1-2-3 The Floor is Lava!

If shouts of this ring out from your living room every day, you are not alone. This jumping game seems to make boys and girls all over focus with next level determination. So why not make a real challenge of it? A “floor is lava” learning game is a perfect game for some summer fun.Before setting out to make your “stepping stones”, decide which skill your child might need to brush up on. Tackling this game with a kindergartner and fourth grader, we went with sight words, 1-100 number recognition, color names, and multiplication/division answers. Add some competitiveness to the game using our Digital Timer!

Lava Materials

First, you will have to build your stepping stones, or safe areas from that bubbling lava. Craft felt seemed to be the best choice. Paper could also be used, but multiple jumps on it might cause it to tear. This game is easy to take outside — just use chalk on the side walk or hula hoops in the grass!

Create a hand drawn flame as a template.


Come up with your answers, and use markers to write. Another great option of using felt is that you can flip them over for another set of answers.

We are all set. Create a “HOME” stone as your starting point.

We grabbed some marbles to put by each stepping stone, as a sort of reward for each right answer. As they jump, they collect a marble.

Designate someone to be the ring (of fire) leader to shout out the questions.
The moment of truth: can our kindergartener find each number?


Jumping to Stepping Stones Clip
Collect those marbles!

We then set up challenges for sight words…

…then colors. We even upped the ante by placing the words all on green stones. Reading is key here!

Lastly, the fourth grader wanted in on the challenge, so we did a round of multiplication, then division.

Multiplication Clip
Have fun! And watch out – THE FLOOR IS LAVA!
 
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