Lava Leaper Rainy Day Kids Game

Lava Leaper (a.k.a. Carpet Crocs) -

Lava Leaper (and variations on the theme) is a game most children play sooner or later. The premise is pretty straight
forward and the title says it all. The objective is simply to travel around the room or to a particular safe zone without
touching the carpet. Why? Because the carpet is lava, Silly.

Parents can steer children towards this game on a boring rainy day simply by asking the child the question, "how
would you get from here to there if the carpet were lava," then challenging them to prove their strategy. For wide open
floor plans and areas with minimal furniture that aren't lava leaper friendly, use throw rugs, bath mats and hand towels
to create additional safety islands allowing your child to leap from one to the next until they reach their destination.
Space the islands far enough apart to be a challenge but not impossible.

For a variation, if your child has siblings or a friend over, play Carpet Croc. Same
premise but instead of lava, the carpet is now a croc infested swamp. One child sits in
the swamp water blindfolded (playing the part of the croc) and the other must hop the
islands to safety without being touched by the croc. The child playing the croc can't
see but must reach out and try to touch the hopper using hearing alone to identify
when she is near. It's even more fun if you play the blind croc as kids love to get one
over on mom or dad. Don't forget lot's of tickles if you catch a kid.

A few notes of caution. Safety conscious parents shouldn't leave their children unattended during this game. Speaking
from personal experience, kids will find and use just about anything to traverse the lava including bookshelves which
can tip over on the child. Set firm boundaries about what is and isn't ok to use. The love seat is fine but the
glass-topped coffee table is off-limits. If you have hardwood or tiled floors, avoid using hand towels or pillow cases to
improvise islands. These can slip out from under your child when he leaps to them resulting in a potentially painful or
injurious fall. Bath mats and throw rugs with non-skid bottoms should be ok but use your best judgment in deciding if
they are safe.

This mini-adventure costs you nothing but time and creativity. It's the beauty of a child's mind that allows a slight push
in the right direction to result in what (to your child) is a legitimate adventure filled with laughter, squeals of delight and
smiles for everybody. A nice prize at the end such as a toy "escape" helicopter held in reserve for just such an
occasion or some "lava" (tomato) soup and grilled cheese sandwiches or warm croc poop (chocolate chip) cookies
serves as a nice topper to a fun afternoon salvaged from a dismal rainy day.