Last fall, a speaker at a mom’s group I’m in threw out the idea of doing a Leap Day Box with our kids this year. I wrote it down and thought “there is no way I’m going to actually remember to do this on February 29th”. Guess what? We’re a couple of days away and I’m actually remembering! Better yet, I’m sharing the idea with you two days before Leap Day so that you can do one too! After all, you won’t have a chance again for another 4 years…
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This is our Leap Day Box – freshly spray painted. You really could use any type of sturdy container for the box, but I chose to repurpose a cookie tin!
What Goes In It:
A snapshot of your kids, pets, your house maybe, anything at all! Let the kids help direct the project, that makes it more fun for them.
A receipt from the day. (Here’s hoping we’re pulling these boxes out on the next Leap Day and being horrified that gas was this much money, instead of pulling it out and wishing it was still under $4 a gallon.)
I’m going to have the boys each draw a self-portrait to put in the box.
Ask your kids a series of questions and record their answers for the box. I’m going to ask things like: favorite color, best friend, favorite book, favorite food, what they want to be when they grow up, etc. For Lily I’ll just write down some fun things she loves (like turning off the TV on her brothers).
What next?
After you’ve got your stuff in the box, put it on a shelf somewhere. In 4 years, when the next Leap Day comes around, pull the box out! Your family will have a ball looking at the stuff from this year and laughing at some of the answers and drawings. Then, do all of  the same stuff again and add it to the box!
With the current age of my kids, I figure I’ll get to do this for the next 4 Leap Years (at least with Lily)! What a fun, family time capsule of sorts.
So, who is going to join us in making a Leap Day Box?
That same mom’s group speaker just posted about the Leap Day Box and some other fun things you can do with your kids on Leap Day! Check it out at:Â http://www.kcedventures.com/celebrate-leap-day-2012
So fun! I think I will do this with my girls who are 6 and 3. The oldest is interested in the day of the year that doesn’t occur every year…haha so she will think it’s fun. Thanks for the idea!
I love this idea! Now I have to find a box…
Great idea! My homeschoolers are 9 and 11 but we were just reading about a time capsule the other day and they thought it was pretty cool. Only this way, it’s not many, many years, just 4!
You know, it might be interesting to even do it as an adult – write down the decisions you’re agonizing about, what you think you might be doing in 4 years, what your favorite food is currently. Then in 4 years check and see what completely unforeseen roads you have taken…
Oh, and what goes around, comes around…I remember the boys turning the tv off when I was watching it. lol!
That’s so true, Mom! I should have Nick and I answer some questions too!
And yeah, I definitely giggle every time they all yell “LILY!” because I did that for many, many months with them 🙂
This is a really cute idea Helen! I’m gonna try to do this with Maddie tomorrow!
What? Painting the tin? You mean you didnt want your leap year box to say “Happy Valentine’s Day!”. 😉
Ha! I didn’t, but the boys kind of did 😉
Thank you so much for this idea, Helen! We made a Leap Day “scrapbook”, with a picture, self-portrait, and an “interview” with the girls. I am also going to write down our schedule from yesterday. I wrote about it on the blog today. 🙂
Awesome, Mandy! Glad you had some fun with it! I’m already imagining what it’ll be like to open these in 4 years 🙂
Great idea!