Designate one person as Simon and the others as players. Simon stands in front of the players and tells them what they must do. Use the activity sheet below to get some funny Simon Says Ideas or use your own. Important: the players must only obey commands that begin with the words ”Simon says”. Simon Says is a great way to practice giving and following directions, as that is the basis of the game. Visual modeling (i.e. Having the person who is “Simon” act out the directions as they say them) is a great way to support children in understanding the directions.
Simon Says is one of those classic games kids will always love. I played it frequently when I was teaching in the classroom and it was always a hit. Microsoft windows small business server 2011 download.
Play Simon Says Game. How long a sequence can you remember? Play Simon Says Game. How long a sequence can you remember? Hide Ads About Ads. Games Index HTML5 Games Flash Games Elementary Games Puzzle Games. Designate one person as Simon and the others as players. Simon stands in front of the players and tells them what they must do. Use the activity sheet below to get some funny Simon Says Ideas or use your own. Important: the players must only obey commands that begin with the words ”Simon says”.
Try these funny Simon Says commands and your child will soon be begging you to play it again and again.
The best thing about this game is how educational it is. You can play it with just your child or a group of children.
Either way, everyone will have fun and, at the same time, develop some crucial skills for their development.
Here is a quick look at how much kids are learning during this game, followed by 70 funny Simon Says ideas that should also inspire you to make up your own fun commands.
What Skills Can Children Learn From a Game of Simon Says?
Your children will learn all kinds of skills by playing this game of funny actions! You can play it the traditional way, or you can change it up to teach a particular skill.
Simon Says Lyrics
In this article, I have divided fun, silly commands into various skill sets. Pick one set at a time or play a few different Simon Says games to work on specific skills.
Feel free to alter and make up your own funny things to act out.
The sections go as follows:
- Body awareness
- Crossing the midline
- Gross motor skills
- Listening skills
- Memory
- Visual perception
- Vocabulary and thinking skills
How to Play Simon Says
How do you play Simon Says? This game is really simple. Here are the basic rules:
- One person is chosen to be Simon
- Simon gives a command
- Players must only obey the commands that start with “Simon says”
- If you follow a command that doesn’t begin with “Simon says” you are out
70 Simon Says Commands to Develop Various Skills
Here is a list of the best Simon Says commands, divided into skill sets. These ideas can be used at home or in the classroom.
Body Awareness
As children grow, they naturally become aware of their body and its parts. Teaching them about their body develops body awareness, which is an important part of a child’s physical development.
They also need to learn how each body part works and its function. This will help them to have better control over their bodies. Here are ten commands to help your child learn this.
Commands to Build Body Awareness:
- Simon says point to your toes
2. Simon says touch your eyebrows
3. Simon says touch your elbows
4. Simon says touch your ankle
5. Simon says touch your tongue
6. Simon says touch your left shoulder
7. Simon says touch your back
8. Simon says tickle your armpit
9. Simon says touch your right knee
10. Simon says touch your fingernail
FREE GUIDE:How to boost your child’s development and get ready for school through PLAY, even if you’re short on time…Learn the only 4 kinds of play activities you should be focusing on to get your 3 to 5-year-old ready for school and don’t spend another day wondering if you’re doing enough…Get your free guide here!
Crossing the Midline
The midline is the imaginary line that vertically cuts the body in half. Children need to be able to cross the midline for a variety of activities, including tying their shoes or reaching for a toy.
The left and right hemispheres of the brain need to be working together in order to cross their midline.
It is important for a child to cross the midline so that they can do normal everyday activities like getting dressed or eating.
It also helps them to read more fluently as they rely on visual tracking to cross from the left side of the page to the right.
Commands to Help Cross the Midline:
11. Simon says hug yourself
12. Simon says touch both elbows at the same time
13. Simon says touch your right knee with your left hand
14. Simon says fold your arms
15. Simon says crisscross your legs
16. Simon says high five the person next to you (this can be Simon if playing with only one child)
17. Simon says dance for 10 seconds
18. Simon says touch your left shoulder with your right hand
19. Simon says wave your arms above your head
20. Simon says twist from side to side
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills involve movements that use the larger muscles in your body. This includes running, climbing, jumping, dancing, etc.
