Check out these 100 fun Simon Says ideas your kids will love. We also created a free printable to go along so you don’t have to remember them all.
Are your kids getting bored of the same old game of Simon Says?
Or maybe you are getting ready to play with a group for the first time.
Either way, coming up with fun, Simon Says commands is not always easy when you’re trying to think of them as you play.
Luckily, we’ve done the work for you! Today we are sharing a huge list of creative, fun and engaging Simon Says commands and ideas just for you!
But first, we need to make sure you know how to play…
How to Play Simon Says
You can play Simon Says anywhere at any time.
It’s a completely portable game that doesn’t require any equipment (just a little bit of space.)
The rules are simple and can be customized to accommodate kids of all ages and abilities. The basic Simon Says rules are:
- Choose a “Simon.” Simon will be the leader and give all of the Simon Says commands and instructions. He or she will also be the judge who determines when players are “out” for not following the instructions properly.
- Simon stands in front of all the other participants. All of the participants should be able to see Simon, and Simon should be able to see each of the participants to ensure fairness.
- Simon calls out one of two types of instructions or commands to the participants.
- The first type starts with the phrase, “Simon Says”. For example, “Simon Says point your finger.” Participants should follow along with all instructions or commands that begin with “Simon Says.” If a participant fails to follow one of these instructions, they are out of the game.
The player acting as Simon should do the command that they give. This gives the other players an example of what they should be doing. - The second type is a basic command or instruction without the phrase, “Simon Says.” For example, “Point your finger.” Participants should NOT follow these instructions or commands, because the leader did not say “Simon Says”. If they do, they are out of the game.
When giving these commands the leader should still do the action. This often is what “tricks” the other players into doing the command even though the leader did not say “Simon Says”.
- The first type starts with the phrase, “Simon Says”. For example, “Simon Says point your finger.” Participants should follow along with all instructions or commands that begin with “Simon Says.” If a participant fails to follow one of these instructions, they are out of the game.
- The winner is the last one still in the game. If no one can complete all of the instructions, then Simon is the winner.
These rules can be altered to meet the needs of the children playing the game.
Once your kids have a grasp of the game, they can initiate and play the game on their own.
That’s one of the many benefits of Simon Says.
100 Simon Says Ideas and Commands
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Coming up with unique Simon Says ideas and commands can be one of the most difficult parts of the game, especially if you play often. You want to be able to keep the game fresh and entertaining.
In fact, you might even want to grab our free printable list of Simon Says Ideas that you can print out and keep on hand. Here you go!
Here is a list of 100 Fun Simon Says instructions to use in your next Simon Says game:
