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141 Simon Says Ideas for Growth and Development

Incorporate the five areas of development into your learning through interactive Simon Says commands.

141 Simon Says Ideas for Growth and Development

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:

  1. Gross Motor Skills
  2. Fine Motor Skills
  3. Speech and Language Development
  4. Cognitive and Intellectual Development
  5. 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.

printable Simon Says ideas
Printable Simon Says Ideas

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.

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About Caitlin

Caitlin van Wyk is a freelance writer and a mother of two wild boys. She is passionate about offering support and educational content for parents as they navigate the highs and lows of raising kids.

More articles by Caitlin

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