The Harvest Game

When I was little, I always wanted my Mom to play "Fruit Basket Upset" when we had parties. Here is a spin-off from that classic game.

I created little cards with pictures of fruits & vegetables, and "laminated" them with packaging tape. I usually use 2 of each kind, but have 3 -- just in case I get a larger group.

I have the children stand around the circle and hand each one a card. Then I sing: (tune I use is like "Bumping up & Down in My Little Red Wagon" -- or "Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck")
Where oh where can I find some apples?
Where oh where can I find some apples?
If you're an apple --- jump up and down! (pause while the kids with the apple card jump)
And sit down in my basket!

At that the "apples" sit down in the middle of the circle & stay there. I used to sing "jump into my basket", but some of the kids were a little too energetic doing this and I feared someone was going to get hurt!

Then I will pick a different fruit or vegetable and sing that verse with their motion. Here are the motions I use, but you might think of something better.

• apples -- jump
• grapes -- stomp their feet
• corn --- flap your arms 
• carrots -- spin around
• pumpkins -- jump and turn
• peas  -- run around the circle (just once -- must be the last one to avoid collisions!)

Now all the kids are sitting in the center of the circle. I have them hold their cards up in the air to make it easy for me to collect the cards, and they return to standing around the circle. We will play this one more time, and they must get a different card than the one they had before.