Directions: This works well for groups of 10-20 people. Divide the large group into two teams. Both teams play Simon Says independently so there are two games running in parallel.  It’s fun for the two teams to be just a short distance away from one another–close enough so that members can keep an eye on the other team’s game.

You probably remember the rules of traditional Simon Says: a caller says “Simon says: Put your hands on your head” etc. and players oblige. When the player sneaks in a command without prefacing it with ” Simon Says”, players are supposed to stand still. Those who follow the command are eliminated from the game. The last person left in wins.

The difference between No-Elimination Simon says game and the traditional versions is that a player isn’t out of the game if she does what the caller says to do in without saying “Simon says” first. He or she merely goes to the other team and plays the game with them.

Suzanne’s Note: This is a much more inclusive and jolly version of Simon Says than the classic version. I found this game in Terry Orlick’s excellent book “Cooperative Games and Sports.”  For an extra level of cooperation, do what the players at a democratic ed conference in Portland showed me: Players take turns being the caller. Natch!