Leap Day Writing Prompts

1-2-3 Come Do Some Leap Day Activities With Me  

2016 is a leap year, and it falls on a Monday.  With that in mind, I designed some quick, easy & fun activities that your kiddos can do on leap day and still practice standards.

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, leap year craftsFirst up is a set of 60, Leap Day Number Puzzles, which sequence numbers from 1-10, count backwards from 10 to 1, as well as skip count by 2s, 3s, 5s & 10s.

There are over 60 in all. Some are vertical, while others are horizontal

Print, laminate & trim the full color options and use as an independent math center.  Use the black & white ones, so that students can color & cut up their own puzzle.

For an interesting “craftivity” have students glue their puzzle to a sheet of construction paper.

Remind them to leave a little bit of a gap between each numbered strip, to create an especially cool mosaic effect. Completed projects make a cute bulletin board.

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, leap year craftsTo mix math with literacy, have students choose either the horizontal or vertical writing prompt puzzle.

Children complete the “If I could do anything on leap day I would...” writing prompt, then cut and glue their “poster prompt” to a sheet of construction paper, creating the mosaic picture mentioned above.

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, leap year craftsBesides the full-size puzzles, I’ve also designed a set of “Happy Leap Day!” 4-on-a-page mini puzzles, as an inexpensive little surprise that you can give your students.

There are two picture options, plus one is horizontal, the other vertical.

Choose the number 1-10 puzzle for PK kiddos and use the skip counting by 10s to 100 for K-1st. 

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap day bookmarks, leap year activities, leap year craftsPrint, trim, and put in a Snack Baggie, then attach one of 3 “Happy Leap Day” header options.

The “headers” can also double as a bookmark.  

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day bookmarks, leap year bookmarks, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, leap year craftsSpeaking of bookmarks, I've also designed some that are a super-fun math “craftivity”.

The Leap Year Bookmark Mathtivity, a “growing” packet. So that you can continue to use it each leap year, I’ve included center bookmarks through the year 2028, and will continue to up-date.

Run off the middle bookmark section on a variety of colors of construction paper.  There are full-color as well as black and white "color me" picture options for the top and/or bottom of the bookmarks as well.

Have students analyze the list of leap year dates that are listed in that middle section. Do they see a mathematical pattern?

Using that data, ask them to venture a guess as to when they think the next leap year will be.

I’ve included necessary background information for you to use, as well as an answer key through the year 2400, should you want to do more math extensions and data analysis.     

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day bookmarks, leap year bookmarks, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, lleap day centers, leap day games, leap year craftsI designed The "Leapin' To 29" money-math game specifically for leap day, but you can really use it any other time as well.

The object of the game is to be the first one to spin all of the coins needed in your column, that will add up to 29.  The strategy comes in with the column children choose.

Students can play with a partner or in small groups of 3-5.  For more math practice, and a fun data analysis activity, I've included 2 graphing options

Another game that you can play on leap day is "Leapin' Lizards!", which reinforces telling time to the hour & half hour with Lizzy Lizard.  As with the game above, this is also suitable anytime, but especially cute for leap day.

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day bookmarks, leap year bookmarks, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, lleap day centers, leap day games, leap year craftsThe packet includes a large and small set of 48-traceable time cards + a blank set to make additional times, or program with whatever.

I’ve also included covers and blank clocks if you’d like to make an Itty Bitty Time-Telling booklet.

Children can play as a math center activity with a partner, or you can use this as a whole-group game in small groups of 3-5. 
The cards are also suitable for Memory Match and “I Have; Who Has?” Games.

There’s a blank-clock worksheet that you can use for an individual or whole-group assessment. Simply fill in the template with whatever times you want to practice/evaluate.

Leapin Nursery Rhymes, nursery rhyme posters, leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day bookmarks, leap year bookmarks, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, lleap day centers, leap day games, leap year craftsYou can also use the lizard clock like a flashcard. As a whole group game, show a time and have children raise their hand to tell you what time you’ve displayed.  The clock also words as a one-on-one, manipulative assessment tool

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a leap year theme.  It's a set of 5 Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme Posters that have to do with leaping and jumping. 

As a quick, easy & fun way to get the "wiggles" out, read them to your kiddos and have them leap and jump when that happens in the rhyme. 

leap day activities, leap day puzzles, leap day bookmarks, leap year bookmarks, leap day games, leap day crafts, leap day writing prompts, leap year activities, leap day centers, leap day games, leap year craftsWell that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. We are having a flurry of winter weather right now, and it's snowing to beat the band outside my window.

So much for spring coming early! You just can't depend on those groundhog prognosticators!

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it." ~Patrick Young

Leap Day Table Top Activities To Help You Have A "Hoppy" Leap Day!

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leap year lessons, lessons for leap year, ideas for leap year, activities for leap year, lessons for the classroom for leap year, leap day lessons, leap day ideas, leap day activities, leap day certificates, leap day games, leap day songs, leap day centers, leap day booklet, animals that leap, leap day crafts, leap day art project, kangaroo activities, kangaroo ideas, kangaroo lessons, frog activities, frog lessons, leap day word find, leap day maze, leap day worksheets, leap day maze, leap day patterns, Students would then Leap on over to another classroom for whatever time you deemed appropriate, to do that activity and continue leaping until they had visited each teacher and done however many activities your grade level had planned.

