The Best Simon Says Commands With 90 Ideas
Looking for a list of fun Simon Says commands to help get your kids moving? I got you covered! I have created a list of 90 Simon Says commands that are categorized based on 8 different developmental skill sets for children.
Kids learn best through play, and this classic game will help keep your kids happy and busy while also positively contributing to their development!
The Benefits of Simon Says Game
There are many reasons why this game has been played for so many years in preschool and kindergarten classrooms! It is fun and provides so many amazing benefits to children!
Here are just some of the many benefits of playing Simon Says:
- Improves active listening skills
- Develops gross motor and fine motor skills
- Promotes language development
- It is engaging and educational
- Improves emotional regulation skills
- Encourages concentration and a longer attention span
- Helps kids learn to follow and give directions
How Do You Play Simon Says?
Now for those of you who don’t know, you might be asking the question, how do you play Simon Says? The rules of the game are very simple!
One person (either a child or an adult) is chosen to be Simon. Simon will stand alone and face the group of children.
Simon will then begin saying commands. If Simon starts the sentence with “Simon says….” the other children must act out and follow the command. For example, if the command is given like this, “Simon says touch your nose”. Then the children must proceed with the command.
However, if any children move when Simon says a command WITHOUT first saying “Simon says” then that child is eliminated from the game and must sit down.
To trick people into getting out Simon should switch up his/her commands. For example, three consecutive commands may be given as “Simon says… action” and then the fourth command may quickly be given like, “Now, hop on one leg!”.
The last child standing is the winner and they should be Simon in the next game.
List of 90+ Simon Says Commands Based On 8 Developmental Skill Sets
Here is a list of over 90 Simon Says ideas for kids of all ages. The commands are categorized based on developmental skills.
You can use the commands as given, or omit the “Simon says” to try and trick the players!
1. Active Listening Skills
This game is one of the best listening activities for kids! Children have to use their active listening skills to figure out if they should follow the command or stay still. They also have to listen, interpret, and act accordingly to each command given.
Simon Says Commands for Listening Skills:
1. Simon says whisper your favorite color to the person next to you.
2. Simon says pretend to be a cow and moo
3. Simon says wave your hands in the air as fast as you can.
4. Simon says make a silly face and hold it for five seconds.
5. Simon says march in place with your arms higher in the air.
6. Simon says repeat after me, “Six slippery snails”
7. Simon says spin around in a small circle 2 times.
8. Simon says tiptoe very quietly across the room and back.
9. Simon says give yourself 2 high fives.
10. Simon says freeze like a statue until I say “Simon says move.”
2. Fine Motor Skills
The game of Simon Says can be an excellent tool for developing fine motor skills in children. Specific prompts can really help to strengthen those little muscles in a child’s hands and fingers.
Simon Says Commands for Fine Motor Development:
11. Simon says wiggle all 10 of your fingers
12. Simon says pretend to count a deck of cards
13. Simons says draw a circle in the air with your finger
14. Simon says tap your pinky finger and your thumb together
15. Simon says draw something in the sky with a pretend crayon
16. Simon says brush your teeth
17. Simon says tap your fingers on the ground
18. Simon says play the piano
19. Simon says spread out your fingers and then make a fist
20. Simon says make a heart shape with your two hands
3. Gross Motor Skills
Certain commands create a great opportunity to get kids physically active and improve their gross motor development.
Simon Says Commands to Improve Gross Motor Skills:
21. Simon says sit down and then stand up quickly.
22. Simon says jump up and down three times.
23. Simon says run in place until I say, “Simon says stop”
24. Simon says do five jumping jacks.
25. Simon says crawl on all fours like a bear.
26. Simon says show me your crab walk
27. Simon says balance on one foot with your arms stretched out like an airplane.
28. Simon says walk backward 10 steps
29. Simon says march in place, lifting your knees high.
30. Simon says squat down low and then jump up as high as you can.
4. Emotional Regulation Skills
Learning emotional regulation skills is a major component of the school readiness checklist. These commands will help children have a better understanding of all the different emotions and feelings and how to act during certain emotions.
