How is it that every child just inherently knows "the floor is lava" game? Seriously. I don't remember ever teaching it to my kids yet they play it ALL. THE. TIME. It's funny how certain children's games stay alive, no matter the generation!

"Don't touch the hot lava!" is definitely one of those classics and is fun for all ages. It's a great one for rainy days and can entertain for long periods of time.

My three-year-old doesn't love practicing her letters, but.. she loves to play, so I wanted to try this timeless game (that she already loves and plays) with an educational twist. It was such a huge hit I had to share!

What you'll need:

Items for the "stepping stones" (pillows, placemats, hot pads, blankets, etc.)
Flash cards or playing cards

Instructions:

Find an area to play the game in and spread out the "stepping stones" all over the floor.
Next, spread the flashcards out as well--in between and all around the stepping stones.
Designate an area as the "home base". (We used the couch for ours.)
Have your child start at home, then call out a number or letter for them to "rescue".
They must retrieve the card and bring it safely back to home using only the stepping stones and without touching the HOT LAVA! Repeat for each card.

I didn't anticipate how much my kids would enjoy this game. They wanted to play again and again--each time coming up with a more dramatic storyline. They were having so much fun that I'd bet they didn't realize they were learning!

Activity Notes:

Gather a variety of "stepping stones"--make them different sizes and shapes to make the game more challenging (and fun)!
You can try this game with letters, numbers, sight words, etc.
If you don't have flashcards, create your own! Some of the cards we had for our game were just pieces of paper with numbers written on them.
We didn't have a winner for our game, but you can add a little competitive aspect by having whoever rescues the most cards wins!