This game can be used at the start of the lesson as a warm up by making the movements simple joint rotations or it can be used at the end of the lesson as a game by using yoga poses you have learnt in the class.

You will need: a giant frog or toy of some sort for the “Froggy says” part. Sometimes I use a duck and have “Ducky says” but you could use a teddy and elephant or anything.

“Froggy says” is exactly the same as “Simon says” but instead of saying  “Simon says do butterfly pose”
or “Do butterfly pose” I use “Froggy says do butterfly pose” or “Bonnie says do butterfly pose” (Bonnie is my name so instead of Bonnie you can insert your name or Yogi says )

If “Froggy says” to do something like butterfly pose or meerkat pose the children have to do it. If “Bonnie says” to do butterfly pose or meerkat pose they don’t have to do it.

Simon says works well for older kids but tends to lose the younger ones the concept is a very hard one for little ones to grasp. I take into class a giant frog and in this game I hold him and emphasize the “Froggy says” by wiggling Froggy’s legs or “Bonnie says” by putting my hand on my chest.

If the group is young or new to the game you can do the poses and the movements with them when “Froggy says” and do nothing with them when “Bonnie says”. As they get a little better at the game I sit down and don’t help them so they have to rely on listening to me and looking at each other. Then when they master this I go back to doing it with them but mix up when I do the poses and when I don’t so sometimes when “Froggy says” to do a pose I will not do it and sometimes when “Bonnie says” to do a pose I will do it.

Good ways to trick kids as they get better and better at the game is:

1. To use repetition so “Froggy says” sit down “Froggy says” stand up “Froggy says” sit down “Froggy says” stand up “Bonnie says” sit down.
2. Change you tone of voice playing with an asking them to do dog pose and a telling them to do dog pose tone.
3. Repeat a Bonnie says command as if you can’t quite work out why the kids are refusing to do what Bonnie says.