Jacques said: Rule and variants.

Jacques Said is a classic outdoor game that little kids love. But in traditional play, the kids who need the most to practice their listening skills or identify their body parts are often the first to be eliminated! Once you’ve learned how to play Jacques Said, check out another version that has many of the controls of the classic game but a better tool for improving kids’ development and listening skills… without screening!

Jacques said how to play: The rules of the game.

Rules of the game: all players stand before the game manager to listen to his commands, but they must only follow the orders that begin with “Jacques said.” Controls should be centered around simple moves (without acrobatics) or “Jack said raise your arms!” definite actions, such as “Jacques told me to sit down!”. Commands can be canceled in the same way: “Jacques said get up!”. If a player gives a power that is not “Jacques said” beforehand, they are eliminated, or the game manager makes a friendly pledge.

Start the game: “Did Jacques say ready to play? OK… does everyone know the rules? No? It’s simple, nobody does anything unless Jacques (me) says so, and if Jacques says so, you have to! If you’re wrong, you should quit the game. Are we all clear on this? Are you sure? Alright! We’ll start now. Everybody stand up so we can get started. (To all who stand up) YOU HAVE BEEN HANDLED! OK, OK, I’m kidding, it was a warm-up. Jacques said get up so we can start this game!”

Game Finishing: You can get sneaky with the elders and tell the kids, “Well done, now you can relax and get up,” and knock them all out!

Simple command ideas: Raise your arms, touch your toes, wiggle your nose, bend over and touch your knees, touch your head, touch your shoulders, stand on one leg, close your eyes, stretch yourself up to the sky, put your hands on your hips, touch your nose, touch your right hand to your left shoulder touch (and incline), touch your right foot, swing your arms, stop, turn, jump, touch your toes, jump in the air 3 times, cross your toes, etc.

Silly order ideas: hug, make a funny face, kiss lips, make a face, laugh, play guitar tune, frog, act like a rock star, whisper your name, shout your name, stick your tongue out, clap 1 time, clap 2 times, clap 3 times, wink at the person next to you, act like a robot, act like a worm, misbehave, touch their butt, ride a horse, scratch with your feet, shake like a penguin, rub yourself and your head at the same time, waltz, tickle your neighbor, walk on your knees, as a monkey behave, etc.

Game variant for the little ones to learn

Equipment for one player: two space marks (like cones or circles)

How to play Jacques Said with the little ones: Invite your child to stand in one of the marked areas. Explain to him that he should only do what you said when the words “Jacques said” come before the command. Sometimes you use the phrase “Jacques said,” and sometimes, you don’t. Use simple commands.

If your child obeys a command that isn’t preceded by, “says Jack,” they will move from one marked area to the next. As your child gets better at this game, increase the challenge by increasing the speed you give commands.

Play Jacques Said without elimination.

Unqualified Jacques Said is a game that works well for groups of 10 to 20 people. Divide the large group into two teams. Stating that both teams play independently, Jacques said there are two parallel games. It’s fun for both teams to have a short distance between the members so they can watch the other team play. The difference from the traditional Jacques saying is that if a player is wrong, he is not eliminated. He goes to the other team and plays with them.