Cover an empty shoe box or tissue box with black construction paper. Glue or tape the construction paper to the box.
Cut three evenly spaced circles in both the front and back of the box with a utility knife. Use a drinking glass or compass to create the circles. You will have a total of six holes.
Cover the front holes with gel paper. Cover the top hole with a green gel sheet, yellow for the middle hole and red for the bottom. Tape the gel sheets to the inside of the shoe box so that the circular holes at the front of the box are completely filled with color when viewed from the outside. You can purchase gel sheets at any arts and crafts supply store.
Cut 2-inch slits in the top and bottom of a paper towel roll to create some flaps. Fold the flaps of one side of the paper towel role outwards and tape or glue it to the bottom of the shoe box. Tape the other side of the paper towel roll to another empty shoe box, which act as the stoplight's base.
Fill the base with some rocks or other heavy object to prevent the structure from tipping over.
Insert a flashlight into one of the holes in the back of the shoe box to illuminate the colored circles. You are now ready to teach your child about crossing the street. You can even play "Red Light, Green Light" with your kids using the miniature spotlight you just created.