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Field card 69

Make a family whistle and hand-signal code

Twenty-five minutes in a yard or park. Learn silent hand signals and a few whistle calls, make up your family's own, and learn the three-blast signal for real help.

Dad Field Manual editors · Drafted with AI help · Published Oct 15, 2026

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Time
25 min
Cost
$0 to $5
Ages
5 and up
Where
Yard, park or big room

01What you need

  • One whistle for each person$5
  • Open space about 30 feet acrossFree

Where: Space for two people to stand 30 or more feet apart.

Before you start

  • Don't blow a whistle near ears. Aim it away from people and keep the first blasts short.
  • Three blasts means help. Use it for real emergencies only, never as a game, so people take it seriously.
  • Stay in sight. Play within sight of a grown-up, with no running into streets.

02Steps

  1. Learn the silent signals

    Dad showsShow the 1911 hand signals. Hand held straight up, palm out: stop. Point in a direction: go that way. Clenched fist jumped up and down: hurry. Hand waved rapidly side to side held high: come here. Hand waved across the face: no, never mind.

  2. Play the signal game

    TogetherStand 30 feet apart. Dad gives a signal without speaking and the kid does what it says. Swap, then add two signals of your own.

  3. Learn the whistle calls

    Dad showsKid copiesFrom 1911: one long blast means be quiet and look out for the next signal. Two short blasts mean all right. Use these for the game.

  4. Make your own family call

    TogetherPick a family whistle call that means come to Dad, such as one long and two short blasts. Practice calling the kid from across the yard.

  5. Teach the help signal

    DadSay: "If you're ever lost, stay where you are and blow three times, wait, then blow three times again. Don't wander off to find us." Practice it once, quietly, and keep it out of the game.

  6. Hold a hand-up rule

    TogetherThe 1911 book says a person who hears a far-off voice should hold a hand up beside the head the whole time. Try it: shout a short message and have the kid hold a hand up if they hear it.

03If it stalls

  • If the kid keeps blowing, take the whistle for a minute and play the silent signals.
  • Keep each signal to one clear motion. Too many signals get muddled.
  • Dad can wear the whistle on a lanyard so it can't be lost.

04Variations

Ages 3–5

Only stop, come here and go. Play red light, green light with hand signals.

Ages 6–9

The full plan.

Ages 10+

Add a signal for each family member and send a short message with only hand signals across a field.

RainDo the silent signals in the living room and leave the whistle for later.

Tried this? Tell us how it went

2 minutes
How did it go?

1 = it flopped · 5 = we'd do it again

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05Sources

  • 1911 scouting handbook, pp. 208–209. The 1911 book lists whistle signs (one long blast for alert, two short for all right, a succession of short blasts for rally or danger) and hand signals for no, come here, go that way, hurry and stop. Project Gutenberg (public domain in the USA) Checked Oct 15, 2026
  • Distress signal and staying put today. The National Park Service Outdoor Emergency Plan says to stay put if you get lost, blow a whistle three times, take a break and blow three times again, and that a whistle saves energy compared with yelling. National Park Service Checked Oct 15, 2026

Filed under: Classic Field Skills · Outdoors

Dad Field Manual · Field card 69 · Classic Field Skills

Make a family whistle and hand-signal code

Twenty-five minutes in a yard or park. Learn silent hand signals and a few whistle calls, make up your family's own, and learn the three-blast signal for real help.

Time
25 min
Cost
$0 to $5
Ages
5 and up
Where
Yard, park or big room

Since 1911: In 1911 a series of short blasts meant danger or rally. Today the National Park Service says to signal for help with three blasts, a pause, then three more. Keep that pattern for real emergencies and use different calls for games.

What you need

  • One whistle for each person
  • Open space about 30 feet across

Before you start

  • Don't blow a whistle near ears. Aim it away from people and keep the first blasts short.
  • Three blasts means help. Use it for real emergencies only, never as a game, so people take it seriously.
  • Stay in sight. Play within sight of a grown-up, with no running into streets.

Steps

  1. Learn the silent signals. Practice stop (hand up), go (point), hurry (fist pumping), come here (wave high), no (wave across face).
  2. Play the signal game. Dad signals without speaking; the kid acts it out. Swap roles.
  3. Learn the whistle calls. One long blast: look out. Two short blasts: all right.
  4. Make your own family call. Choose a family come-to-Dad call and practice it across the yard.
  5. Teach the help signal. If lost: stay put and blow three times, pause, then three again.
  6. Hold a hand-up rule. Hold a hand up beside your head while you hear a faraway message.

If it stalls

  • If the kid keeps blowing, take the whistle for a minute and play the silent signals.
  • Keep each signal to one clear motion. Too many signals get muddled.
Signals read correctly
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date

dadfieldmanual.com/plans/whistle-and-hand-signals · Sources: Project Gutenberg (public domain in the USA), National Park Service