How to create a time capsule for your children
A time capsule is definitely a unique gift you can give your children on a special occasion. Turning 18, Graduation Day, or going off to college are important milestones in your child’s life that you can beautifully mark by giving them a present that was years in the making: a time capsule that captures glimpses of their life, of your family’s life while they were growing up.
When is the best time to start a time capsule?
We have selected a few moments that we consider are best for creating a time capsule for your child:
Finding out you are pregnant
Why is it a great time to start a time capsule?
One of the most beautiful moments in a couple’s lives.
What to include?
- Sonograms you’ve collected during the pregnancy.
- Candid shots of you and your significant other during the nine months.
- Pictures from family gathering during this time: Thanksgiving photos with the future grandparents, and future mom and dad’s birthday party photos.
- Most important: A letter from you, the about to be parents, to the child
- Any small item that is of significance to you or your partner: For example a beautiful rose you’ve received during this time that you’ve dried out.
Child’s first few years of life
Why is it a great time to start a time capsule?
Most people don’t remember vividly this time in their lives, so it will be meaningful for your child to get a glimpse into a long forgotten time of their lives.
What to include?
- Your child’s favourite toy growing up
- Pictures of your young family, again candid shots are the best
- Include pictures of important milestones: the day the baby said their first words, or the day the baby took their first steps or pictures of celebrating their first birthday, first day at kindergarten, first photos taken with the class
- A drawing make by your young child
- Most important: A letter from you, their parents, to the teenage child
First time together with your child on holiday
Why is it a great time to start a time capsule?
It’s a truly special moment in your family’s life, it’s no longer just you two enjoying a romantic foreign escapade, now it’s a new adventure with your toddler. The feeling you’ll have building together that first sand castle, is heart warming and magical for every new parent.
What to include?
- Pictures of your young family, again candid shots are the best..remember, candid, candid, candid!
- Plane tickets
- Receipts you’ve got while travelling, if you are going by car
- Hotel reservations
- Most important: A letter from you, their parents, to the teenage child
- A postcard, what better way to mark the occasion than a postcard?
Nowadays there are even online services that help you create a time capsule postcard online. Platforms like Future-Posts.com allow you to write a message to your future selves and upload two personal pictures — one for the front of the postcard in landscape format, and the other for the back, alongside your message. This is an all in one integrated time capsule platform that lets you choose a future delivery date ranging from as soon as three months in the future to as far as ten years down the road. That means that the postcard you made digitally will reach your home address as a physical postcard at your set future date, a hassle free time capsule! Consider giving FuturePosts a go if you want a unique gift and include it in your holiday checklist!
First day of school
Why is it a great time to start a time capsule?
Another hugely important moment in a child’s life has to be the first day at school. Being on their own for the first time and entering a collectivity of children marks the beginning of really growing up.
What to include?
- First notebook: that timid calligraphy is meant to be a keepsake
- Pictures of the child with their peers, with the school teachers, and of course pictures of all of your family together. Hope you didn’t forget: candid is a must.
- First homework: we know that this is not happening on the first day of school, but consider including something like one of your child’s short story compositions in your time capsule. It will surely make them laugh when they are older.
- Most important: A letter from you, their parents, to the teenage child
Finding the perfect container for your time capsule
We all know that packaging matters, so a gorgeous wooden box is always an excellent choice, but a wooden box with a lock on it would be even better. Don’t worry you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create a meaningful time capsule, you can also go the DIY route . Surely you can find a sturdy shoe box in your home, you can even wrap it up in some nice contact paper. Remember, the most important thing is to put a label on your time capsule, something like: “Don’t open until September 2033”.
Key take away points: a time capsule has a message to the recipient in the future, a couple of pictures, some items to mark the occasion on which it was created, and a clear future opening date.
Now it’s time to get your time capsule started and we are sure your child will be fascinated when they get to open it. Enjoy!