Using these muscles each and every day helps your child to strengthen and coordinate the muscles they need in order to function.
It is vital for your child to learn how to use the major muscles in their body to help them develop great balance and strength. It also helps them to be able to carry out regular movements with ease.
Commands to Develop Gross Motor Skills:
21. Simon says run around in a circle really fast
22. Simon says climb up the stairs (or on the couch or something nearby if you don’t have stairs)
23. Simon says roll over twice on the ground
24. Simon says walk backwards in a straight line
25. Simon says pretend to be a fish and swim around the room
26. Simon says do a crazy dance for 15 seconds
27. Simon says act like an elephant and swing your trunk around
28. Simon says move like your favourite animal
29. Simon says spin in a circle with your arms out
30. Simon says jump up and down ten times
Listening Skills
Simon Says is one of the best games to teach your child good listening skills as each command requires listening to sets of information:
- They have to identify if they must follow the command or not.
- They then have to listen to understand what they must do.
This helps your child learn to pay attention to important details along with learning to listen to instructions given.
These listening skills will help children to follow instructions at home, as well as throughout their schooling years.
You can make them as easy or as difficult as the child needs. Start off with simple instructions and make them more challenging as you go.
You can also speak quickly to see if they can keep up with you, or add words or phrases not related to the command.
Switch it up to make sure you are beginning with “Simon says” only for some and not all of them. Go back and forth to allow them to listen and follow correctly.
Commands to Improve Listening Skills:
31. Simon says bend over to touch your toes three times
32. Simon says clap five times in a row
33. Simon says spin in a circle, stopping in the same spot you began
34. Simon says solve this problem. Answer out loud as soon as you solve it. What is 5 x 3? (you can adapt this to fit their grade level and skills)
35. Simon says do six jumping jacks as fast as you can
36. Simon says touch each knee with the opposite hand
37. Simon says count to ten in your head. Raise your hand when you’re done
38. Simon says close your eyes and balance on one foot. You can choose which foot
39. Simon says pat yourself on the back because you are doing a great job!
40. Simon says meow like a cat. Then, bark like a dog
Here are more great listening activities for kids.
FREE GUIDE:How to boost your child’s development and get ready for school through PLAY, even if you’re short on time…Learn the only 4 kinds of play activities you should be focusing on to get your 3 to 5-year-old ready for school and don’t spend another day wondering if you’re doing enough…Get your free guide here!
Memory
Similar to listening skills, you can give multiple instructions at one time to help your child remember what was said. Your child will have to practice listening and memorizing at the same time.
This will help your child when instructions are given and help them to do better at school. Again, you can alter these to make them more difficult, keeping age and concentration level in mind.
For this game, always say “Simon says” so your child can focus on remembering without also needing to listen to whether or not the command should be followed.
Commands to Improve Memory Skills:
41. Simon says turn around two times and then clap your hands
42. Simon says wiggle your nose. Then, smile and show your teeth
43. Simon says touch your right elbow with your left hand and your left knee with your right hand
44. Simon says touch your left earlobe at the same time as you touch your right knee
45. Simon says do three jumping jacks. Then, tap your head twice.
46. Simon says blink five times in a row. Then, turn your head to the left and say the word pig
47. Simon says act like a dog. Bark three times. Then sit down on the ground.
48. Simon says touch your toes on your right foot with your left hand. Then, stand up straight. Touch your left ear with your right hand.
49. Simon says put your hands on your head. Then turn around twice.
50. Simon says touch each of your fingers on each hand. Then do the same thing with your toes.
Playing Broken Telephone is another fun way to build memory.
Visual Perception
When you look at something, your brain will try to understand what it sees. This is visual perception.
In this version of the game, you will still say Simon Says, but the instructions will be silent. Instead, you will show the actions the children must follow.
This will help them develop strong visual perception, which is used almost every second of the day. Their brain will get stronger, and they will be able to understand more of what is going on around them.