1. Simon Says pretend to be a flamingo
2. Simon Says touch your nose
3. Simon Says, tap your toes
4. Simon Says, close your eyes
5. Simon Says bounce like a kanagroo
6. Simon Says, make a fish face
7. Simon Says touch your shoulder
8. Simon Says run in place
9. Simon Says, touch your elbow
10. Simon Says, touch your leg
11. Simon Says, touch your knee
12. Simon Says, waddle like a penguin
13. Simon Says touch your stomach
14. Simon Says, touch your back
15. Simon Says stand up
16. Simon Says, sit down
17. Simon Says jump up and down
18. Simon Says spin around
19. Simon Says, nod your head
20. Simon Says stomp your feet
21. Simon Says kneel down
22. Simon Says crawl on the floor
23. Simon Says lay on your back
24. Simon Says roll on the floor
25. Simon Says walk in place
26. Simon Says jog in place
27. Simon Says do jumping jacks
28. Simon Says turnaround
29. Simon Says, blink your eyes
30. Simon Says, clap your hands
31. Simon Says, snap your fingers
32. Simon Says stick out your tongue
33. Simon Says whistle
34. Simon Says blow a kiss
35. Simon Says, flap your arms
36. Simon Says kick with your leg
37. Simon Says do a somersault
38. Simon Says touch the sky
39. Simon Says touch the ground
40. Simon Says point to the color red
41. Simon Says point to a shoe
42. Simon Says point to a window
43. Simon Says point to a table
44. Simon Says point to a couch
45. Simon Says dance around
46. Simon Says hop on one foot
47. Simon Says pretend to walk in quicksand
48. Simon Says pretend to swim in water
49. Simon Says pretend to jump on clouds
50. Simon Says walk in slow motion
51. Simon Says stand on one foot
52. Simon Says stand on two feet
53. Simon Says, stand next to your friend
54. Simon Says sing, “Row row row your boat”
55. Simon Says twist and shout
56. Simon Says, shake your hands
57. Simon Says, shake your arms
58. Simon Says shake your whole body
59. Simon Says lookup
60. Simon Says, look down
61. Simon Says act like an elephant
62. Simon Says act like a monkey
63. Simon Says act like a dog
64. Simon Says act like a bird
65. Simon Says pretend to eat a banana
66. Simon Says pretend to drink a glass of water
67. Simon Says pretend to throw pizza dough in the air
68. Simon Says act happy
69. Simon Says act sad
70. Simon Says act angry
71. Simon Says tickle your toes
72. Simon Says tickle your belly
73. Simon Says tickle your neck
74. Simon Says, wiggle your fingers
75. Simon Says, wiggle your toes
76. Simon Says walk backward
77. Simon Says touch your head, then touch your knees
78. Simon Says jog in place then sit down on the floor
79. Simon Says jump up and down and spin around
80. Simon Says wiggle your nose and stick out your tongue
81. Simon Says reach up high and touch the sky
82. Simon Says reach down low and pretend to dig in the dirt
83. Simon Says touch your right elbow, then touch your left elbow
84. Simon Says point to the right
85. Simon Says point to the left
86. Simon Says pretend to read a book
87. Simon Says do five jumping jacks and then run in place
88. Simon Says act like a baby
89. Simon Says pretend to ride a bike
90. Simon Says take three jumps forward
91. Simon Says jump side to side
92. Simon Says pretend to ski downhill
93. Simon Says pretend to take a picture
94. Simon Says count to ten
95. Simon Says do a robot dance
96. Simon Says point to the door and then point to the floor and then spin around
97. Simon Says do a crazy shake
98. Simon Says touch your head, then touch your shoulders then touch your knees and then touch your toes
99. Simon Says touch your tongue to your nose
100. Simon Says say, “I win!”
101. Say, “I lose!”
Did I get you?
Use this list of instructions, and your next game of Simon Says is sure to be a success. Why not try them out and play right now?
Don’t forget to grab your free printable before you go!
More Kids Activities Ideas:
What are the benefits of playing Simon Says?
Simon Says is a quintessential childhood game. It is extremely flexible and can be played almost anywhere. Some of the benefits of Simon Says are that the game:
- Requires no materials, tools, or physical items
- Can be played in wide-open spaces or limited space in nearly the same ways
- Can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 100+ participants in a single game
- Can be played by participants of almost all ages
- Is screen/electronic free
- Does not require an adult to play
Beyond the simplistic nature of the game, Simon Says empowers children to become leaders in the game and understand how to communicate and enforce rules with the participants.
It teaches a variety of language skills as well as motor development skills that will help children succeed in many real-world circumstances outside the game.
How do you play Simon Says virtually on Zoom or Google Meet?
Playing virtually is easy and just takes a little modification. As an elementary school teacher who is leading a group of distance learners this year I have had lots of practice.
Using a tablet, phone or laptop there will be a limited viewing screen available to capture participants’ full bodies. When playing Simon Says virtually, it is best to limit the movements and commands to include body parts on the top half of your body (head to stomach).
This can add an extra challenge in coming up with Simon Says commands, but you can focus more closely on specific body parts like the face.
By focusing the commands on the limited area of the body, you will be able to more clearly see everyone playing in their square viewports and will give everyone an equal playing field depending on the space they have available around their virtual set-up.
The other challenge is how to tell when a player is out. The best way to handle this is for all the players to be standing and for the commands to be done standing, then when a player is out they must sit down. That is the easiest way I have found to tell who is still in the game and who is out.
What age is Simon Says appropriate For?
As soon as children can understand basic instructions, you can start playing Simon Says. It can be as early as 18 months, and this can be a great way to help your young toddler begin to learn many new words.
To play the game more competitively, the best age to start is around 3 years old. 3 to 4 years old children have the body control and language skills needed to start understanding the nuanced rules of the game and enjoy the competitive aspects of playing with other people.
As kids grow older, Simon Says can grow with them. By making commands increasingly challenging, silly or speeding up the pace of orders, kids through the ages of 10 or 11 may still enjoy playing Simon Says.
What are some Simon Says Strategies?
The appropriate strategies you implement in your Simon Says games are dependent on the ages of the kids participating in the game. For younger kids, the following strategies will increase the likelihood of a successful game:
- Use no more than ten different body parts in your commands
- Repeat commands often and in similar sequences
- Use basic actions in commands like jump, sit or stand
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Physically show the command you are speaking
As kids get older and master the game, you can use the following strategies to add challenges to the game:
- Speed up the pace at which commands are given
- Add layers to the commands with multiple steps or sequences
- Physically show a different command than the one you are speaking
- Say commands in a certain pattern multiple times and then suddenly change the pattern
- Include displays of emotion and other interpretive commands
Each of these strategies helps children develop different motor and language skills that will serve them beyond the realm of the game.
What skills are used when kids play Simon Says?
Playing Simon Says helps children develop many physical motor and language skills. When children play Simon Says, they learn:
- Body Awareness: The act of standing in particular positions or touching specific body parts helps children develop body awareness. Younger children begin to learn where their body parts are located on their bodies, while older children learn to gain control over their body. The mimicking of the leader provides children with a visual prompt that helps them replicate body movements.
- Sportsmanship: Learning to lose is a very important concept for children to learn. Losing occurs in many aspects of life, not just games or sports. Simon Says provides a low-stakes game where winners and losers can easily flip from game to game. You can also implement rules that empower the loser to become the next Simon, helping demonstrate that losing is not always negative.
- Following Directions: The close listening required to play Simon Says helps children learn how to follow directions. When roles are switched, they also learn how to give directions. Both roles help children learn the best ways to communicate and listen to achieve the intended action from their playmates. These are key communication skills that will serve them in many ways.
- Sequencing: For older children, you can start to add difficulty to the game by adding sequenced instructions. This helps children learn how to remember multi-step instructions and follow them in a specific order.
- Language: Children will learn a broad range of terminology regarding their body and its actions. This helps young children feel empowered to understand their body and describe the types of activities they enjoy. For older children, you can add language challenges requiring “Simon” to use commands with verbs or nouns.
The fun and learning are endless in Simon Says. Make it a staple of your home, classroom, preschool or daycare and play often. Your kids will love spending quality time with you, and you will love seeing them grow and figure out all of your best Simon Says tricks and challenges.
The Best Simon Says Ideas for Kids (preschool to tween)
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