Location: indoor

Materials: blocks, pillows, boxes, paper, etc

Pretending the floor is lava creates an exciting gross motor game that your kids can play indoors. Set up a variety of objects around the room that allow kids to step and jump between them without stepping on the floor. Make sure all of the items are ok to be stepped on, and space them out differently for a variety of challenges.

Introduce the game by telling your kids that you are going to pretend the floor is lava, which means it's going to burn us if we step on it. Invite each child to find a safe starting place and invite them to move around the room, trying to avoid stepping in the lava.

Possible Extensions:

• Using materials of different textures will create an added challenge-- for example, a fluffy pillow will require balance and core strength to stand on it without slipping off.
• If you don't have suitable objects for kids to step on you can use paper shapes as the stepping stones.