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70 Simon Says Ideas that are Fun and Educational

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. 

Try this list of funny Simon Says commands and your kids 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 one child or a group of children.

Either way, everyone will have fun and, at the same time, develop some crucial skills for their development.

Children doing simon says ctions

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.

Benefits 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 play Simon Says with a twist, to teach a particular skill.

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? Here are the basic rules:

  1. One person is chosen to be Simon.
  2. Simon gives a command.
  3. Players must only obey the commands that start with “Simon says”.
  4. If you follow a command that doesn’t begin with “Simon says” you are out.
70 funny Simon Says game ideas - pinnable image

70 Simon Says Commands to Develop Various Skills

Here is a list of the best Simon Says questions and 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 bodies and body parts. Teaching kids about their body develops body awareness, which is an important part of a child’s physical development.

Boy touching his toes

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 Simon Says prompts to help your children learn this.

Commands to Build Body Awareness:

  1. 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.

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, getting dressed or reaching for a toy.

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.

Try these Simon Says instructions to build this vital skill.

Child dancing as part of the simon says game

Prompts 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.

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.

Little girl jumping

Using these muscles each and every day helps your children to strengthen and coordinate the muscles they need in order to function.

It is vital for children 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 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 kids 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.
Child clapping

This helps children 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.

Examples 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? (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.

Memory

Similar to listening skills, you can give multiple instructions at one time to help your children remember what was said. They will have to practise listening and memorizing at the same time.

This will help them 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 children 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.

Making a heart shape with hands in simon says game

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).

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 brainpower.

Vocabulary and Thinking Skills

In this variation, you can make your children Simon. They have to think of their own commands that you must follow. This helps to strengthen vocabulary as they must think of what to say and do.

If they are already reading, pass them this article to use these ideas as a start, and then continue making up their own. If your children are still young, they can just make up their 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.

65. Simon says act like your favourite animal.

66. Simon says to 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.  Need more ideas? Try this awesome list of Simon Says commands or these games like Simon Says.

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.

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Vivian Eserophe

Wednesday 6th of January 2021

Wonderful ideas. I will insert them in the preschool time table. Many thanks.

Tanja Mcilroy

Thursday 7th of January 2021

You're welcome Vivian. Enjoy playing it with the kids!

Ana

Thursday 26th of November 2020

Great ideas!! I cannot wait to use them in my Spanish class with children! So much wonderful vocabulary they will learn while having fun! Thank you so much!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Tanja Mcilroy

Friday 27th of November 2020

You're welcome Ana! Enjoy using them in your class. Have a great thanksgiving!

ismael ngoisa

Wednesday 7th of October 2020

my kids loves this game!

Paty Ferrer

Sunday 11th of October 2020

Thank you for sharing so useful and great ideas.

Tanja Mcilroy

Wednesday 7th of October 2020

It's great fun!

paulette

Tuesday 1st of September 2020

i love those games

Tanja Mcilroy

Saturday 5th of September 2020

Thanks Paulette!

Judy

Tuesday 25th of August 2020

Incredible list of ideas! Just amazing. I can't thank you enough. Simon Says will never be the same!!!

Tanja Mcilroy

Tuesday 25th of August 2020

I'm so glad you liked these ideas Judy!

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