Celebrate Frog Jumping Day Every May 13

• By NSC
• 2 Comments.

 

 

If it’s May 13 we must wish you a Happy Frog Jumping Day!

Yes, really. There’s a day dedicated to jumping frogs.

Why? Because we can.

So apparently this day celebrates a Mark Twain short story, Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog … Or maybe it’s the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County … No, wait. The story’s called The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

Actually, all three are correct titles for the same Mark Twain story, first published under the first title in 1865. He later republished it under the other titles.

Why? No clue!

At any rate, the story’s about two men betting on whose pet frog can jump higher.

And there is actually a frog jumping contest in Calaveras County, California. It started in 1849. Since that’s before Mark Twain wrote his story, we’re guessing he used that contest for inspiration.

The Jumping Frog Jubilee is part of the Calaveras County Fair, held the third weekend in May.

And now we celebrate May 13 as Frog Jumping Day, all around the country. Not just in Calaveras County.

Apparently there’s also an international frog jumping celebration, held in February.

 

Did You Know?

The frog jumping record is 21 feet, 5-3/4 inches, set by Rosie the Ribeter in 1986.

Wait. There’s a frog jumping record?! … I’m not sure why I’m even surprised. ;)

Modern frogs can jump far because they have short bodies and long legs, along with modified hip bones. Early frogs had longer bodies and short legs. They did better walking than jumping.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficially hoppy holiday.

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Ideas For Celebrating Frog Jump Day

If you have a frog and there’s a frog jumping contest near you, enter it!

If not, well, there’s certainly other ways to celebrate. You just need to be a little more creative.

Of course, you could always go get your first pet frog. You’ll just need a habitat and a few supplies to get started. The kind of habitat you set up will depend on the kind of frog you get! Learn more about frog housing here.

You could even get tadpoles instead, and watch them grow into frogs. Of course, if you do that on Frog Jumping Day, you’ll have to wait until next year to see them jump!

What else can you do?

Read the Mark Twain short story, under any of its names.

If you have kids, have your own jumping contest. See who can:

• Do the best frog jump imitation
• Jump the farthest
• Jump the highest

 

Remember to have prizes for each contest!

Play with toy jumping frogs. Make up your own games, or get the Kid O Frogs and Lilypad Jumping Game.

If your kids love real frogs, they’ll love this book of up-close pictures. But it’s more than a picture book; it teaches about frogs too.

Will you be celebrating Frog Jumping Day this year?

 

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