Fun and Simple Time Capsule Project

You might think this was the year you’d love to forget, but give us a chance to change your mind! This year, your children learned so many things. They developed resiliency and flexibility that will serve them for the rest of their lives. They made memories with their grownups and their siblings, and they learned what a “quarantine bubble” was.

This summer could be the perfect time to put together a time capsule to remind your children just how brave, brilliant, and helpful they were during this very tricky year! In addition to these tips, we’ve put together a simple Time Capsule Worksheet you can find for free on our Happy Page. If you have any other suggestions for what kids might add to their time capsule, drop us a comment or email us at Hello@WonderBunch.Com!

Getting Started

Your first step will be to find a suitable receptacle! This can be as simple as a sturdy cardboard box if you’ll be storing your time capsule indoors, or using a sealable weatherproof tote if you plan to bury your time capsule to be found by another generation. Even if storing indoors, be sure to utilize mason jars, vacuum bags, and zippable storage to protect from moisture, mold, and little pests like mice and moths who like to nibble away at your mementos.

Decide if your family will be creating a single shared time capsule, or if each member of the family will create their own for their future selves to discover.

What to Include

• Have each participating member of the family write a letter to themselves. Our free, printable worksheet on our Happy Page is a fine place to start, but take some time to personalize each one and really paint a picture of modern life. What’s the price of a gallon of milk? A gallon of gas? What was the temperature on each person’s birthday this year? What is your child’s favorite song, sports team, or movie? Have your family talk about what they felt, saw, and learned this year, and how they think future generations will think we handled the year.

• Print photos of each member of your family, and one of the family all together. Remember when printing photos was such a mystery and you didn’t know how they would turn out until you picked them up from the developing studio? Or when Polaroids were cutting-edge technology and we didn’t think photo developing could ever get better? Your children have only ever known smartphones and instant images. What do you think photo processing will be like in the future?

• While face masks might become the new norm for flu seasons, daily wear will soon become such a distant memory we’ll likely forget we did it for over a year. Maybe throw in a few of your family’s favorite face masks to remember — because you’ll forget a lot faster than you think you will!

• Your child is growing out of their clothes faster than you can replace them, but just this once that plays in your favor! Pack your child’s favorite shirt into their time capsule. It might feature their favorite character, be their favorite color, or just be a fabric that makes them cozy and happy. As fast as they’re growing, fashions change almost as fast. They may be surprised when they find this memento to remember wearing it, and just how small they used to be!

• Trace their hands and feet on a piece of paper, or use a hand casting kit like this one you can find at Target.

• Include any mementos from before or after the world opened back up. Movie stubs, membership cards, train or plane tickets, etc.

• Draw a picture! Your child’s artwork has changed a lot this year. Give them a chance to show off to their future self by letting them use their favorite medium to sketch, color, or paint a picture displaying their talent. Give the work of art a name and include it in their capsule.

• Include a newspaper from the day you close the time capsule, or spend a week collecting specific stories and clipping or printing them.

Don’t Open Until…

Pick a time! Will your family be opening this time capsule, or are you hoping your children’s children or future residents of your home find it on their own? Maybe you want to open your time capsule on your child’s graduation day, 21^st birthday, or just before they leave home for good? Decide today and make a no-peek pact!

You’ve made it to the end of a really trying time, but one day you might not remember it that way. This project might be an interesting way to learn how your family sees this period in their lives. Your children may not understand what a feat this was. To them, it may just be the year you got a dog, that they were taller than the kitchen counter, or that you were home more than ever. No matter how you made it through, it’s important to look back and remember that you made it through together!

We hope your family has a lot of fun putting your time capsule together. We know that we will remember this as the year we connected with more parents and were able to make life and learning a little more fun for our families. Thank you for letting Wonder Bunch Media be part of your family’s education adventures!