가라사대 놀이 Simon Says

My son doesn’t understand the actual rules of Simon Says, but he loves following along when we call out the actions. Naturally I thought, “I should have been doing this in Korean.” Then I Immediately realized I have no idea how to say any of those things in Korean. I mean, I know the vocabulary but when talking to a toddler, is there “baby-talk?” Which speech ending is best? Again, I found myself facing the conundrum of not knowing what sounds natural. I did a lot of searching and finally found sites and videos with 가라사대 놀이 (ga-ra-sa-dae nor-i.)

This video was actually the first one I found that was super helpful. There isn’t really much grammar or consistency involved in the game this mom plays with her girls. Sometimes she just says, “가라사대…” and then the action. ie: 가라사대 박수 한 번. (ga-ra-sa-dae bak-su han beon / Clap your hands twice.) Other times, she says it formally. 가라사대 두 손 올리세요 (ga-ra-sa-dae du son ol-li-se-yo.) I also watched a few other videos and sometimes the leader of the game only says the action in the most basic way. 가라사대 머리 손 (ga-ra-sa-dae meo-ri son.) For verb endings, I heard a range: “—기,” “—아/어 봐,” “—세요,” “-자.” So, I guess just choose what you feel comfortable with or what you prefer to expose your child to?

Rather than just calling out the actions, I made it into a fun game. We have something similar in English and I was amazed at how quickly he picked up different body parts and movements. I definitely need to practice and study the Korean phrases. So, I compiled popular ones below for anyone else facing the same challenge.

DIY Simon Says Cube

This is a pretty easy DIY activity. If you want to skip folding and glueing – cut out each square as a card. Then have your child draw from an upside-down stack. To make the cube, download and print the color or B&W version of the cube on a piece of card stock (for extra sturdiness.) Cut out along the outside edges. Fold along the inside edges. Apply glue to the tabs or tape all around the edges. Since there’s nothing inside the cube, younger toddlers might enjoy squishing it. That’s okay, you can still play!

Phrases for Simon Says

준비 (jun-bi) – Ready

시작 (si-jak) – Start

Verbs

흔들기 – Shake

들기 – Lift

올리기 – Raise

내리기 – Lower

Speed

더 빨리 – Faster

천천히 – Slow

Direction

오른쪽 – To the right

왼쪽 – To the left

양쪽 – Both sides

제자리 – In place

Counting

박수 한/두/세/etc. 번 – Clap once/twice/three times

점프 한/두/세/etc. 번 – Jump once/twice/three times

Hand Movements

(두/왼/오른) 손 반짝반짝 – (Two/Left/Right) Hands “Sparkle”

손을 들어봐 – Lift your hands

손을 위로 올리세요 – Lift your hands

손을 내리세요/내려봐 – Lower your hands

손을 양쪽으로 흔들어봐 – Shake your hands out to the sides

손을 털어요 – Shake your hands

Body Parts

These are just a few examples

손 머리 – Put your hands on your head

팔꿈치 손 – Put your hands on your elbows

손 무릎 – Put your hands on your knees

허리 손 – Put your hands on your hips

Other Movements

어깨를 올려요 – Shrug your shoulders

높이 뛰자 – Let’s jump high

두 발을 구르세요 – Stomp both feet

콩콩 – (The sound of stomping feet)

허리 돌리기 – Circle your waist

무릎 돌려요 – Spin your knees in a circle

춤을 추자 – Let’s dance

기지개 – Stretch

Last but not least, if you want a fun song to help with directional vocabulary, I really like this Pororo Song 뽀롱 체조.

As always, please let me know if you notice any typos or incorrect Korean. I’m still a student of Korean and a first-time mom. I would love to hear your feedback, comments, or suggestions! Thank you for reading.

No Comments

Post a Comment