Commands to Build Visual Perception Skills:
51. Simon says (clap your hands, then hold your elbows with opposite hands)
52. Simon says (spin around in a circle)
53. Simon says (make a heart with your hands)
54. Simon says (play the flute)
55. Simon says (do a jumping jack)
56. Simon says (touch both earlobes at the same time)
57. Simon says (bend down to touch your toes)
58. Simon says (do silly dance moves)
Simon Says Stamps Store
59. Simon says (give yourself a hug)
60. Simon says (fold your arms and look side to side)
Another great way to work this skill would be to make a set of Simon Says action cards. Draw the actions on the cards and flash the cards one at a time. This takes a bit more concentration and brain power!
Vocabulary and Thinking Skills
In this variation, you can make your child Simon. He has to think of his own commands that you must follow. This helps to strengthen vocabulary as he must think of what to say and do.
If he is already reading, pass him this article to use these ideas as a start, and then continue making up his own. If your child is still young, he can just make up his own ideas.
Commands to Strengthen Vocabulary and Thinking Skills:
61. Simon says touch your bicep muscles
62. Simon says act like a kangaroo and jump up and down
63. Simon says stand on your left leg
64. Simon says twist from side to side Maybe enrique mp3 download.
65. Simon says act like your favourite animal
66. Simon says pretend to play your favourite sport
67. Simon says do a specific exercise
68. Simon says sing your favourite song
69. Simon says act like you are sweeping the floors
70. Simon says touch your elbows with the opposite hands, then do the same with your shoulders
I hope you’ll enjoy using these ideas and strengthening your children’s skills through play.
Expose your kids to other games such as Musical Statues, the Odd One Out Game or a game of following directions to draw a picture and you will be building many great foundational skills while having fun.
Simon Says (or Simple Simon Says) is a children's game for three or more players. One player takes the role of 'Simon' and issues instructions (usually physical actions such as 'jump in the air' or 'stick out your tongue') to the other players, which should be followed only when prefaced with the phrase 'Simon says'. Players are eliminated from the game by either following instructions that are not immediately preceded by the phrase, or by failing to follow an instruction which does include the phrase 'Simon says'. It is the ability to distinguish between genuine and fake commands, rather than physical ability, that usually matters in the game; in most cases, the action just needs to be attempted. In many regions of the United States, “Simon Says” is also known as 'Simon Sez'. The object for the player acting as Simon is to get all the other players out as quickly as possible; the winner of the game is usually the last player who has successfully followed all of the given commands. Occasionally, however, two or more of the last players may all be eliminated at the same time, thus resulting in Simon winning the game.
The game is embedded in popular culture, with numerous references in films, music, and literature.
Other languages[edit]
This game has translated across multiple cultures from seemingly common routes and some international versions also use the name Simon such as:
- Afrikaans: 'Kolonel Bevel' ('Colonel commands')
- Arabic: for example :'نبيلة قالت هاكا' '(Algeria) Nabila said like so or 'قال المعلّم' ('The teacher says', Lebanon) and 'سلمان يقول' ('Salman says', Iraq)
- Basque: 'Buruak dio' or 'Buruzagiak dio' (The leader says), or 'Unaik dio' (Unai says)
- Bengali: 'নেতা বলেছেন' ('The leader says')
- Cantonese Chinese: '老師話' ('The teacher says')
- Czech: 'Simon říká' (or with similar rules 'Všechno lítá, co peří má')
- Danish: 'Simon siger', 'Kongen befaler'
- Dutch: 'Commando' (the Dutch noun for 'command'), or 'Jantje zegt' ('Johnny says') in Flemish parts of Belgium
- Finnish: 'Kapteeni käskee' ('The captain commands')
- French: 'Jacques a dit' ('Jack said') in France, or 'Jean dit' ('John says') in Quebec
- Filipino: 'Sabi ni Simon'
- German: 'Kommando Pimperle' (or with similar rules 'Alle Vögel fliegen hoch')
- Greek: 'Ο Σιμών λέει' ('O Simón léi')
- Hebrew: 'הרצל אמר' ('Herzl said')
- Hungarian: 'Simon mondja'
- Icelandic: 'Símon segir'
- Irish: 'Deir Síomón'
- Japanese: '船長さんの命令' ('Senchō-san no meirei', 'Ship Captain's orders')
- Korean: '시몬 가라사대' ('Simon says')
- Marathi: 'शिवाजी महाराज म्हणाले' ('Shivaji Maharaj says')
- Mandarin Chinese:'老师说'(Lǎoshīshuō, 'The teacher says')
- Norwegian: 'Kongen befaler' ('The king commands')
- Polish: 'Szymon mówi'
- Portuguese: 'O rei manda' ('the king orders'), or 'O mestre mandou' ('The master ordered') in Brazilian Portuguese
- Spanish: 'Mando, mando' ('I command, I command'), or 'Simon dice' ('Simon says')
- Turkish: 'Yakup der ki' ('Jacob says')
- Vietnam: 'Tôi bảo' ('I say')
- Russian: 'Саймон говорит' ('Simon says')
A version also exists in India, Pakistan, Germany, Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary where an analogy to what can fly and what cannot is emphasized instead of Simon saying or not, i.e. 'Chidiya ud' (Hindi) which translates to Bird fly or 'Alle Vögel fliegen hoch' (German) which is 'All birds fly up'. The term 'bird' can then be replaced with a thing that cannot fly. These games are usually played more with gestures than actual jumping.
