1, 2, 3, soleil avec les enfants

What is the French game “1, 2, 3, soleil”?

Un, deux, trois, soleil ! is the whole rulebook of a French playground game. One child stands facing a wall and calls it out; the others creep forward behind their back. On soleil the caller spins round, and anyone still moving is sent back to the start line. First to reach the wall wins. Nobody in France explains the rules, because the four words are the rules.

English-speaking children play close relatives under other names — “Red Light, Green Light” and “Grandmother’s Footsteps.” The French version quietly drills a set of verbs worth having: bouger (to move), avancer (to move forward), retourner au départ (go back to the start), and the flat command ne bouge plus !