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Celebrate Leap Day!

February 23, 2024

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The length of one year marks the time it takes for the Earth to travel around the sun – 365 days.

Well, not quite. It’s actually approximately 365 days and six hours per orbit, which is why we have leap years. The extra day, which is February 29 every four years, helps keep our calendar consistent. A six-hour difference may not seem like much, but it really adds up over the course of a few hundred years!

Here are some ways that you can celebrate Leap Day with the children in your care.

Get Moving

Think of all the ways in which you can leap. Children can play a game of leapfrog, or you can hold a contest to see who can leap the furthest.

What kinds of animals leap? They can pretend to be a frog, kangaroo, grasshopper, or other creature that likes to jump around. Setting up some hopscotch or jumping rope can also be great ways to be active on Leap Day.

Get Crafting

Frogs are a common motif of Leap Day. Teach children how to make their own frog puppet using a white paper bag.

Let the children color the bag completely green, except for the area under where the bottom of the bag is folded over. Have them color that area pink. Using white card stock, cut out two circles for the eyes and have kids color in the pupils. You can also cut out some smaller circles in white or green to make the frog speckled.

Lay the bag out so the folded bottom is facing upwards and glue the two eyes at the top. Add some small pink circles for cheeks and a long strip of pink paper for a tongue on the inside of the fold.

Let the kids finish decorating their frog, and then they can put their hand through the opening of the bag to operate their puppet!

frog puppet

Get Cooking

Try out this #CACFPCreditable recipe for an adorable twist on avocado toast.

  1. Toast ½ oz eq. of whole grain bread, then mash and spread ½ cup of avocado on top of the slices.
  2. Use sliced cucumbers for eyes and a long slice of chive for a smile.
  3. Add some raspberries for the cheeks and blueberries for the pupils of the eyes.

Kids can assemble this themselves for some added fun! It’s perfect for a snack, or add ¾ cup of milk for a creditable breakfast for ages 3-5.

 

Get Cozy and Read

  • It’s My Birthday…Finally! A Leap Year Story by Michelle Whitaker Winfrey
  • The Leap Year Turtle by Robert Paske
  • Leap’s Day by Stephanie Bee Simmons
  • Leap! By JonArno Lawson
  • Little Green Frog by Ginger Swift