When a date only comes around every four years, you’ve just got to celebrate it! February 29 is a great time for a Leap Day party!

Prepare your own “leaping” board game.

• Using a foam stamper and green poster paint, we placed 29 lily pads on a large sheet of paper. If you can’t find a lily pad stamper you can cut one out of a potato or dense sponge, or you could use paper cut-outs in lily pad shapes and glue them to your game board. You can find more lily pad ideas on Pinterest.
• Make a game path by drawing a dotted line with a marker, then number the lily pads in order from 1 (start) to 29 (finish.)
• Add interest to your board by writing additional instructions on several lily pads. Examples: Move forward two spaces. Jump back one. Don’t leap until you roll a four. Roll again. All other frogs leap forward one. Leap forward three spaces. Go back one space.
• Game pieces can be little toy frogs made of rubber or plastic, foam shapes or stickers.
• Players take turns rolling one die and moving along the path of lily pads.
• The first frog that leaps to the finish wins. All other players continue until everyone wins.

Make origami frogs and have hopping contests.

You can find many instruction videos online that teach how to fold origami frogs.

Have challenges to see which frog can hop the farthest, try to get your frog to jump into a target, or race the leaping frogs across the floor.

Play leaping games.

If it’s a nice day you can take your leap year party outdoors. Play can include Chinese jump rope, hopscotch, Skip-It, Pogo sticks, or hopping relays.

Make a frog craft.

Frog crafts are plentiful. Here’s one that uses a paper plate, construction paper and glue sticks. Cut a notch out of a green paper plate to make a lily pad. Trace your child’s hands for the frog’s feet.

Every day is worth celebrating. What will you do with your extra day this year?

This day belongs to the Lord! Let’s celebrate and be glad today.

Psalm 118:24 (CEV)