This game is a version of the classic Simon Says with a twist for groups to get to know each other better.
How to play:
Firstly, sit in a circle. Explain to the group that they will play a version of Simon Says. In this version only some people will respond to each command.
Tell the group that they must watch carefully as they play the game because at the end, each participant will have to tell the group one new thing they learned about someone else.
Provide such directions as:
Simon says “Everyone with brown eyes, stand up.”
Simon says “Everyone who has a dog as a pet, put your right hand on your head.”
Simon says “Everyone whose favourite sport is soccer, stand on one foot.”
Simon says “Everyone who speaks more than one language, jump up and down.”
and so on. Choose categories that are appropriate for your group.
Like in the traditional game you could throw in some curve balls without saying Simon says at the beginning of the sentence. You could just play for fun or those who stand up incorrectly could lose a point or have to stay sitting until the end of the game.
At the end of the game, get the group to sit back in the circle. Ask each young person to name one way in which they and another member of the group are alike. The trait they share must be something they didn’t know before playing the game. They might say, for example, “I didn’t know that Katie spoke Spanish” or “I didn’t know that Jose was left-handed.”
Take it further
You could use this game as a way to evaluate your termly programme. For example “Simon says stand up if you enjoyed playing Fizz Buzz”. Or “Simon says clap your hands if you want to do a hike with a map again next term”.
If you enjoyed playing this game with your group you should try Building Rhythms game to work together to make amazing noises!
