February 29, 2008 Is Leap Day!

15 Math & Science Activities and Fun Games to Celebrate this Special Day

A leap year only comes around every four years and is a year with one extra day inserted into February. In a leap year, the calendar has 366 days with 29 days in February, not 28 days.

Start the day with a trip back in time to 46 B.C. to find out the confusing truth behind the origin of leap years.

For the first time in 28 years, this extra day falls on a Friday. Make the most of this year's bonus day with leaping fun math and science activities.

Math Rules for Leap Years

Which years are leap years? Here are three simple rules for determining the leap years.

Every year divisible by 4 is a leap year
But every year divisible by 100 is NOT a leap year
Unless the year is also divisible by 400, then it is still a leap year.

Students can listen to the podcast and test their leap-year math skills with this quiz from Scholastic Math magazine.

Leap-Year Math Quiz

List the next five leap years after 2008:
Sara was born in 1988. What was the first leap year during her lifetime?
Circle the years that were leap years: 1900, 1972, 1956, 1946, 1992, 1886, 1420, 1600
List the next five century leap years:
The day of the week that a date falls on usually skips forward one day the following year. January 1, 2007, was a Monday; January 1, 2008, was a Tuesday. But if there's a February 29 between the two dates, the day of the week "leaps" forward an extra day: January 1, 2009, will be on a Thursday (instead of Wednesday). On which day will January 1 fall in...

a. 2010?
b. 2013?

BONUS: A leap year occurs every four years. Based on that information, about how many hours longer than 365 days do you think it takes Earth to revolve around the sun?

The answers are here!

Frogs for a Day
Leap Day is the perfect time to study frogs, toads, and other animals that leap.

Jumpstart the day with this lesson plan All about Frogs. Students become familiar with all types of frogs and toads, how they develop, and how and where they survive.
Take your students on an expedition for brightly colored dart poison frogs of Central and South America.
Do you know how far frogs can jump? Are toads frogs? What's the world's largest frog? Your students can track down the answers to these Frog Fun Facts.
Sing along with a chorus of frogs from Madagascar.
Host a frog-jumping contest with paper frogs that also serve as an illustrative model for metamorphosis from polliwog to frog.
Take your students on a field trip to your local zoo or aquarium. Beginning on February 29, zoos and aquariums across the country will kick off a year-long effort to raise awareness about amphibian conservation.

Zoo and aquarium visitors can take part in a variety of Year of the Frog activities including leapfrog contests, frog calling, amphibian scavenger hunts, investigating salamander habitat, and close encounters with our colorful frog friends!
Nearly one-third of all amphibians on the planet are threatened with extinction. Students can find out what scientists are doing to save the Wyoming Toad, one of the most endangered amphibians in the world, and what they can do to prevent the extinction of other species.
Hop in and show support for frogs. Students can print out and wear this printable frog mask. Or, have them dress like a frog.
Visit the Year of the Frog Activities page for an Amphibian Facts Wheel in both English and Spanish, suggested games for a Frog Olympics, and more.

Answers to Scholastic Math quiz questions:

2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028
1988
1972, 1956, 1992, 1420,1600
2400, 2800, 3200, 3600, 4000
a. Friday b. Tuesday

BONUS: It takes about 365 days and 6 hours for Earth to revolve around the sun.

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