Simon Says
Classic attention and listening energizer where participants follow instructions only when preceded by "Simon Says." Perfect quick focus game for teams of any size.
5-10 min
3-100 people
medium
None needed
About This Game
Simon Says is the timeless energizer that sharpens focus, tests listening skills, and generates laughter through playful elimination. This deceptively simple game creates moments of intense concentration punctuated by hilarious mistakes when participants move without hearing the magic phrase "Simon Says." The beauty lies in its adaptability—you can make it physical for in-person energy boosts, verbal for virtual meetings, or work-themed with office-related actions. As the pace accelerates and instructions become trickier, even the most focused participants will slip up, creating shared moments of levity that re-energize any meeting or workshop. The game works brilliantly as a 3-minute quick break or extended 10-minute version with increasingly complex commands. For virtual teams, it's especially effective at breaking the monotony of screen time and getting people moving at their desks. The competitive element is gentle enough for new teams but engaging enough for familiar groups who know each other well. Simon Says teaches valuable lessons about active listening, following processes, and not acting on assumptions—all while participants are laughing and moving. It's the perfect "reset button" when meeting energy dips or attention wanes.
Objectives
- Re-energize participants and break up long periods of sitting or screen time
- Improve active listening skills and attention to detail in a playful context
- Create moments of shared laughter when mistakes happen, building team camaraderie
- Practice following instructions precisely without making assumptions
- Boost physical movement and circulation for better focus and alertness
- Provide an inclusive activity where everyone can participate regardless of role or seniority
How to Run This Game
Facilitator Script:
"Quick energy break! We're playing Simon Says. The rules are simple: I'll give you instructions. ONLY follow the instruction if I say 'Simon Says' first. If I don't say 'Simon Says' and you do the action anyway, you're out. Last person standing wins! For example: 'Simon Says touch your nose' - you do it. 'Touch your ears' - you DON'T do it. Got it? Everyone stand up! Let's go!"
Actions:
- Clearly explain the "Simon Says" rule
- Give 1-2 quick examples to demonstrate
- Have everyone stand (or sit up straight for virtual)
- Establish what "out" means - sit down or turn off camera briefly
Tips:
- • Keep your explanation under 30 seconds - people learn by playing, not listening
- • For virtual: specify "stay visible but freeze" instead of sitting down
- • Demonstrate one trick example where you DON'T say "Simon Says" so they understand
- • If group is unfamiliar with the game, do a 30-second practice round first
Facilitator Script:
"Here we go! Simon Says... put your hands on your head. Simon Says... touch your shoulders. Touch your knees! Oh! Anyone who touched their knees is out - I didn't say Simon Says! Sit down if you're out. Let's keep going!"
Actions:
- Start with slow, simple actions (touch nose, raise hand, etc.)
- Mix in 2-3 "Simon Says" commands
- Then give a command WITHOUT "Simon Says" to eliminate first participants
- Keep energy high with enthusiastic reactions when people get out
- Acknowledge mistakes with humor, not criticism
Tips:
- • Your first "trick" command should be obvious - you want early eliminations to set the tone
- • Celebrate mistakes: "Got you! That was sneaky!" keeps it fun, not embarrassing
- • For virtual: watch cameras carefully and call out mistakes you see
- • Keep a quick pace - pauses kill the energy
Facilitator Script:
"Nice! Let's speed this up. Simon Says clap three times. Simon Says spin around. Clap once! Ooh, several of you are out! Simon Says make a silly face. Simon Says wave to your neighbor. This is getting tricky!"
Actions:
- Gradually increase speed of instructions
- Add more complex actions (spin, jump, specific counts)
- Throw in more frequent non-"Simon Says" commands
- Narrow the field to final 3-5 participants
- Build tension and excitement as it gets harder
Tips:
- • Vary your pacing - sometimes rapid-fire, sometimes pause before a trick
- • Use actions that are visible on camera for virtual teams
- • Work-themed actions add humor: "Simon Says check your email" (pretend typing)
- • When down to final few, let eliminated players cheer and watch closely
Facilitator Script:
"We're down to our final three! This is intense. Simon Says... touch your toes. Stand on one foot! YES! We have our winner! Everyone give them a round of applause. That was excellent focus. How do you all feel? More awake?"
