Creating a time capsule for your grandkids

Sometimes, when your grandchildren are young, it is difficult to explain to them what our life has been like… For a long time, there were no computers, no mobile phones, we would leave at 9am and would run around the neighbourhood with our friends and knew to come back before the sun went down.

We lived such a different life to our grandkids, and it is nice to explain a part of your history for them. Time capsules are an excellent way of inviting them into our past in a way that they find fascinating and keep them interested.

Time capsules are not restricted to sealed metal containers buried one metre underground or in the cornerstone of a sandstone building, to be opened in a few hundred years. A simple box filled with items that reflect the world as it is not, to be opened at an appropriate time in the future, is a great gift for your kids. Not only will they be thrilled with the idea of ‘visiting’ the past, but also appreciate the treasured memories captured in the capsule.

Accompany the items with a special letter to them, and give them a date when they are allowed to open it.

What you include in the capsule is completely up to you. If you want to create an educational experience, fill the box with memories from your childhood. Accompany them with notes explaining the items significance.

If you want to create a memorable box of your relationship, fill it with letters they have written you or pictures they have drawn for you. Photographs of you both while they are young and recounts of special memories you have made together.

After collecting the items, carefully place the item in a sturdy and substantial-sized container. Tape it very securely to deter curious family members from opening the capsule before the set time.

Remember to store it somewhere safe or give it to a responsible member of the family… If you have a responsible person! Clearly mark the box with the storage date and the date the capsule is to be opened. Secure the letter in a sealed envelope to the top of the box.

You can choose the time when you would like the capsule to be opened. Some ideas include; 10 years later, the child’s 18^th Birthday, the child’s wedding or their high school graduation.

Just because we cannot preserve the past, doesn’t mean that we can’t recapture the memories we have created and the times we’ve had.

Have you ever created a time capsule? Who was it for and what did it contain?