Hot Lava (game)
Encyclopedia
The Floor is Lava is a game for small children, in which the players imagine that the floor or ground is made of lava
, or variably as any other unsavory substance, such as acid
or quicksand
, and thus avoid touching the ground lest they get burned or otherwise injured. The players stay off of the floor by standing on furniture
or the room's architecture
. The players generally do not remain still, moving from one piece of furniture to the next. The game can be played with a group or alone for self amusement. There may even be a goal, to which the players must race. The game may also be played outdoors in playgrounds or similar areas. Players can also set up obstacles to make the game more challenging. This is a variation of an obstacle course.
Typically, any individual can start the game just by shouting "The floor is lava!". Any player remaining on the floor in the next few seconds is "out" and can not rejoin the game for some period of time. This game has become increasingly popular among older children and teens in the past few years.
There often are tasks and/or items/places that can "regenerate" lost body parts/health. Depending on the players, these could be embarrassing tasks, or simple things like finding a particular person.
The concept of deadly lava, which must be avoided, is also a common feature in video games.
The game was referenced in The Simpsons
episode "Catch 'Em if You Can
", in which Homer Simpson
exclaims that "...the floor is made of lava!"
Another reference to "Hot Lava" was in Family Guy
when the nudist family's son comes over to the Griffins' house and when he leaves Peter places coaster
s and says, "don't touch the hot lava, the carpet is hot lava."
The hot lava game was referenced on Comedy Central Presents
Episode 23 in season 7 by comedian Daniel Tosh
. Tosh stated that it didn't matter what form of the game you played, (lava, acid, quicksand, etc.), resorting to playing said game meant one thing; "You were poor."
A variation of the theme was used in Roald Dahl's
short story "The Wish".
On the television show, Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, Jake instigates a game of The Floor Is Lava that becomes reality due to Jake's powerful imagination.
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
, or variably as any other unsavory substance, such as acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
or quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular matter , clay, and water.Water circulation underground can focus in an area with the optimal mixture of fine sands and other materials such as clay. The water moves up and then down slowly in a convection-like manner throughout a column...
, and thus avoid touching the ground lest they get burned or otherwise injured. The players stay off of the floor by standing on furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
or the room's architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. The players generally do not remain still, moving from one piece of furniture to the next. The game can be played with a group or alone for self amusement. There may even be a goal, to which the players must race. The game may also be played outdoors in playgrounds or similar areas. Players can also set up obstacles to make the game more challenging. This is a variation of an obstacle course.
Typically, any individual can start the game just by shouting "The floor is lava!". Any player remaining on the floor in the next few seconds is "out" and can not rejoin the game for some period of time. This game has become increasingly popular among older children and teens in the past few years.
There often are tasks and/or items/places that can "regenerate" lost body parts/health. Depending on the players, these could be embarrassing tasks, or simple things like finding a particular person.
The concept of deadly lava, which must be avoided, is also a common feature in video games.
The game was referenced in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Catch 'Em if You Can
Catch 'Em If You Can
"Catch 'Em If You Can" is the 18th episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season, first broadcast on April 25, 2004.-Plot:Bart lectures the other students on the bus on the topic of water balloons. After hitting Lisa with one he fights with her all the way home. Marge stops them and tells the pair that...
", in which Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
exclaims that "...the floor is made of lava!"
Another reference to "Hot Lava" was in Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
when the nudist family's son comes over to the Griffins' house and when he leaves Peter places coaster
Coaster
Coaster or Coasters may refer to:* A beverage coaster on which to rest glasses of beverage* A Furniture coaster Which stops wheeled furniture moving* Coaster , a regional rail service in San Diego County, California...
s and says, "don't touch the hot lava, the carpet is hot lava."
The hot lava game was referenced on Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents is a half-hour long stand-up show that features various stand-up comedians in each episode.-DVDs:Starting in 2008, Comedy Central started releasing "Best of" compilation DVDs, with uncensored audio...
Episode 23 in season 7 by comedian Daniel Tosh
Daniel Tosh
Daniel Dwight Tosh is an American stand-up comedian and host of the Comedy Central television show, Tosh.0.-Personal life:...
. Tosh stated that it didn't matter what form of the game you played, (lava, acid, quicksand, etc.), resorting to playing said game meant one thing; "You were poor."
A variation of the theme was used in Roald Dahl's
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
short story "The Wish".
On the television show, Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, Jake instigates a game of The Floor Is Lava that becomes reality due to Jake's powerful imagination.