Simon Says Commands for Emotional Regulation:
31. Simons says show me you’re excited and jump up and down.
32. Simon says show some kindness and hug your neighbor.
33. Simon says give yourself a pat on the back and say, “I am proud of myself.”
34. Simon says show me your scared face.
35. Simon says do a silly dance to shake off any negative feelings.
36. Simon says take a deep breath in through your nose, and slowly exhale through your mouth.
37. Simon says show me your happy dance.
38. Simon says act surprised.
39. Simon says show me your biggest smile!
40. Simon says pretend someone gave you a gift.
5. Sequencing Skills
As children get older it is better to increase the difficulty of this game by creating multi-step instructions. This is a great way to encourage children to properly follow directions.
Simon Says Commands for Following Directions:
41. Simon says clap your hands 3 times and then jump as high as you can!
42. Simon says take three steps forward, then two steps backward.
43. Simon says take a big step to the left, a small step to the right, and then jump forward.
44. Simon says hop 2 times on one leg and then 4 times on the other leg.
45. Simon says sit down, then stand up, and then turn around in a circle.
46. Simon says put your hands on your head and then run in place
47. Simon says stick out your tongue and then try to smile!
48. Simon says touch your knees, then your elbows, and finally your shoulders.
49. Simons says pretend to open a present and then act very excited.
50. Simon says stand on one foot and pat your head with both hands.
6. Crossing the Midline
A major pre-writing skill is the ability to cross the midline. This is essentially when children learn to cross their extremities over the center line of their body. While this may sound like a natural occurrence to most adults, some children actually struggle with this and it can lead to poor hand-writing techniques.
Simon Says Commands for Crossing the Midline:
51. Simon says point to your elbow
52. Simon says cross your right foot over your left foot
53. Simon says give yourself a big hug
54. Simon says put your right hand on your left shoulder
55. Simon says clap your hands behind your back
56. Simon says cross your arms
57. Simon says wave your hands above your head
58. Simon says touch your right knee with your left elbow
59. Simon says touch your left foot with your right hand
60. Simon says put your hands together and tap your shoulders
7. Language and Vocabulary Skills
This game is a great way to grow your child’s vocabulary. Whether you want the theme to be animals, objects, or even professions, the opportunities are endless!
Simon Says Commands for Vocabulary and Language Skills:
61. Simon says to play the violin
62. Simons says hop like a kangaroo
63. Simon says flutter your arms like a butterfly.
64. Simon says march like a soldier.
65. Simon says make the sound of a train chugging along.
66. Simon says hop like a frog.
67. Simon says to play the guitar.
68. Simon says pretend to rock a baby to sleep.
69. Simon says waddle like a penguin
70. Simon says pretend to be a firefighter and make the sound of a fire truck siren.
8. Body Awareness
This is an amazing game to help children develop body awareness. Some children may have poor proprioception skills, so this is a fun game to help children build this skill.
Simon Says Commands to Improve Body Awareness:
71. Simon says touch your toes with your fingertips.
72. Simon says touch your nose with your finger.
73. Simon says wiggle your fingers and toes at the same time.
74. Simon says touch your shoulders with your hands.
75. Simon says touch your heels together
76. Simon says make a big circle with your arms,
77. Simon says pat yourself on the back
78. Simon says put your elbows together
79. Simon says stand on your tippy toes
80. Simon says reach your arms up high and stretch like a tall tree.
15 Funny Simon Says Commands for kids
Here are some bonus commands to make this game really fun for kids.
81. Simon says tiptoe quietly like a ninja and don’t let anyone hear you.
82. Simon says move like a robot.
83. Simon says wiggle like a bowl of Jello.
84. Simon says spin around three times and then pretend you’re dizzy
85. Simon says dance like nobody’s watching – be as silly and crazy as you want!
86. Simon says pretend you’re a fish swimming in the sea.
87. Simon says walk around on your knees
88. Simon says pretend you’re riding a rollercoaster
89. Simon says act like a monkey
90. Simon says pretend you’re walking on the moon!
I hope you have enjoyed these fun Simon Says ideas! Here are 100 charade ideas for kids to make your next game night enjoyable for everyone! Happy playing!
