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How to play Simon Says Game
How it works is that the teacher calls out an action which the students have to complete. But, students must only do the action if it’s preceded by “Simon Says”, which adds a fun challenge to the game. By doing this the students learn new vocabulary and instructions by physically acting them out.
For example – Simon says touch your nose. Touch your ear, you’re out!
Simon Says in the Classroom
The easiest way to play Simon Says in the classroom is with the teacher standing in front of the class with students behind their desks. Make sure that there is enough space for each student to move while you are giving the orders. If the teacher says “Simon says” and then an action, all the students have to do the action.
If the teacher doesn’t say “Simon says” first and the student does the action, that student is out! Gradually increase the difficulty by speaking faster and adding more complex commands. Continue until only one student is left to be crowned the winner.
Another way to play Simon Says is by having the students stand all around the teacher, with the teacher standing in the middle. Once the teacher does an action, all the students have to copy the teacher (if the teacher said Simon Says). The last student to do the action is out, and has to sit down. Continue the game until there is only 1 student left standing. The winner takes the teacher’s place and continues the game by issues instructions.
By allowing students to take control we are giving them an opportunity to take a leadership role and become more confident when giving orders. It might be difficult at first, but students will learn to accept, and enjoy the responsibility.
Things to Say in Simon Says
First start out start out with basic actions:
Touch your nose, bend your knees, walk in place, close your eyes. – These are good for practicing commands, learning body parts and motor skills.
Then, take it up a notch by using everyday tasks:
Wash your hands, pet the cat, write in your book. There are countless possibilities – Try to incorporate whatever topic you’re are doing in class that day.
Pretend to: Things don’t need to be real, students can have great fun by acting out.
Paint in the sky. Blow bubbles. You are Superman picking up a truck.
Emotions: You are sad. You are happy. Simon says it’s your birthday!
Add adjectives, objects and people
Slowly, quickly… Move your friend’s book
Add possessives. Pick up your, use my…
Add this, that, here, there. Simon says look there… Look up.. Gotcha
Use Colors, numbers, sizes. Show 4 fingers. Show me a blue pen.
Animals and sounds: Moo like a cow. Simon says Wag your tail like a dog.
It can be tough thinking up actions on the spot, so I added a FREE word file with 100 Actions for Simon Says in the description below. All you have to do is join the Etacude email list.
Simon Say Word File FREE –> Join Email List
100 Simon Says Ideas
| Write a letter | Stand on your chair | Turn around in a circle | Snap your fingers | Make thumbs up |
| Pick up your pen | Stand under your chair | Jump up | Swim | Spin around twice |
| Look sad | Go to the window | Hop on your right/left foot | Make a snowball | salute |
| Look at the sky | Put on your shoes | Clap your hands | Sweep the floor | Roar like a lion |
| Take out your key, unlock the door | Walk to the door | Touch your knees | Ski down the mountain | Move in slow motion |
| Open the door | Take off your shoes | Wiggle your fingers | Drink hot chocolate | Use magic |
| Rub your eyes | Cough | Put your arm in the air | Play guitar | Touch your nose |
| Think | Cry | Flap your arms like a bird | Be a penguin | Scratch your arm |
| Look happy | Tap the table with your foot | Run in place | Be scissors | Put your hands on your head |
| Wake up | Point to the door | Put your hands on your hips | Hug yourself | Do jumping jacks |
| Yawn | Pick up your pen | Moo like a cow | Wiggle your nose | Drive a car |
| Stretch | Close the window | Wink | Close your eyes | Slide to the right |
| Wash your face | Smell a flower | Wave hello | Blow a kiss | Play a computer game |
| Brush your teeth | Take your pen and give it to Angela | Sleep | Climb a ladder | Answer the phone |
| Get dressed | Fetch your book and give it to me | Stick out your tongue | Crouch into a ball | You failed your test! Act worried |
| Have breakfast | Put the pen between the books | Act Like a robot | Look left | Hide from your mom |
| Put on your back pack | Put the eraser in the box | Touch your ears | Reach for the ski | Work out at the gym |
| Say good bye to your parents | Put the ruler on top of the box | Meow like a cat | Shoot a gun | Walk like a zombie |
| Walk to school | Put 2 pencils in the box | Freeze | Shake like jelly | yawn |
| laugh | Put the green book on the table | Bow | Act like a ballerina | Sit down |
How to play Simon Says Online
English teachers can now play the classic ‘Simon Says’ game online in virtual classrooms using dedicated software, as demonstrated in this Zoom class with the aid of other teachers posing as students. This overcomes the challenge of involving language students in a more physical and fun way by playing traditional classroom favorites.
The game ‘Simon says’ is known in some countries as the ‘King says,’ ‘Jacques says,’ ‘O’Grady says,’ ‘Jacob says’ or ‘mando, mando’ (‘I say, I say’) in Spanish, but the rules are the same: The object for the player in the role of ‘Simon’ is to try and trick (mislead, dupe) the rest of the players into following his or her commands when they shouldn’t respond. The last player standing wins and sometimes in the traditional version becomes the next Simon.
In the online version by ‘Bamboozle’ each student gets the opportunity to pick a number; ‘Simon’ (the teacher in this case) will give a command for all the students or a nominated student to immediately enact. However, if the instruction is not preceded by the words ‘Simon says’, then the student who responds is disqualified from the round. Continue until only one student remains as the champion.
BAAMBOOZLE LINK Simon Says – https://www.baamboozle.com/game/147648
We play Simon Says Online with Zoom. We used the online game website Baamboozle Online Teaching Course for Teachers:
Conclusion
Simon Says is a great game to play with friends or in a classroom setting. Players practice their listening skills and can learn more vocabulary by acting out the words. It is also possible to play Simon Says Online with websites such as Baamboozle.
Enjoy playing Simon Says with your friends and classmates!
