Every four years we get an extra day added to the calendar — Feb. 29. This year, it’s a Monday. This day is not always on our calendar, and it could be considered extra time, or a gift of time.
Before this day is filled with normal routines, it’s fun to consider that we could take a small “leap” and do something out of the ordinary. We still have responsibilities — work, school, homework — but in order to enjoy this gift of time, we can step outside of our routine for a few hours. Here are 10 ideas to help you get started — use one or two, or think of your own.
Outdoor adventure. It’s February, and a lot of places are still cold and dark by 4:30 pm. It’s not always easy to squeeze an outdoor adventure into the afternoon. Between getting home from school, snacks, and unpacking bags, we run out of time quickly. Leap day could be the day that the adventure is made a priority. It’s a special day. Head outside for an hour or two in the afternoon. Explore your neighborhood. Look at what bugs you can find. Climb trees. Sled down your favorite local hill. Then go inside and have hot chocolate afterward.
Craft day. My kids love it when they wake up in the morning, or come home from school, to find what we call “the art sheet” on the floor. We put our kid-size table on top of the sheet and break out the craft supplies. Colored paper, scissors, glue, glitter, pipe cleaners, hole punchers …anything that we have comes out on craft day. The table is left out for most of the day, and they can come and go as they please. We listen to music and talk, take breaks for food, and at the end of the day, they are proud of what they’ve created. And the time we’ve spent together is well worth the mess.
Nesting. Do you have a pile of children’s artwork that you’ve been meaning to display? Any photos in the house need updating? Does your furniture arrangement drive you from the room? One idea for leap day is to take on a small project in the house. Get the kids involved, and see if you can make choosing new photos or hanging artwork an event. Ask them where they would put the sofa and see what happens.
Cook with the kids. A lot of kids probably don’t get to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen. Between school, homework, and extracurricular activities, kids are just as busy as parents with 10- to 12-hour days. Leap day can be special by baking or cooking together. Invite your young chef to learn how to make his or her favorite meal and enjoy some quality time together.
Eat new foods. If your kids are a little bit older, or have an adventurous palette at any age, this could be a fun day to try a new ethnic meal. See what you can find in your community for a meal experience you or the kids have never had before. Try Ethiopian, Indian, French, or Hawaiian. Ask lots of questions, and enjoy your time together.
Museum stop. Does your community have a museum that caters to kids? Or do you have an older child interested in art? This could be the day to incorporate a special outing to a museum or an art gallery. See what’s in your community that you can go and explore and share with your kids that offers an experience of culture and learning that is outside of their daily norm.
Return to an old stomping ground. This can be especially fun if you’ve lived in the same city for a long time, but moved to a new neighborhood or your kids have switched school. Visit a place that you’ve been before but rarely go back to — a playground with a great swing set, a walk down a favorite street, a church you used to go to, or even the kids’ section of the library. Choose a place that you feel good about visiting and are eager to return to.
Start a new routine. Is there anything that you, or your family as a whole, committed to establishing or starting at the start of the New Year, and now has fizzled out? Use Feb. 29 as your chance to reassess and recommit. If you decided to take a walk after dinner five nights a week and are having a hard time sticking to that, recommit to three nights a week. Wanted to start a family journal but never made it to the store? Hop online Feb. 29 and order a pretty blank book that each member of your family can write in to capture memories and special family stories.
Which of these ideas sound good to you? Or what have you come up with on your own? Any of these suggestions can be combined with special treats or snacks (think hot cocoa and popcorn for the kiddos, lattes or tea for mom and dad), gadget free time, or getting together with another family. Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your gift of extra time — it won’t “leap” back around for another four years.
Sara Marchessault is a writer and coach. Her work helps clients to more fully experience joy in their daily life. Marchessault is an avid diarist and keeper of her family’s stories. Learn more about her work at saram
