Creative Time Capsule Ideas For Kids + Free Printable

Looking for a fun and unique way to capture memories with your kids this year? Try your hand at making your very own time capsule!

Check out these time capsule ideas for kids as well as a free printable memory sheet to fill out!

Time Capsule Ideas For Kids + Free Printable

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My daughter is still very young, but she LOVES looking back at old pictures, videos, and things she made when she was little.

This year before preschool, we took a picture with one of those cute memory chalk board pictures – you know, the ones that say what they want to be when they grow up, their favorite color, etc.?

I can’t wait to look back on it at the end of the year and I know she is looking forward to it as well! That’s where the idea of a time capsule for kids was born.

It’s not only a fun family activity to do together, but creates some awesome conversation between you and your kids.

The memories are so precious, and you definitely don’t want to miss out on this fun tradition!

So what exactly do you put in a time capsule? How do you make it?

If you have ever wondered how to make a time capsule for kids, you are in the right place! We will go over how to create a time capsule, time capsule ideas, and I even included a FREE printable time capsule sheet for kids!

Free Printable Time Capsule Sheet For Kids

This free printable sheet would be perfect to add to your time capsule! You will love asking your kids these fun questions.

I’ve included one specifically designed for New Year’s Eve, as well as one you can use for any time, or just more in general!

There are two different color options for each set, so you can let your kids pick their favorite. 🙂

This super fun printable includes things like what is their favorite color, song, hobby, Bible verse, age, height, goals, etc. So many cool things and fun to ask your kids about!!

For ours, we chose to laminate our paper to preserve it better! You can either roll it up and place it in your time capsule holder, or hang it up on your fridge.

Keep reading for more ideas on how to make a time capsule with your kids!

Download Your FREE Printable Time Capsule Sheets HERE!

Already have access to the printables library? No need to sign up again, grab the link from your welcome email and download today!

How To Create A Time Capsule For Kids

Now that you have your time capsule sheet printed and filled out, let’s look at how to create your time capsule, and enjoy a fun bonding activity with your kids!

First, you have to choose what type of container you want to use to hold your capsule’s contents.

This will be very dependent on where you store it – for example, if you choose to bury it in your yard like some people do, you want something waterproof and sealed!

Here are some great options to hold your kids’ time capsule items:

Mason jar
Tin container
Photo album box (these are great because they have a little tag you can write names/dates on)
Stainless steel waterproof container

You can have your kids decorate each type of container too! Make it a fun craft project – use stickers, glue, markers, anything to personalize it and make it fun for them.

Once you have picked your time capsule holder, simply print and fill out the Time Capsule sheet and place it in whatever you decide to use.

You can also have your kids pick out some small things to add – some of those things can include, but isn’t limited to:

Favorite toy they don’t use anymore
Special hair bow
A drawing they made
A report card
Photos of themselves, friends and family
Make a small craft together and put in there
Trace their handprint/footprint to see how much they grow (I love this one!)

You can also choose to keep these time capsules in storage, rather than sealing them and burying them in the yard – that way you can open it after a year and not worry about it being lost or forgotten!!

You can also open your time capsule yearly and refill it, or wait 2, 4, 7 years! Whatever you decide.

We personally are making one every New Year’s Eve, so I (and my sweet girl) can look back and remember what things stuck out to her and what that year was like. 🙂

Time Capsule Ideas For Kids

So you’ve created your time capsule with your kids and placed whatever things inside that you want – now what??

Here are some fun ideas for using a time capsule for your kids and even for you too! These would all make a great family activity to do together, no matter the time of year.

1. New Years Time Capsule

This is the one we personally started doing, and that is creating a New Year’s Eve Time Capsule!

The last week of December, after Christmas and before New Year’s Eve, fill out the paper with your kids and encourage them to reflect back on their year.

What were some of their favorite things? New friendships they made? This will start some great conversation between you all as well.

3. Beginning of School Time Capsule

This would be a fun beginning of the school year activity to do. You can do it for each level of school such as elementary, middle school, and high school, or simply repeat it every year.

You can also use this for your Sunday school classes! At the beginning of your new Sunday school year, have each kid fill this out (or fill it out for them if they are little) and then do it again before they move on up to the next class.

It would be great especially for preschoolers moving to the elementary-aged dept, or elementary-aged students moving into the youth group!

2. Digital Time Capsule For Kids

Have you ever heard of a digital time capsule?? It’s so cool!

Along with your other items, you can also include a flash drive to put in your time capsule with videos, pictures, audio, scripture songs, anything digital that can be uploaded!

Once you open it in the future, you can pop it into your computer or laptop and enjoy looking back at the precious memories.