Simon Says ideas: 60 commands for kids

Simon Says works because it's one simple rule: only move when Simon says so. The fun is in the commands. Here are sixty, from easy ones for little kids to tricky ones that catch out grown-ups, plus five ways to change the game when it gets too easy.

How to play

One person is Simon and calls out moves. If a command starts with "Simon says", everyone does it. If it doesn't, nobody moves, and anyone who does sits out a round (or, for younger kids, just takes a step back and keeps playing). Give a new child the Simon role every few minutes.

Easy commands for little kids

• Touch your nose
• Clap three times
• Wave hello
• Stand on one foot
• Touch your toes
• Pat your head
• Stomp your feet
• Jump up and down
• Turn around
• Sit down
• Stand up
• Wiggle your fingers
• Point to the ceiling
• Give yourself a hug
• Blink fast

Big moves to burn off energy

• Do five jumping jacks
• Run on the spot
• Hop like a bunny
• Make a star with your body
• Do a big squat
• Jump and touch the sky
• March like a soldier
• Gallop like a horse
• Spin like a top, slowly
• Skate on the spot
• Jump forward, then back
• Swim the front crawl
• Climb an imaginary ladder
• Punch the air, left and right
• Freeze like a statue

Silly ones

• Walk like a penguin
• Roar like a lion
• Make a funny face
• Flap your wings like a chicken
• Pretend to be a tree in the wind
• Wobble like jelly
• Be a monkey and scratch your head
• Pretend to eat spaghetti
• Laugh like a villain
• Melt like an ice cream

Quiet ones for the classroom

• Put your hands on your shoulders
• Touch your elbows together
• Draw a circle in the air
• Take a big breath in, and out
• Close your eyes and count to five
• Rub your tummy and pat your head
• Write your name in the air
• Sit as still as a mouse
• Tap your knees in time
• Make a heart with your hands

Tricky ones (they catch everyone out)

• Touch your left ear with your right hand
• Do the opposite of what I do
• Clap once for every word: "I love Simon Says"
• Stand on the foot you're not standing on
• Touch something blue
• Spell "cat" with your arms
• Hop the number of legs a spider has, divided by two
• Do what I say, not what I do (while Simon does something else)
• Don't move. Now move!
• Simon says "stop". Now jump!

Five ways to change the game

• Nobody sits out: anyone caught moving becomes a second Simon's helper, spotting the next wobblers.
• Opposite Simon: everyone does the opposite. "Simon says stand up" means sit down.
• Hold it: every move has to be held for a count of five, like a statue.
• Theme rounds: animals only, sports only, or Halloween (float like a ghost, creep like a spider).
• Mirror version: Simon doesn't speak at all. Everyone copies Simon's pose exactly, and holds it.

Simon Says on screen: Monkey Mirror

Monkey Mirror is a free game kids play by moving in front of the camera on a laptop, tablet or phone. The monkey strikes a pose, like hands up, arms out, a star or a squat, and the kids copy it and hold it. From level 6, a parrot sometimes calls a pose without "Monkey says": copy him and he tickles you. That's the "Simon didn't say" rule. There's no jumping, so it works in a small room, and one or two kids play at a time.

Play Monkey Mirror free

Why the camera? It’s how the runners copy each move, and the video never leaves this device.

Tips for a good round

• Speed up slowly: start with slow, clear commands, then go faster once everyone's warmed up.
• Mix in trick commands about one in four, so the game stays fair but still catches people out.
• Make space first: arms out, and if you can touch someone, take a step.
• End calm: finish with "Simon says sit down, close your eyes and take three slow breaths."

Questions

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