Simon Says...

Have you ever played the game Simon Says? If not, this is how you play: One person is chosen to be Simon, the leader of the game. Simon stands in front of the rest of the players, facing them. Simon gives the players directions. If he says, "Simon says..." before the direction, then the other players have to do it. If he doesn't, then they must do nothing.

For example, if the leader says, "Simon says put your hands on your head," then the players must put their hands on their heads. If he says, "Put your hands on your head," then they do nothing. Simon can be tricky, though, and try to get you to do the wrong thing. Any player who does the wrong thing is eliminated. The last person standing after everyone else has been eliminated is the winner. And that's the whole game.

I love Simon Says. It's a great game. It's so easy to learn, and it's usually quick to play too. If you get eliminated early in the game you don't have to wait too long until another game starts. Children play it at school and on the playground, but adults can have fun with it as well. There are even professional Simon Says callers who lead games at sports events, universities, and corporate meetings. Some of these Simon Says games are played with hundreds and even thousands of participants. I've played in two of these large-scale games: one at a company-wide picnic and one at a counselor orientation meeting for a camp I once worked at. And I'm proud to say that I won both of them. At the company picnic I won a water bottle, yet at the camp meeting I brought home a real trophy! I always boast to my family and friends about my natural Simon Says talent, but in truth, I always win because I know the secret: Just do what Simon says to do. That's it! It's a foolproof method!

Even if you're not playing for trophies, Simon Says is a perfect game for practicing your English skills with friends. You have to think quickly in order to perform the action Simon calls out before he moves on to the next one. Simon can adjust the speed of his directions to make the game easier or harder for English learners at different levels. It may feel silly at first, but give it a try. You'll learn some English and have a great time.
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Vocabulary

• directions: steps to tell you how to do something or go somewhere
• eliminated: removed from the game
• playground: outdoor area where children play
• corporate: relating to a business
• participants: people involved in an activity
• orientation: a meeting in which people in an unfamiliar situation get used to their new environment
• trophy: a small statue you receive for winning a game or competition
• talent: a special ability to do something easily and well
• foolproof: guaranteed not to fail
• perform: to carry out an action

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Grammar Practice

1. When I went to college, the school had an ____________ session for freshmen the week before classes started.
2. Sandra ___________ sugar from her diet but still needed to cut down on how much salt she ate.
3. Children usually love to go on the swings at the _____________.
4. If you work in a ____________ environment, you have to dress in a professional manner.
5. Jamie's mother put the _________ she won at the softball tournament on the mantel for everyone to see.
6. All the ____________ in the competition went home with a prize at the end of the day.
7. Because I often get lost, I always seem to be stopping and asking for _____________.
8. The boy playing second base seemed to have a natural __________ for baseball.
9. My niece will __________ a solo at her dance recital tomorrow night.
10. A ___________ way to check your subtraction is to do addition in reverse.

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Grammar Point
Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or independent clauses (clauses that can stand alone) together. Watch this classic video clip from Schoolhouse Rock to learn a bit about conjunctions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo

The coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Remember, the mnemonic for this is FANBOYS.

In my blog entry above, I use many coordinating conjunctions. Here are some examples with the coordinating conjunctions in red type:

• It's so easy to learn, and it's usually quick to play too.
• Children play it at school and on the playground, but adults can have fun with it as well.
• At the company picnic I won a water bottle, yet at the camp meeting I brought home a real trophy!

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Grammar Practice
Write a paragraph of your own about a favorite game you play now or played when you were younger. Use at least three different coordinating conjunctions. Remember FANBOYS!
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Simon Says Look at This!
This link shows a Simon Says game from the 2007 Disney Channel Games. It looks like a lot of fun, doesn't it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMg5pGxcEJk