Are your kids intrigued by the idea of time travel? Do they wonder what they were like when they were younger? This activity will help kids to thinking about the future and what things were like in the past. They’ll see how much things can change in over an extended period of time (e.g. a year), and they’ll be able to show their future selves a little about their younger selves!
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Fun fact!
The oldest time capsule ever opened was buried 219 years before its discovery! First buried in 1795, it was found to have been dug up and added to in 1855, before being buried once again. It was opened a second time in 2015, with the items inside perfectly preserved.
Equipment needed
- Photos
- Paper
- Pen or pencil
- Coin
- Postcards
- Newspaper clippings
- Meaningful items
- Waterproof container
- Plastic bag
- Trowel or spade
Steps
1
Pick the items that will go into your time capsule. A few suggestions are: a selfie from the day you bury the box, a letter to yourself, a list of current favourite things, a handprint, a self-portrait, a coin minted this year, postcards, newspaper clippings, a questionnaire of current events, which you could fill in again when you dig up the box. You can include any meaningful items that you think you’ll be impressed by in a year and would like to see again in the future – will you remember what you buried or will they be keys to forgotten memories? Grown-ups can also add a secret letter to the time capsule for the child to open next year.
2
Place all of your items in a waterproof container and label it ‘Do Not Open Until ____’ and write the date as a year from today. If you’re not opening it for longer you may want to write your name on it and the date you’re burying it, just in case you forget all about it.
3
Wrap the waterproof container in a brightly coloured plastic bag, for extra protection from moisture, and to make it easy to spot when you’re digging it up. Dig a hole in your garden and bury the box for your future self. If you don’t want to bury your time capsule, hide it in your attic or at the back of a wardrobe and try to forget about it.
4
Write on next year’s calendar a reminder to dig up your capsule.