Simon Says is not only a fun and interactive game, it also helps children learn impulse control, improve their listening skills, and help them understand expectations.
There are 5 areas of development that kids need to grow and learn:
- Gross Motor Skills
- Fine Motor Skills
- Speech and Language Development
- Cognitive and Intellectual Development
- Social and Emotional Development
Someone will lead the game by calling out Simon Says commands. These can be actions, sounds, movements, or activities. The children should only follow the command if it starts with the phrase “Simon Says” or they are out.
141 of the Best Simon Says Ideas for Learning Fun
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills involve the leg, arm, and core muscles. They are vital for coordination, movement control, and confidence.
Simon Says…
1. Sit with your legs crossed
2. Crawl like a baby
3. Run on the spot as fast as you can
4. Run on the spot as slowly as you can
5. Pretend to throw a ball as far as possible
6. Lift your knees up to your chest
7. Tap your nose and rub your shoulder at the same time
8. Do 5 tummy crunches
9. Stand on one leg for 30 seconds
10. Put your right hand on your left knee and your left hand on your right ear
11. Copy me (and perform a sequence of actions)
12. Roll on the floor like a ball
13. Kneel on both legs
14. Kneel on one leg
15. Skip on the spot
16. Skip to the door and back
17. Flap your arms like they are wings
18. Jump like a frog
19. Hop like a flea
20. Move like a robot
21. Dance like no one is watching
22. Walk like you are in a lion’s den
23. Stand on one foot and wiggle the other foot
24. Waddle like a penguin
25. Walk like a duck
26. Fly like a fighter jet
27. Walk backwards
28. Do 6 jumping jacks
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills develop as children strengthen the muscles in their hands, wrists, fingers, feet and toes. They allow kids to perform tasks independently like brushing their teeth and hair, tying shoelaces, and doing up buttons.
Developing fine motor skills is crucial for writing and school readiness.
Simon Says…
29. Click your fingers
30. Clap your hands once
31. Wiggle your fingers like little worms
32. Walk your fingers down your arm
33. Wiggle your nose
34. Touch your pinky toes
35. Make a triangle with your fingers
36. Make a circle with your fingers
37. Pretend you are a crab
38. Make eyes with your thumb and middle finger together
39. Touch your nose with your tongue
40. Walk on your tippy toes
41. Put all the fingers from your left hand on your nose
42. Point your toes like a ballet dancer
43. Play the piano
44. Point your finger and then use it to draw a circle in the air
45. Clap your hands twice, then put them on your shoulders
46. Make crab pincers with your hands
Speech and Language Development
Speech and language are critical components to learning, and how children experience the world. As their language skills develop, kids can interact more and express themselves better.
Simon Says…
47. Whistle a tune
48. Make a clicking sound with your tongue
49. Talk in a whisper
50. Sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
51. Shoot out your tongue like a chameleon
52. Repeat after me: “Gobbling gargoyles gobbled gobbling goblins”
53. Repeat after me: “Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Then Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
54. Puff out your cheeks like a blowfish
55. Make fish lips
56. Blow out your birthday candles
57. Draw a circle in the air with your tongue
58. Hum Old MacDonald Had a Farm
59. Roar like a lion
60. Hiss like a snake
61. Coo like a dove
62. Make a tractor sound
63. Make an ambulance siren sound
Cognitive and Intellectual Development
Cognitive and intellectual skills affect a child’s ability to think and reason. It involves memory, morals, problem-solving, abstract thinking, and an understanding of cause and effect.
Simon Says…
64. Count to 10
65. Draw a square in the air
66. Pretend to be a baby
67. Lick your elbow
68. Put your toe on your head
69. Sing the Alphabet Song
70. Sit down if you are wearing socks
71. Sit down if you are wearing something blue
72. Stand on one foot if you have brown eyes
73. Sit down if your name has the letter ‘s’ in it
74. Find something yellow
75. Act like a monkey
76. Close your eyes and hop on the spot
77. Sit down if your clothes have a zip
78. Sit down if you have a pet
79. Act sleepy
80. Say something kind to the person next to you
81. You are a scientist, and your experiment has gone wrong
82. You are lost in a desert
83. You are eating your favorite food
84. You are eating your worst food
85. You were playing out in the rain, and now you feel…
Social and Emotional Development
For kids to actively explore their environment and learn from those around them, they need to have the necessary social and emotional skills. This helps them assess situations, read other people, and be empathetic.
Simon Says…
86. Pretend you watched your friend stub their toe
87. Stomp out all the angry feelings
88. Sit down and take three deep breaths
89. Say something kind to yourself
90. Have a staring competition with the person next to you
91. Make a sad face
92. Smile your biggest smile
93. Laugh
94. Make a cross face
95. Pretend someone gave you a gift
96. Say something you are grateful for
97. Make a confused face
98. Name your favorite color
More Fun Simon Says Ideas for Kids
Simon Says…
99. Don’t touch your knees
100. Drive like a race car driver
101. Plant a seed
102. Give yourself a hug
103. Pretend to be your favorite animal
104. Sing your favorite song
105. Act like your mom
106. Act like your dad
107. Play air guitar
108. Be still like a statue
109. Make a snow angel
110. Brush your teeth
111. Ride a pony
112. Peel a potato
113. Eat an apple
114. Walk on your knees
115. Nod your head and march
116. Blow up a balloon
117. Pretend to be a shark
118. Pretend you are in quicksand
119. Pretend you are at the top of a high tree
120. Pretend you are as small as an ant
121. Pretend you are as big as a giant
122. Do a cartwheel
123. Make a silly face
124. Spin around 3 times one way, and then 3 times the other way
125. Pretend to eat a spicy chilli
126. Sing Jingle Bells
127. Act like a grandma or grandpa
128. Open the tight lid on a bottle
129. Talk with a different accent
130. Do a yoga pose
131. Pick a rose and smell it
132. Smell your feet
133. Stand with your feet on your hands
134. Pretend you are a dragon
135. Pretend to be a leaf blowing in the wind
136. Pretend to lift up an elephant
137. Go ice swimming
138. Catch a fish
139. Use a hammer
140. Spin your right arm forwards and your left arm backwards at the same time
141. Be a painter
A Game of Simon Says can be Engaging and Educational
Kids learn best through play and Simon Says is a quick and easy way to add some fun into your day.
It is a fantastic option for the family on a rainy day and also works well to break up formal lessons during a school day.
Not only will it improve memory, focus, and listening skills, but it gets kids moving and makes learning interactive and enjoyable.
Simon Says is one game that has really stood the test of time.