In a Swedish version, Gör si, gör så ('Do this, do thus'), the leader says either 'do this' or 'do thus' while performing an action. For failing to follow the correct command, 'do this', or following the wrong command, 'do thus', a child must sit down until a new leader is chosen. A similar Swedish child's game is 'Följa John' meaning 'following John', where physical actions are conducted by 'John' (usually involving movement in a line), and where remaining participants are replicating the activities shown by John. However, the commands are silent, and based on the remaining participants observation of John's actions.
In the late 1930s in New Zealand, non commissioned officers were leading troops in a brain stimulation game as part of training classed as informal activities called, 'do this, do that.'
Gameplay[edit]
A command starting with 'Simon says' means that the players must obey that command. A command without the beginning 'Simon says' means do not do this action. Anyone who breaks one of these two rules is eliminated from the remainder of the game. Often, anyone who speaks is also eliminated.
There can be very complex and difficult command chains, such as 'Simon says: Arms up. Simon says: Arms down. Arms up.' Anyone ending with their arms up is eliminated, because a command that doesn't begin with 'Simon says' cannot be obeyed.
Simon Says Commands
A variation on the instruction phrases is used. 'Simon says' is said once at the start of a series of instructions, and an action along with the phrase 'do this' must be obeyed while an action with the phrase 'do that' must not be obeyed. Obeying a 'do that' command or not obeying a 'do this' command will eliminate a player.[1]
It is considered cheating to give impossible commands ('Simon says, lift both of your legs up and keep them there!') or phrase the commands in such a way that the other player has no option but to 'go out' ('Simon says, jump up. Come down.'). However, at least in some versions, it is allowed for Simon to eliminate players by asking them to do something seemingly unrelated to the game (example: 'Anyone remaining join me up here.').
Cultural references[edit]
Simon Says Nct
- The phrase has been used multiple times as a plot device in films and television dramas including Die Hard with a Vengeance, Police Academy, Demolition Man, The Gift and the TV series Underdog and Supernatural, as well as being played in television game shows including 1970s show Superstars and Battle of the Network Reality Stars.
- The phrase occurs twice in Thelma and Louise for comic effect: 'Simon says everybody lay down on the floor.' First the outlaw on the run character J.D. (Brad Pitt) tells how he usually sets off to do an armed robbery. Later on we find out in the only flashback scene of the movie that Thelma (Geena Davis) uses exactly the same phrase when robbing a store.
- In an episode of the Cartoon Network show Courage the Cowardly Dog, the title character (disguised as an eggplant) gives commands to the other eggplants after saying 'The Great Eggplant says'.
- The Peanuts special It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown includes a song/dance number called 'Lucy Says' where Lucy plays the role of Simon, but uses 'Lucy Says' instead of 'Simon Says'.
- In the Animaniacs episode, 'King Yakko', Yakko, as king of Anvilania gets his men to take their seats, but when they are about to do so, Yakko stops them, saying, 'I didn't say 'Simon Says'!' Then he tells them, 'Simon says take your seats!' which they follow.
