Simon Says is not just a game—it’s an educational tool that enhances children’s listening skills, comprehension, and reflexes. Whether you are a parent looking for a fun indoor activity or an educator aiming to add a playful twist to your teaching methodology, our exhaustive list of Simon Says commands will keep everyone engaged!

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The Importance of Simon Says Commands

Before diving into the list, let’s talk about why Simon Says is more than just child’s play. It improves:

Listening Skills: Children must listen carefully to commands to stay in the game.
Comprehension: Differentiating between a legit command and a trick one fosters comprehension skills.
Motor Skills: Physical activities involved in the game promote motor skill development.

Simon Says is a timeless game that effortlessly blends fun and learning, making it one of the most engaging preschool activities around. By incorporating commands that focus on literacy, arithmetic, or even basic science concepts, Simon Says becomes more than a game—it transforms into an interactive learning experience.

This classic activity helps children enhance a variety of skills such as listening, following directions, and cognitive development, all while having a blast. Whether played at home, in the classroom, or even outdoors, Simon Says remains a staple in preschool activities, offering both entertainment and education.

How to Play Simon Says

Simon Says is a verbal and physical game that’s often categorized as a classic among children’s activities. The game is predicated on the tension between direct and indirect instruction, making it an excellent fit for cognitive development in children.

Objective

The main aim of the game is to follow the leader‘s instructions, but only if the command is preceded by the phrase “Simon says.” If the leader gives a command without saying “Simon says” first, anyone who follows that command is “out.

Setup

Leader Selection: One person is selected to be “Simon,” the leader. This person stands in front of the other players.
Player Positioning: The rest of the players stand facing the leader.

Playing the Game

Issuing Commands: “Simon” issues commands for actions that the group must follow.
- Valid Commands: When “Simon” wants the group to follow a command, they preface the action with “Simon says,” as in “Simon says touch your toes.”
- Invalid Commands: If “Simon” wants to trick players into getting out, they issue a command without saying “Simon says,” like “Jump!”
Response and Elimination: Players must follow the command only if it comes after “Simon says.” If “Simon” issues a command without the prefix and anyone follows it, that person is out of the game.
Game Continuation: The game continues with more commands from “Simon,” and players are eliminated as they fail to adhere to the rule of only following commands that are prefixed with “Simon says.”
Winning: The last player remaining, following all the correct commands, wins the game. This person can be the “Simon” for the next round if desired.

Variations

Educational Twist: You can add educational elements like phonics, numbers, or colors into the commands to make the game educational.
Speed Simon: The commands can be issued more quickly to increase difficulty.

Simon Says not only helps children with their listening skills but also aids in the development of attentional control and processing speed. Given its scalable complexity and potential for education-focused variations, it’s no wonder that “Simon Says” remains a favorite in the realm of preschool activities.

Simon Says List of Commands: Get Moving!

Simon says touch your toes. A simple yet effective command to get kids stretching.
Simon says hop on one foot. Great for balance and coordination.
Simon says give a high-five. A way to include social interaction in the game.
Simon says act like a monkey. Promotes creativity and lets kids explore animal behaviors.
Simon says clap your hands three times. Incorporates counting into the game.
Simon says spin around. A fun way to get a little dizzy but also focus on coordination.
Simon says pat your head and rub your belly. This one challenges their multitasking skills.
Simon says go slow-motion. This encourages focus and control over movements.
Simon says freeze. A test for reflexes; kids must stop immediately when they hear this.
Simon says jump as high as you can. Perfect for burning off some energy.
Simon says crawl like a baby. Great for lower body strength and coordination.
Simon says pretend you’re swimming. Introduces kids to different physical activities.
Simon says do a silly dance. Encourages creativity and freedom of expression.
Simon says shake your hands. Excellent for fine motor skill practice.
Simon says touch your nose. Simple but effective for developing body awareness.
Simon says flap like a bird. Another fun way to explore animal movements.
Simon says make a funny face. Promotes emotional expression and facial recognition.
Simon says do a jumping jack. Integrates a popular exercise, enhancing physical fitness.
Simon says roar like a lion. Great for vocalization and imaginary play.
Simon says stomp your feet. Works on balance and introduces rhythm.
Simon says whistle a tune. Good for oral motor skills and musical recognition.
Simon says wink your eye. A challenge for fine motor skills in the face.
Simon says hug yourself. Encourages self-awareness and a sense of self-love.
Simon says point to something green. Helps with color recognition and observation skills.
Simon says raise your hand. Mirrors a classroom setting, good for listening skills.
Simon says cross your legs. Enhances flexibility and body awareness.
Simon says close your eyes. Builds trust and tests impulse control.
Simon says walk backward. A challenge for coordination and spatial awareness.
Simon says make a circle with your arms. Promotes understanding of shapes and body movement.
Simon says bow down. Introduces kids to different cultural gestures.

Phonics-Based Simon Says Commands: For Preschoolers Learning Alphabets

Teaching phonics to kids is a foundational step in their literacy journey. Phonics helps children understand the relationship between letters and sounds, serving as a decoding tool that enables them to recognize and read words. This understanding is vital for developing reading fluency and comprehension skills.