I made an entire packet of table top lessons to choose from, for some quickie morning activities that include a maze, pinch & poke, bingo dot, word find, what letter or number comes next, pattern pages, similarities and differences etc.

You can make these into “Ready-Set-Leap into action!” timed activities, or give them a specific amount of time to complete whatever packet you decide to make for them.

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Students can keep all of their papers organized by tucking them into the Mama Kangaroo pouch that they made out of a paper plate.

leap year lessons, lessons for leap year, ideas for leap year, activities for leap year, lessons for the classroom for leap year, leap day lessons, leap day ideas, leap day activities, leap day certificates, leap day games, leap day songs, leap day centers, leap day booklet, animals that leap, leap day crafts, leap day art project, kangaroo activities, kangaroo ideas, kangaroo lessons, frog activities, frog lessons, leap day word find, leap day maze, leap day worksheets, leap day maze, leap day patterns, Click on the link to view/download Leap Day Table Top Lessons.

Help eliminate the wiggles by acting out a few nursery rhymes that have leaping and jumping in them like Jack Be Nimble.

Click on the link to view/download Leapin’ Nursery Rhymes for Leap Day.

leap year lessons, lessons for leap year, ideas for leap year, activities for leap year, lessons for the classroom for leap year, leap day lessons, leap day ideas, leap day activities, leap day certificates, leap day games, leap day songs, leap day centers, leap day booklet, animals that leap, leap day crafts, leap day art project, kangaroo activities, kangaroo ideas, kangaroo lessons, frog activities, frog lessons, leap day word find, leap day maze, leap day worksheets, leap day maze, leap day patterns, Sing the Leap Day Song, to the tune of Bingo, to help review the concept of subtraction, and reinforce a clapping pattern.

Since Leap Day was added on, to keep the seasons on course, you might also want to do a writing extension and make the class book Our Favorite Seasons, which also includes a graphing extension.

leap year lessons, lessons for leap year, ideas for leap year, activities for leap year, lessons for the classroom for leap year, leap day lessons, leap day ideas, leap day activities, leap day certificates, leap day games, leap day songs, leap day centers, leap day booklet, animals that leap, leap day crafts, leap day art project, kangaroo activities, kangaroo ideas, kangaroo lessons, frog activities, frog lessons, leap day word find, leap day maze, leap day worksheets, leap day maze, leap day patterns, Click on the link to view/download Our Favorite Seasons class book, perfect for Leap Day.

leap year lessons, lessons for leap year, ideas for leap year, activities for leap year, lessons for the classroom for leap year, leap day lessons, leap day ideas, leap day activities, leap day certificates, leap day games, leap day songs, leap day centers, leap day booklet, animals that leap, leap day crafts, leap day art project, kangaroo activities, kangaroo ideas, kangaroo lessons, frog activities, frog lessons, leap day word find, leap day maze, leap day worksheets, leap day maze, leap day patterns, Another season-related activity is the easy reader: Seasons Outside My Window, which includes an art activity + several skill sheets. Click on the link to view/download this Leap Day activity.

leap year lessons, lessons for leap year, ideas for leap year, activities for leap year, lessons for the classroom for leap year, leap day lessons, leap day ideas, leap day activities, leap day certificates, leap day games, leap day songs, leap day centers, leap day booklet, animals that leap, leap day crafts, leap day art project, kangaroo activities, kangaroo ideas, kangaroo lessons, frog activities, frog lessons, leap day word find, leap day maze, leap day worksheets, leap day maze, leap day patterns, Read my version of There Was An Old Lady. It's a cute mystery with a fun ending that reviews the months, and includes the 30 Days Hath September Poem. 

Students will enjoy “feeding” her the various months and pictures that match them.

Click on the link to view/download this hands-on story appropriate for Leap Day.

leap year lessons, lessons for leap year, ideas for leap year, activities for leap year, lessons for the classroom for leap year, leap day lessons, leap day ideas, leap day activities, leap day certificates, leap day games, leap day songs, leap day centers, leap day booklet, animals that leap, leap day crafts, leap day art project, kangaroo activities, kangaroo ideas, kangaroo lessons, frog activities, frog lessons, leap day word find, leap day maze, leap day worksheets, leap day maze, leap day patterns, Movin' Through The Months is also a wonderful whole-group activity that culminates with a great class book that reinforces the months and also includes the 30 Days Hath September Poem.

This is a photograph of the bulletin board I made when we completed our book. As you can see we did lots of math extensions too.

Make your own, or print off mine to read to your students.

Click on the link to view/download this story that makes a nice review of the months for Leap Day.

http://www.teachwithme.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=850&category_id=28&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=90End your Leap Day lessons by giving everyone a certificate of praise, which is also included in the Leap Day packet.

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate Leap Day, I hope you have a hoppin’ good time!

Scroll down for more articles on Leap Day and be sure and pop back tomorrow for my 6th and last Leap Day one.