- A stunt played on the game show Fun House also played Simon Says, but was changed to 'Tiny Says' to match the name of the show's announcer giving the commands.
- The electronic game Simon is named for Simon Says.
- Jim Henson's Pajanimals has the Pajanimals play a similar game called 'Cowbella Says.' Similar to the Peanuts example above, Cowbella, one of the Pajanimals, plays the role of Simon and uses 'Cowbella Says' instead of 'Simon Says'. Before they play, there is a short song that has the lyrics 'If Cowbella says, 'Cowbella Says,' you must do what Cowbella says; and if she doesn't say 'Cowbella Says,' you must not do what Cowbella says!'
- Mickey Mouskersize, a short in Disney Junior has a game called Mickey Says. Mickey plays the role of Simon, once in the middle of the game, Goofy and Minnie did what Mickey said when he did not say 'Mickey Says'.
- In Let's Go Pocoyo, there is a game in some episodes called Fred Says. This is a simple game. Fred plays the role of Simon, however, the narrator always says 'Fred Says' in each phrase. At the end, the narrator says 'Fred Says: That's all.'
- In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, the game's main prosecutor is Simon Blackquill, likely named after the game. He's a master of psychological manipulation, and his acts of manipulating the minds of others is compared to as Simon Says by other characters.
- In an episode of Transformers: Rescue Bots, Cody uses the game to teach the Bots about obeying commands. He uses basic instructions such as 'Turn right' and 'raise your left arm'. When he issues a command without stating 'Simon says', Chase responds by stating 'Simon did not authorize that last movement'.
- A literal arcade-based smartphone adaptation of 'Simon Says' was released exclusively on Android on July 11, 2016, titled Simon Says Mobile. In this version, bodily gestures are replaced with mobile gestures, namely tapping, swiping and tilting. It is free-to-play with in-app purchases.[2][3]
- In a Barney & Friends episode titled 'Hop to It!', Barney and the kids play Simon Says. Two of them, Luci and Min, are out after touching their chins but the other two, Michael and Tina, remain. Another episode, 'All Mixed Up', also has Barney and the kids play Simon Says in which the educational theme of this episode is about following directions. 'Movin' Along' is another episode to feature Simon Says.
- In the 2015 novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (and its 2018 film adaptation Love, Simon), protagonist Simon Spier's online pseudonym Jacques derived the French version of Simon Says, 'Jacques a dit'.
- A single by K-Pop group NCT 127 was released November 2018 titled 'Simon Says'.
- An episode of Sesame Street's Elmo's World has some kids playing Simon Says
- An episode of Sesame Street features Telly participating in a Simon Says competition with the other characters
- In the Sooty & Co. episode 'Speedy Sweep', Matthew challenges Sooty and Sweep to a game of Simon Says to see who has the faster reflexes.
- Episode 2 'Boston' of Cabin Pressure features the two pilots playing Simon Says.
- In a Go, Diego, Go! episode called 'Penguin School,' a male Chinstrap penguin teacher plays Simon Says.
- The title of The Raccoons episode is named after the game.
- The Australian children’s music group, The Wiggles have a song based on the game titled ‘Simon Says’. The song is sung by one member of the group whose stage name is Simon Wiggle.
- The 1910 Fruitgum Company had a hit with their song 'Simon Says'.
- In an episode of Dragon Tales, Max, Emmy, and their dragon friends play the game, which is hosted by a gnome wizard named Simon.
References[edit]
- ^'Do This. Do That. | Elementary PE Games'. www.pegames.org.
- ^'Google Play Store listing for Simon Says Mobile'. Google Play Store. 11 July 2016.
- ^STALWARTPHOENIX (19 August 2019). 'Official website'. Simon Says Mobile. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
Other references[edit]
- Arnold, Arnold, The World Book of Children's Games, World Publishing Co., 1972, ISBN0-529-00778-9.
- Bancroft, Jessie H., Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium, The Macmillan Co., 1914.
- Forster, Sally, Simon Says.. Let's Play, Dutton Children's Books, 1990, ISBN0-525-65019-9.
- Grunfeld, Frederic V., Games of the World: How to Make Them, How to Play Them, How They Came to Be, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975, ISBN0-03-015261-5.
Comments are closed.