about their field trip.
Add a Traffic Light Center to your kindergarten playground that includes a traffic light, a stop sign, a yield sign and pedestrian crossing sign. You can find different types of traffic signs (Italtrike's Playground Traffic Signs) at a school supply store or website. You can also add child-size crossing guard vests and hand-held stop signs. Take your students to the playground and review the safety rules for each item. Let students ride trikes around the playground and stop when you hold up a stop sign. Use name sticks to choose students for Traffic Light Center "traffic guard duty." You can use chalk to mark each traffic guard's area, and continually supervise the center.