50+ Time Capsule Ideas
Here are more than fifty unique time capsule ideas to create a one-of-a-kind baby gift! This list gives you a variety of suggestions to choose from. For a customized time capsule, just mix and match the 'ingredients" as you like. Also, make it as big or small as you want, whether it is "just 10 ingredients" or 50!
You ask yourself "Who can make a timecapsule?". A baby time capsule can be made by baby's parents, by aunt and uncle, by the godmother/ godfather, by its grandparents and by other relatives or by close friends - or as a joint present by even all of them together!
Time Capsule Ideas For Birthdays And Other Special Occasions
A great gift for a new baby, for baby's 1st birthday, for kids, for adults or even for grandma & granddad!
Also an awesome coming of age gift idea: from the parents to their kid's 18th birthday!
Even though this page is specialized in time capsule ideas for newborns and babies you will certainly also find suggestions to include for other occasions such as the big five-oh, etc.
Also think about making a time capsule for a significant birthday for mom, dad, grandma or granddad,also for a special wedding anniversary - with the internet around, it is no problem to get documents, information, facts, etc. from many, many years ago!
What To Include In A Baby Time Capsule, 50+ Ideas
A personal note from you (the donor) to baby. You might like to say hello, describe who you are, 'how you fit in the family or circle of friends', etc.
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Photos of mommy (one of each month for example) to show the pregnancy progression and the growing bump.
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The identification bracelets mommy and baby wore at the hospital.
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A copy of a local and a nationwide newspaper (USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal) published on the day of baby's birth and also one of the following day, since the day after the news that happened on baby's birthday will be covered! Store in a acid-free sleeve you can purchase at places like Michael's so the papers won't turn yellow.
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A copy of a fashion and / or lifestyle magazine such as People Magazine or OK! Magazine, etc. to read about today's celebrities and gossip and not to forget to see photos of the current fashion trends. For a boy motor sports, baseball or soccer magazines or the Sports Illustrated are good time capsule ideas,too. A science magazine and a Time Magazine are a great choice, too.
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A set of current coins and banknotes. You never know, but your currency might change, just as when Europe got the Euro ' a long time ago'.
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Some current stamps. The design and topics will be of interest, let alone will stamps be around and used at all in the future?
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A sales slip from your grocery shopping at the supermarket. The prices surely will be good for a laugh in decades to come.
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A CD or USB stick (mp3) with the top 10 Billboard Chart Hits on baby's date of birth. Legally downloaded of course! Alternatively, a printed list of the top 10 music hits the week the baby was born. You could include of more than one genre, such as pop, rock, country and/or latin music (you don't know what music they'll be into later on).
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The current New York Times bestseller list and if you feel like it a copy of the No. 1 bestseller, too.
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An Old Navy 4th of July baby tee of the year of birth (which of course, baby can wear first until it is too small...). Or any other (cute) first onesie.
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Lots of photos and snapshots showing where baby lives, mummy with baby belly, baby's parents, you and your family including any pets, the hospital where baby was born, a photo of the doctor that delivered baby, a picture of the car you brought them home in from hospital, etc.
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A story about her/his name. Why did the parents choose this name, what does it mean and a list of names baby 'almost got'.
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A list of the Top 10 or even 100 baby names the year baby was born. Regardless of baby's gender, I'd choose one with both baby girl and baby boy names. Babycenter.com always have that on their website: 100 most popular baby names.You can also include this list in a time capsule for a special birthday since the Babycenter list goes back more than 100 years - starting in 1880!
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Write a short story about how mom and dad met. Lol, why do I have to think of 'How I met your mother now'? ;-)
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Photos of mom and dad as a baby / as kids.
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More Baby Time Capsule Ideas
A map of the town / area where baby lives and / or a printout of Google Earth.
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A bottle of wine of the year baby was born in. If this is a gift for baby's birth, put in a dummy and exchange it by the time it is available.
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Some little boxes for baby's keepsakes such as baby's first tooth and baby's first curl. These boxes can be handmade and individually labelled or you can buy some which are especially for that purpose. The parents then can add the contents later.
Baby keepsake box sets.
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A baby hand and feet casting set / ink set. Let either do the parents the casting or you do it for them to be included in the time capsule later on.
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A CD or USB stick with current commercials and / or funny YouTube -clips.
