Celebrate Leap Day With Your Kids in the Capital District
Leap Day is an absolute Unicorn. No matter how well you understand the mathematical reasoning behind its existence, there is something magical about getting an entire EXTRA day on the calendar. It's like a solar eclipse or Platform 9 3/4. It's really pretty amazing. Historically, people celebrated Leap Day (or the entire year) with traditions that emphasize the topsy-turvy. In Denmark, women were encouraged to propose marriage. If they were refused the gentleman was required to buy her 12 new pairs of gloves (to hide her bare ring finger). In another tradition, girls plant young birch trees outside of their crush's back door the night before May Day when typically this was something the boys did. Americans are much more literal when it comes to Leap Day and tend to embrace leaping, jumping, hopping, and bouncing our way through the day. We've taken a global approach to Leap Day and have created a few fun ideas that combine the Topsy-Turvy AND Literally Leaping traditions. Happy February 29th!
Thought-Filled Ways to Celebrate Leap Day
Create a time capsule to be opened on the next Leap Day. Include a family photo that will be fun to compare with the future versions of You.
Have each person write a letter to their future selves which they can respond to the next Leap Day.
Write letters to each other. How funny to read what your 8-year-old wrote to you now that they are on the brink of the -years!
Create life-sized cutouts of your kids to treasure when they're not so small anymore. Lie your kids down on un-rolled kraft paper, trace them, cut them out, let your kids decorate themselves, roll them up, put them somewhere safe, and wait four years. Everybody will love this.
Have each person create a self portrait.
Have each person write an essay: In 4 Years I Will Be...
Topsy-Turvy Ideas For Leap Day 
Let your kids choose YOUR outfit for the day.
Go to bed when your kiddos tell you to, but, they have to tell you a bed time story first.
Have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. At lunch time, have cake!
Wear Halloween costumes and run errands together.
Read a book from back to front.
Swap names with each other.
Get in the car and have your kids direct you, turn by turn, and see where you end up.
Instead of saying, "Please" and, "Thank You," say something else like, "Happy New Year" and, "Pass the Pickles."
Literally Leaping For Leap Day
No walking: only skipping, hopping, or bounding.
Indulge in a game of leap frog.
Slow-motion leap by climbing stairs two at a time.
Create an obstacle course that requires everyone to leap over various household objects. Bonus points for setting it up so that no one can get to the kitchen or bathrooms without leaping over several obstacles all day long.
Supervised jumping on the bed.
Supply your family with Hippity Hops and unleash the fun.