We know Leap Year happens every four years, but what is the purpose? We’re breaking it down for you, and sharing 29 ways to celebrate Leap Day with kids!
What & Why?
In simple terms, a Leap Year is when an extra day, February 29th, is added to the calendar year to keep our seasons aligned. We’re New Englanders, of course we love our four seasons and don’t want them to fall off track. The reason for the seasons is Leap Year – so let’s celebrate and make the most of this extra day!
Celebrate!
- Leap into a new book and visit your local library! Browse their selection for Leap Day (or frog themed) books or use this list as inspiration to place a hold on titles you want to bring home to read.
- Create a family time capsule with this template and put it in a safe place to open next Leap Year – 2028!
- Grab what is left of last year’s chalk and create a bunch of hopscotch in the driveway for some hopping fun. Do your kids like a challenge? Have them write the hopscotch numbers counting by 2s or 4s!
- Hop on over to Grey Sail Brewing for $5 house drafts 3-8pm and Bingo beginning at 6pm!
- Leap into Legos at Providence Brick Exchange during their BOGO sale now thru 2/29!
- Use the extra day to do something good:
- Collect outgrown or unworn clothing items to donate.
- Make birthday cards for your local nursing home.
- Drop off canned goods to your local food pantry.
- Visit your local park, with gloves, and pick up litter.
- Donate books your family no longer uses.
- Book your next birthday party with the help of Shark Bay Play offering $29 off all birthday packages booked by 2/29.
- While you’re booking, take a dive over to Great Wolf Lodge website to book your next stay at $29/person using the promo code LEAP.
- Take a leap and make a splash! Visit McDermott Pool in Warwick or Tootell Acquatic Center in Kingston during their open family swim times.
- Looking to stay on land? Get hopping at one Rhode Island’s trampoline parks – Aero, Launch or Sky Zone.
- Play jump rope.
- No cooking or dishes? Toad-ally awesome! Check out Mews Tavern 4x$4 deals beginning at 2:29pm.
- Leap into a 2/$29 lobster deal at Legal Seafoods.
- Go on a post-dinner walk but hop like a frog the whole way!
- This is for our Leaplings, those whose birthdays fall on 2/29, visit Build-A-Bear Workshop with birth date verification and receive a $4 Birthday Treat Bear.
- We’re going on a … frog hunt! Add some miniature frogs to your Amazon order and hide them for the kids to find. Bonus: opt for glow in the dark frogs and hide at night to get out those last wiggles before bedtime.
- Bake cupcakes in honor of those celebrating Leap Day Birthdays – Leaplings!
- An extra day to do EXTRA for yourself! Stop by your favorite coffee shop for that fancy coffee, take the long way home, add your favorite ‘saved item’ to cart and click order, sleep in an extra 10 minutes – do whatever extra looks like for you!
- Take a leap of faith and try something new as a family – recipe, show or walking trail.
- Make plans to leap into the sky at Tree Top or Tree Trails adventure rope courses this spring or summer.
- Play leapfrog! Yes parents, this includes you, too!
- Donate $29 to a charity close to your heart in honor of the 29th day of February.
- Learn something new as a family: Origami – Jumping Frog
- Use this extra day on 2/29 to schedule family time each month on your calendar for the rest of the year!
However you spend your extra day this Leap Year, I hope you have a frogtastic time!
