How to Play “The Floor Is Lava”: A Fun Game for You AND Your Kids

Remember what fun it was to play “The Floor Is Lava” as a kid? Well, now you can share the experience with your own child–while also having some screen-free fun yourself! Ivan Brett, author of THE FLOOR IS LAVA, offers a refresher on how to play this timeless game.

Players: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Time: Endless

In Short: A great physical game to play at home. Just don’t play it around precious things.

What You’ll Need: Permission from the person who owns the house that it’s okay to climb on their furniture.

How To Play: This is an ongoing game, which works best when sprung upon people in the room/area at random times. Simply, one person yells “The floor is lava!” and then starts counting down from five. Every other person must be completely off the ground by the time the counter reaches zero. What, or whom, they climb on is up to them, but if any part of them remains on the ground, then they’ll be burnt to a crisp.

Now Try This: At this point, you’ve probably had enough fun and someone might have broken a vase or an ankle, but you’re likely wondering when you’re allowed to get down. The game can continue if you challenge other players to reach a certain place without touching the ground. Watch as each player creatively devises a plan for crossing the dangerous lava without burning their toes.

For more fun games for the whole family, pick up a copy of THE FLOOR IS LAVA by Ivan Brett! And in the video below, watch Ivan challenge the Gallery Books team to a round!

Looking for creative ways to keep your kids off their phones this summer? Discover 6 Activity Books to Entertain Your Kids While School’s Out.

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Excerpted from The Floor Is Lava by Ivan Brett. Copyright © 2019 by the author. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.