system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Where does "The Floor is Lava!" come from, and how did everyone invent it as a kid?

Idk about you guys, but I definitely played the game "The Floor is Lava" as a wee kid. Not only that, but being that young, I'm pretty sure I invented the game myself.

The weird part is, there are a lot of people I know who played the same game, and invented it themselves as well. How the heck does a game like that get independently mass-invented?
gpt
You didn't invent it yourself.  :-)  Most kids get it from other kids and it's passed down in grade school.  A younger kid might see their older sibling playing it or an only child will see their friends or neighbors their age playing a similar game.  "Don't step on a crack or you'll break your mother's back!" is very similar.   Since lava is cool (hot molten rocks!) to well...most sane people but especially little kids, pretending your floor is something neat rather than the boring carpet your parents are thinking of replacing is just fun.