Written & storyboarded by Lamar Abrams & Charmaine Verhagen
Chaos explodes in the creek after Toman declares "The Ground Is Lava". Craig needs to go find Jessica who left earlier.
Tropes:
- Disney Villain Death: After Toman randomly declares The Ground Is Lava, he jumps off the jungle gym to his "death".
- The Ground Is Lava: Toman calls the eponymous game out of boredom, leaving almost all of the unprepared kids to the lava. On their quest to find Jessica, the Stump Trio walks on rocks and logs and at one point use their own shoes as stepping stones, while most of the other survivors use Tony Mozafari's treehouse as a safe space—before its floor breaks from overcapacity. Jessica can walk anywhere, though, as she's not playing.
- Identical Stranger: Of a sort. In the treehouse, Craig sees a Small Uncle toy being thrown around by the window, thinking it was Jessica's. Instead, it was Boris with his Big Uncle.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- J.P. uses his last remaining shoe as a stepping stone for Bobby to cross to the other side. But when J.P. tries to cross it, he ends up putting his foot in the shoe, which means he is now affected by the lava.
- When Jessica decides that pretending the ground is lava is fun, Craig jumps and pushes her away from the ground, landing on his back while holding Jessica up. Thankfully the dinner horn goes off just before they land, ending the game.
- Imagine Spot: The entire episode is essentially one big, long one. We see glimpses of some of the kids who fall victim to the lava in somewhat graphic detail, coupled with the reality that everyone is just fine.
- It Amused Me: Toman starts the game wanting a more thrilling event to sweep the Creek, not caring about the "safety" of the creek kids playing, and even jumps straight into the lava laughing.
- Lava Is Boiling Kool-Aid: The lava's viscosity is completely inconsistent because the whole thing is completely imaginary. Usually, kids sink in it, but all the objects they throw on it stay up and support their weight.
- Loophole Abuse: Kids are only considered to be "on" the lava when touching it with their body or an article of clothing they're wearing. Kelsey and J.P. exploit this by taking their shoes off to use as movable stepping stones, but this backfire when J.P. accidentally steps into his shoe instead of on it.
- No-Sell: At first, Jessica isn't affected by the lava, since she said she wasn't playing. When she begins having fun, she ends up in the game.
- Not the Fall That Kills You…: Falling into the "lava" doesn't hurt the kids in reality, even when it's from a height where the actual ground should. Toman in particular jumps off a jungle gym and lands on his back, but shows no sign of injury.
- Parting-Words Regret: As Craig and Kelsey are on the verge of being consumed by lava, he's quick to admit he regrets telling Jessica she was bad at character design.
- Puff of Logic: When the treehouse falls, Craig and Kelsey are saved when they fall on the trap door. But then Kelsey questions why the wooden door doesn't burn in lava, causing the wood to start burning.
- Serious Business: When the ground is lava, no one is safe from the terror.
- Shout-Out: As J.P. sinks into the lava, he gives a thumbs up.