Actions:
- Make final commands extra tricky
- Build drama with pauses and speed changes
- Celebrate the winner with applause/reactions
- Acknowledge the challenge: "That was harder than it looks!"
- Quick transition back to meeting/workshop content
Tips:
- • The winner doesn't matter - the energy boost does. Keep it light.
- • If multiple people survive, declare them co-winners rather than endless rounds
- • End on a high note: "Everyone sit down" (without Simon Says) often gets final laughs
- • Transition: "Great! Now that we're all awake, let's dive into..."
Facilitator Script:
"Quick reflection: What made this game hard? Active listening, right? Not acting on autopilot. That's exactly what we need when [connect to your meeting topic - following processes, listening to customers, etc.]. Now let's bring that same focus to our next topic."
Actions:
- Connect the game to meeting content if relevant
- Keep debrief under 1 minute
- Acknowledge the lesson about listening and focus
- Transition smoothly back to agenda
Tips:
- • Skip the debrief for pure energizer use - just play and move on
- • If debriefing, make it concrete: "This is like following safety protocols exactly"
- • Don't over-explain the metaphor - let participants make their own connections
- • End with energy: "Let's bring this focus to our next challenge!"
Facilitator Tips
- Energy is everything - if YOU're enthusiastic and playful, participants will be too
- Start slow and simple to build confidence, then ramp up complexity quickly
- Your goal is NOT to trick everyone out immediately - you want sustained engagement
- Use work-related actions for humor: "Simon Says approve that budget" (thumbs up gesture)
- For virtual: demonstrate actions on camera so participants can see clearly
- Don't be a stickler - if someone barely moves, let it slide. This is about fun, not rules enforcement.
- Variation in pacing is key: rapid commands, then a long pause, then a trick
- If the group is too good and no one gets out, increase speed dramatically
- For shy groups, start with small actions (finger movements) before big ones (jumping)
- End while energy is still high - don't play until everyone is bored
- The best "Simon Says" facilitators make deliberate mistakes themselves occasionally to keep it light
- For large virtual groups, focus on upper-body actions visible on camera (no jumping)
Common Challenges & Solutions
Variations & Adaptations
Use office-related actions instead of generic movements: "Simon Says reply-all to an email" (typing gesture), "Simon Says approve a budget" (thumbs up), "Simon Says call a meeting" (hand to ear like phone), "Simon Says check Slack" (scroll gesture). This adds humor and can subtly reference workplace habits or inside jokes. Perfect for team meetings where you want to acknowledge work culture playfully.
Flip the rule: participants should ONLY do the action if you DON'T say "Simon Says." This completely scrambles their brains because it reverses the childhood muscle memory. Commands like "Touch your head" mean DO IT, while "Simon Says touch your head" means DON'T. Guaranteed to create hilarious confusion and mistakes, even with the most focused participants. Explain the rule very clearly before starting.
Instead of random actions, string commands into a narrative: "Simon Says wake up and stretch. Simon Says brush your teeth. Make coffee! Simon Says check your phone. Get dressed! Simon Says rush out the door..." Participants act out a story sequence. This adds creativity and makes it memorable. You can theme it to your meeting content (a customer journey, a product development cycle, etc.).
For virtual teams, use Zoom/Teams reactions instead of physical actions: "Simon Says give a thumbs up reaction. Simon Says send a heart. Send a clap! Simon Says raise hand." This keeps people at their desks but still requires focus and quick response. You can watch the reaction panel to see who follows correctly. Fast-paced and perfect for large virtual groups where physical actions are hard to see.
teams have used this game