Activity: Create a Family Time Capsule

Soon our calendars will turn to the year 2004-another year in the new millennium. This once-in-a-lifetime event is a great way to teach your children about preserving the future and reflecting on the past by interpreting and collecting everyday items as “data,” and asking questions relating to issues of the day. Best yet, time capsules awaken the joys of anticipation, mystery and surprise for learners of all ages!

Creating Your Time Capsule
Start by getting a sturdy, airtight container with a well-fitting lid: a coffee can or plastic box, for example, or even a roolbox or small trunk. Anything that can hold memorabilia can be a time capsule. Mark the outside with the current date and the date your capsule is to be opened. Put a “Do Not Open Until 2050″ sign (or whatever you decide on) on the outside.

Use zippered plastic food storage bags to seal keepsakes, then place them in the container and hide it away, either in an attic, a friend’s house, a treasure chest, or you might even dig a hole and place it in your backyard.

Items to Include
When compiling the capsule, use everyday items, and explain to your child that these objects may or may not exist 50 years down the road. Some ideas: stamps, coins, ticket stubs, postcards, menus from favorite restaurants, family photos, popular music, special toys, shoes, clothing, a favorite book or two, newspaper clippings, inteviews with grandparents, and magazines.

Adapted from an article in Kids Magazine Activities for Familes
Published by Woman’s Day
Volume IX, Number 2, 1999

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