January may have felt like it was 85 days long, but guess what…we have an extra day in February too! We only have February 29, or Leap Day, every four years. Why? The calendar needs an extra day to align with Earth’s rotation around the sun. Without this extra day, we’d lose approximately five hours of time.
What are you going to do to celebrate this extra day? Here are some suggestions:
1. Challenge your kids to gather 29 toys or items for donation.
2. Write a letter to yourself and open it on February 29, 2024!
3. Do you know someone born on February 29 (shout out to my Grandpa Bonjour)? Wish them a happy birthday on their actual birthday! People born on Leap Day are called “leaplings” or “leapers.”
4. Count 29 pencils, markers, or crayons.
5. Learn about the Presidential Election or the Summer Olympics. These are events that only occur when we have a Leap Year.
6. Make that recipe that you’ve been wanting to make for years. Bonus points if your kids can help you.
7. Spend some time jumping outside or at a trampoline park!
8. Make a time capsule and open it on February 29 in 2024, 2032, or 2036.
9. Practice writing your name 29 times.
10. Make frog origami.
11. Hide toy frogs (or other things that jump) and have a scavenger hunt to find them.
12. Take a picture of your family jumping and leaping! Bonus points for strange places.
13. Learn 29 new facts.
14. Organize a number scavenger hunt, but only use numbers that are divisible by 4.
15. Start, and maybe finish, that book you wanted to read in 2019.
16. Organize your junk drawer.
17. Play leap frog.
18. Calculate your age in leap years. If you’re 24, you’d celebrate your 6th birthday.
19. Create a fun dance party play list using songs that make you want to “jump.”
20. Enjoy extra self care. Write in your journal, take an extra yoga class, sleep in, or hang out with friends.
21. Host a jumping contest. Who can jump the highest?
22. Tackle a spring cleaning project early. Organize your junk drawer, your closet, or the toys!
23. Consider donating 29 items or $29 to a good cause, like the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.
24. Sing “Mmm Ahh Went the Little Green Frog.”
25. Enjoy a Ring Pop. In some European countries, it’s a tradition that women can propose to men on Leap Year Day.
26. Play math games. The Leap Year system is entirely based on math and numbers.
27. Read 29 stories, or your favorite story 4 times!
28. Play jump rope.
29. Calculate how old you or your kids will be in 2024, 2032, and 2036!
So, how will you celebrate February 29? If you’re looking for another fun activity, attend our Leap (Frog) Into Leap Year event on February 28, from 1-4 pm. Kids of all ages can participate in some froggy activities, crafts, and jumping games to get their bodies moving and celebrate the extra day we have this year!