Submitted by Steve Riddle, Sweetwater, Tennessee

Idea posted

When I play the Apple Tree Game (a steady beat passing game), I give one or two taps on a drum during the course of the song. When the students hear the taps, they must pass the apple in the opposite direction. This way, no one can predict where the apple will stop (and the same students won't be "it" every round). The student who is "out" becomes the drummer for the next round. It requires a little practice before you play the game, but adds a nice skill element to the activity. (Idea was altered from an original game extension by Susan Ramsay.)