Simon says make the ‘A’ sound. Help kids identify the sound associated with the letter A.
Simon says find something that starts with ‘B’. Encourages children to recognize initial sounds in words.
Simon says act like something that ends with ‘T’. Promotes understanding of ending sounds (e.g., act like a “cat”).
Simon says touch something blue. Connects the color name to its phonetic sound.
Simon says make the sound of a vowel. Distinguishes between vowels and consonants.
Simon says spell ‘dog’. Teaches spelling of simple words.
Simon says find an object that rhymes with ‘pin’. Introduction to the concept of rhyming.
Simon says make a ‘shhh’ sound. Promotes understanding of compound sounds.
Simon says say a word that has an ‘E’ in it. Helps children identify words containing specific letters.
Simon says act out a word that has two syllables. Teaches the concept of syllables in a fun way.
Simon says say the first letter of your name. Makes the connection between names and letters.
Simon says make the ‘ch’ sound. Introduces children to digraphs. Simon says spell ‘cat’. Promotes spelling skills with a simple word.
Simon says name a word that starts with the same letter as ‘Apple’. Encourages letter recognition and memory.
Simon says touch your mouth when you say ‘M’. Helps kids associate the sound with mouth movements.
Simon says whisper the vowels. Teaches soft sound making while revisiting the concept of vowels.
Simon says find something that starts with the last letter of your name. Integrates personal information into phonetic recognition.
Simon says pronounce ‘sun’ slowly. Helps kids understand the sounds that make up a word.
Simon says find an object that has two vowels in its name. Reinforces understanding of vowels and encourages object recognition.
Simon says say a word that ends in ‘N’. Helps children identify words with specific ending letters.
Simon says clap for each syllable in your name. Teaches syllable segmentation in a personal and engaging way.
Simon says make the ‘oo’ sound. Introduces vowel sounds that are spelled with double letters.
Simon says spell ‘jump’. Helps children spell words with more than one consonant together.
Simon says make a word that rhymes with ‘hop’. Encourages rhyme generation and phonemic awareness.
Simon says name an animal that starts with ‘F’. Combines phonics with children’s interest in animals.
Simon says touch your nose and say ‘N’. Teaches association between letters and body parts.
Simon says find a toy that starts with ‘T’. Encourages initial sound recognition and also develops vocabulary.
Simon says spell your friend’s name. A way to recognize the letters in different names, promoting social skills along with phonics.
Simon says pronounce ‘hat’ without the ‘h’. Introduces the concept of word families.
Simon says say the opposite of ‘high’. Integrates vocabulary development with sound recognition.
Simon says make the sound of the letter that comes after ‘G’. Helps with letter sequence and phonics.
Simon says find something that starts and ends with ‘S’. Challenges kids to recognize initial and ending sounds.
Simon says spell ‘fish’. Adds a level of complexity with a four-letter word.
Simon says say a word that has a ‘Z’ in it. Enhances alphabet knowledge and sound identification.

Number-Based Simon Says Commands: For Older Kids to Practice Arithmetic

Simon says jump 5 times. Simple counting and following numerical instructions.
Simon says clap 3 + 2 times. Simple addition practice.
Simon says touch your toes 10 – 3 times. Introduces subtraction in a playful way.
Simon says hop on one foot for 6 seconds. Counting time.
Simon says do 2 x 3 jumping jacks. Teaching multiplication through movement.
Simon says divide into groups of 4. Division and group organization skills.
Simon says find 5 red objects. Counting and color identification combined.
Simon says line up in order from 1 to 10. Number ordering and sequence recognition.

Using these commands not only makes Simon Says an energetic game but also an educational experience, enhancing both phonetic understanding and numerical skills in children.

Make It Educational

Turning Simon Says into an educational experience can add another layer of enrichment to the game. Here are some educational twists:

Simon says name a planet. A chance to showcase their astronomy knowledge.
Simon says spell your name. Helps reinforce alphabet recognition and spelling skills.
Simon says identify a shape. Helps with geometry; kids can say “circle,” “square,” etc.
Simon says say a word that rhymes with ‘cat’. Rhyming skills are critical for language development.
Simon says point to something green. Color identification and vocabulary enhancement.
Simon says count to 10. Basic counting skills for younger kids.
Simon says show five fingers. Helps with number recognition.
Simon says say the opposite of ‘happy’. Vocabulary expansion and understanding of antonyms.
Simon says point north. Introduction to directions and geography.
Simon says name a vegetable. Nutritional education in a fun way.
Simon says mimic a weather condition. Encourages knowledge of different weather terms.
Simon says name a continent. Geographical knowledge reinforcement.
Simon says add 2 + 3. Simple arithmetic practice for math skills.
Simon says name a mammal. Encourages understanding of animal classifications.
Simon says spell ‘tree’. More spelling practice, this time with an environmental twist.
Simon says do three jumping jacks, then two push-ups. Physical activity coupled with counting skills.
Simon says name a color in the rainbow. Introduction to the concept of rainbows and color sequences.
Simon says point to your elbow. Body part identification and vocabulary skills.
Simon says say ‘hello’ in another language. Language skills and multicultural awareness.
Simon says act like a person who helps people (doctor, firefighter, etc.). Introduction to community helpers and roles.

Each of these commands adds an educational spin to the traditional game, enhancing the learning experience while maintaining the fun and excitement.

Safety Guidelines for Simon Says

Remember to:

Ensure enough space for physical activities.
Avoid complicated commands that might cause injuries.

Simon Says is a game that grows with your child, helping to foster a variety of skills that are vital in their development. With our extensive list of commands, there’s no reason for playtime to be anything less than educational and enjoyable!