What is a Time Capsule?

A baby time capsule is a container or box that holds historical records or things that represent the current time and culture.  It’s like a snapshot in time. The time capsule is then kept/ preserved for the baby until he/she is older. Many people preserve the time capsule until their baby turns 18.

Creating a baby time capsule is a very popular baby shower activity that is fun to create and that doesn’t cost a lot. You could also create a first birthday time capsule, or for any other children’s birthday for that matter. (It doesn’t matter if you start late).

There will be repetitions because your time capsule ideas for baby will apply to other birthdays as well.

Things to Put in a New Baby Time Capsule

1. A copy of a national newspaper (USD Today) or your local daily newspaper.
2. A popular magazine (Time, Newsweek, People, or anything you normally read).
3. Year-in-review issues of magazines or newspapers.
4. A small, popular toy.
5. A Sports Trading card or other collectibles.
6. A menu from a favorite restaurant.
7. A popular cd or top 10 songs at that time. If you are unable to create the cd, make a list and print it out.
8. A floor plan of your home.
9. Your extended family tree, at that time.
10. A message from mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, siblings.
11. Lots of photos. Pick a day before the baby shower or baby’s birth, and take as many photos as you can. Some examples are front of your local grocery store, the gas station (and be sure to include the price of gas on that day), your favorite restaurant, the movie theatre, the neighborhood, the local park, downtown skyline or storefronts, cars in a parking lot, advertising billboards. The ideas are endless but try to take pictures of things you think could possibly change over time. Also, take photos of mom and dad’s car, their workplace, the inside and outside of the baby’s home, photos of the parents/ family having fun.
12. More Photos. Include a photo of the parents, taken as close to the day of the baby shower/ baby’s birth, as possible.
13. A local map or a printout from google earth.
14. A video recording. This could be a walkthrough of your home or your workplace or an interview with mom/ dad or close friends and relatives.
15. A merchandise catalog or travel brochure.
16. A tax return, a pay stub, a credit card bill.
17. A personal note from the creator, if mom is not the creator. Describe your connection with the family, if necessary.
18. Photos of mom’s pregnancy progression, month by month.
19. Current coins and banknotes.
20. Stamps.
21. A receipt from the grocery store.
22. The current New York Times bestseller list.
23. Any information about the current president and the political landscape.

What To Put In A First Birthday Time Capsule

The content below was written for a 1st birthday time capsule but can be tweaked for any birthday. Therefore, take out what is relevant to create a time capsule for any birthday.

1. Baby’s first photo.
2. Baby’s and Mom’s I.D. bracelets from the hospital.
3. Any hospital memorabilia, like baby’s name card.
4. Baby’s first outfit.
5. Photos of baby’s first Christmas, New Year, 4^th of July, Halloween, Easter, Valentines day, St Patrick’s day, etc. Include photos of all that apply.
6. New baby cards and letters.
7. Photos from the baby shower.
8. Baby’s first family photo.
9. A copy of the birth certificate.
10. Drawings or letters from siblings.
11. Baby’s keepsakes, like a lock of hair from their first haircut. If possible, also include things like a pacifier, etc.
12. Handprint or footprint. Or you could follow a really popular trend and do a hand/ foot clay imprint. It’s easy to do and oh-so-cute!
13. Throughout the year and towards your child’s birthday, you can collect newspaper front pages with major headlines.
14. Your child’s favorite toy. If it is too big or he/she is still attached to it, take a picture of it.
15. A popular toy. (If you have McDonald’s sometimes, and you get a Happy Meal – use one of those toys because they usually indicate what’s happening in terms of movies, etc).
16. Product packaging of anything, like an empty can of coke.
17. A floor plan of your house.
18. A current map of your neighborhood.
19. Mom/ Dad’s business card.
20. A popular cd or a mixed tape of his/her favorite songs at that time. If you are unable to do that, create a list and print it out.
21. Ticket stubs for concerts and special events you attended.
22. Sports trading cards or other collectibles.
23. Your family tree, at that time.
24. A message from mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, siblings, other close relatives, and friends.
25. Recent photos of everyone in the family and your child’s friends.
26. More photos. Throughout the year, take as many photos as you can. Some examples are: front of your local grocery store, the gas station (and be sure to include the price of gas on that day), your favorite restaurant, the movie theatre, the neighborhood, the local park, the library, downtown skyline or storefronts, cars in a parking lot, advertising billboards. The ideas are endless but try to take pictures of things you think could possibly change over time. Also, take photos of mom and dad’s car, their workplace, the inside and outside of the baby’s home, photos of the parents/ family having fun.
27. A video recording as you do a walkthrough of your home or your workplace, or an interview with mom/ dad or close friends and relatives.
28. A video recording of your child’s favorite TV show, or a major event like the Super Bowl, Academy Awards, etc.
29. A merchandise catalog or travel brochure.
30. A tax return, a pay stub, a credit card bill.
31. Current coins and banknotes.
32. Stamps.
33. A receipt from the grocery store.
34. The current New York Times bestseller list.
35. A local map or a printout from google earth.
36. Take a picture or type out the recipe for baby’s favorite food(s).
37. Any information about the current president and the political landscape.
38. A Factsheet of your child. For example, I am this ___ tall, I weigh ___. Include anything special or memorable about your child… like the time he/she pushed a gallon of milk onto the floor, or ate spaghetti and had his/her entire face covered in sauce…
39. Your child’s favorite book. If he/she is still attached, take a picture or write about it in your fact sheet.

Notes From The Author

What a great gift, huh? What I love about it is that it won’t cost you a lot to make but it would nonetheless be a valuable gift for the mom and her baby.

I hope you enjoyed this post about creating a baby time capsule and a 1st birthday time capsule. If I’ve missed anything important, please let me know. I’ll be happy to add it.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, we see Tulamama as a community service of moms helping moms. So, if you have ideas to help other moms create awesome time capsules for their kids, let us know in the comments.