Have you ever had a stroke of brilliance that you completely forgot about? That would be me! One of my New Year’s resolutions has been to completely organize every room in my house and I’m almost finished except for the Garage of Doom. During said purging, I encountered a time capsule that my family pulled together last leap year to be opened February 29, 2016. The kids are so excited to see what we saved for our future selves!
Here are some ideas for celebrating leap day on February 29, 2016.
How to explain Leap Year to kids
A leap year is a year that has one extra day in it. Most years have 365 days, but a leap year has 366 days and occurs roughly every four years. The extra day is added onto the end of the shortest month so February has 29 days (instead of its usual 28 days). F Why? A year is defined as the time it takes for the earth to orbit around the sun once. It takes the Earth about 365 1/4 days to make one entire orbit around the sun (a day is one rotation around the Earth’s axis). By adding one extra day about every four years, the Earth is in the same point of its orbit at the same time of the calendar year each year.
Activities
- Time Capsule. Make a time capsule to open February 29, 2020. Include items that are an important part of your life now, such as favorite activities, your favorite subject, best friend, favorite foods, as well as “What do you want to be when you grow up and why?” Have your kids write a letter to their future selves about where they hope they’ll be four years from now.
- Play leap frog. If you’ve forgotten how, your childhood is officially over.
- Since Leap Day rarely happens, take the opportunity to go on a field trip or try something you rarely do.
- Help the frog find the flies in this frog maze printable.
- Start a game of Lily Pad Hop.
- Make yummy frog-inspired leap treats such as cupcakes frosted with green frosting with different jellybeans and decorations to make frog faces and red shoestring licorice for the tongues.
- DIY this frog origami.
- Learn about animals that that leap, jump, or pounce.
- Pin the Crown on the Frog– Here’s a poster you can print out on 4 sheets of paper, glue on a green posterboard and laminate, or simply tape together for an easy and fun game!
- Make a “Frog’s Eye” salad.
- Set up your own modified long jump event.
- Learn some fun leap year trivia.
Author: Amber Johnson
Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.
