Besides being lots of fun for everyone, group games like Simon Says also help keep players alert. If you’d like to host a game on a whim, Simon Says will also make a great pick as you don’t have to prepare any materials beforehand. This is a nice, simple, and easy game to play especially with kids!
Features of the Simon Says Game
| ★ Game Name | Simon Says |
| ★ Group size | small and medium |
| ★ Age | any (4+) |
| ★ Type | active |
| ★ Skill | reaction / acting |
| ★ Place | indoor and outdoor |
| ★ Time | up to 5 – 15 min |
| ★ Preparation | no |
| ★ Materials | no |
Aim of the Game
Your goal behind Simon Says is to have all the players follow the order that a fictional character Simon has made. If the order does not start with the words “Simon Says” the players may choose to ignore the order.
Ideal Age and Group Sizes
Simon Says is a fun group game to play between groups of 3 to 10 people. Bigger groups are always welcome, but if you’d like to have everyone get a chance at being Simon, then it’s recommended to separate the player into smaller groups to play simultaneously.
Simon Says can be played by anyone above the age of 4 and is a great way for children and the elderly to stay alert with their hearing and focus.
Preparation and Needed Materials
Because Simon Says is a verbal game that requires active participation, you won’t have to prepare any materials ahead of time. It’s also best to play the game in a large space where everyone can move around.
How to Play Simon Says
To play Simon Says, you will first need a volunteer to stand in front of your group of players. This volunteer will hence be known as Simon for a single round of the game. Your players should stand with some space between them so they can move freely following the orders of Simon. Here’s how to play Simon Says once all your players are ready:
Step 1: The player who has been picked as Simon will start by asking the other players to do something around them. Every sentence must begin with “Simon Says” for the order to take effect.
Step 2: All other players must follow what Simon has told them to do. The player who does not perform any of these actions will lose the game. For example, if the volunteer says, “Simon Says to touch your nose,” then all players must touch their noses.
Step 3: However, if Simon does not begin his order with “Simon Says” all the players will not have to act it out. The player who acts out the action without “Simon Says” will be eliminated.
For instance, if the volunteer says, “Touch your nose,” the other players may choose to ignore him or her. The player who touches their noses will lose.
Step 4: If you’d like to add a competitive edge to the game, you may choose to remove any players who have lost. The last player in the circle will be deemed the winner. However, you may also opt to switch the volunteer to the loser for the round, so everyone gets to take turns being Simon. This, however, may mean you won’t have a winner for the game.
Different ways to spice up how you play Simon Says
To make Simon Says an extra fun icebreaker game, you could always change its naming variation as the player’s name instead of Simon.
For example, if the volunteer’s name is Alex, your game could be called Alex Says. When it’s time to switch to a different volunteer whose name is Jane, the game will then be called Jane Says.
This game variation will have all your players recognize everybody in the group, especially if they tend to find remembering names difficult.