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A flyer of the films that currently are shown at the movies and / or a flyer of concerts taking place during baby's birth month. If baby lives in a big city, a good time capsule idea would also be a Time Out Magazine or something similar.
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Little figurines of the present 'childhood heroes' and cartoon characters such as Winnie The Pooh, The Disney Princesses, Caillou, Hello Kitty, Cars, Toy Story, Dora, all the Marvel Heroes, etc. Will they still be around in years to come?
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Lego and / or Playmobil figurines. These are separately available in little pouches. Alternatively a barbie doll. Will they still look the same by the time the capsule will be opened?
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A Best Buy ad flyer that shows iPods, cameras, laptops, coffee makers, TVs, and other technical and electronic appliances. In two decades, this time capsule idea will be good for a laugh or two...
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A Toys'R'Us or FAO Schwarz ad flyer to show what todays kids like to play with. Even better when prices are shown!
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More Time Capsule Ideas
Generate a current family tree pictogram. If you know any special stories about the ancestors include these.
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A Lego, Lego Friends, Playmobil, Polly Pocket, Barbie, etc. brochure of the year.
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Something hip and trendy around the time of baby's birth. This could be a fashion accessory, a popular toy or a current fad. Like for example remember friendship bracelets, shoulder pads or leg warmers? Trading cards for Star Wars, Clone Wars or football, soccer or baseball teams? The Smurfs? Fidget spinners? If the item is too big include a photo or an ad instead.
Right now this would be 'something' like Marvel, Roblox, Pokemon, Fortnite or Paw Patrol.
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Add the results / newspaper articles of a big sports event of the year baby was born in... Like NBA winner, Superbowl final, soccer world championship, Formula 1 winner, NASCAR, Olympics...
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A list of famous people and celebrities that share the same birthday.
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Perfume samples. To pass on 'today's smell'...
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A copy of your favorite book when you were a kid. Or later on a copy of baby's favorite book or baby's first book.
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An empty Kellogg's cornflakes or cereals box. Just to see how the print will have changed in two decades.
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A savings bond.
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A current map of the world. Frontiers can change due to wars, countries and cities might get new names, walls can come down, etc.
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Write a scenario on how you picture the world in 20 or so years. Your wrong predictions will probably be a good laugh!
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A packet of sunflower seeds. Just to see whether they will still be able to grow 20 years after the expiry date!
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Some popular candies that will last for decades and won't ruin the rest of the contents (chewing gum, fizzy powder candy, jelly beans, Fisherman's Friend, etc.). To be on the safe side put these in an extra box within your container. Alternatively, just use the packaging.
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A statistical yearbook or downloaded excerpts of the yearbook.
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Guinness World Records Book published in baby's year of birth.
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Some gadget(s) of Kinder Surprise Eggs or even the unopened inner of a surprise egg (do not include the chocolate, though...).
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If your time capsule is a gift for baby's first birthday, you can include some of baby's firsts such as baby's first pacifier or baby's first pair of shoes, etc. Also, the outfits baby wore on key milestones such as coming home from the hospital, baptism, first Christmas, first Easter etc. Also 1st hat baby was given by the hospital and hospital blanket they were wrapped in. You can also include a small photo with it for instant visual instead of digging up photos later.
More Unique Time Capsule Ideas
The day baby is born send a picture postcard to baby's address. This is actually a 3 in 1 idea: stamp, picture postcard and a postmark dated on baby's date of birth!
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If your time capsule is a baby shower gift prepare little notes (postcard size) for/from all guests and have them write a few lines to baby or draw a picture for baby right at the shower to immediately include in your capsule. Don't forget to also provide enough pens and crayons to the guests. Otherwise include the cards you received at the baby shower or the congratulations cards for baby's birth.
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A gadget or toy from a Mc Donalds Happy Meal. They always include present hip kid's stuff that all children (and even some adults) just love. Many of these little gadgets really make cute time capsule ideas!
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Some information and articles about the current president and political landscape. Especially if the year is an election year! A current chart showing all American presidents.
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Ask for the menu of your favorite restaurant, burger chain, ice cream parlor, etc. and include it in your time capsule.
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Add a copy of your favorite (kid) recipes.
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Make a baby / kid interview template to fill out with baby / kid every year. Include as many copies as needed until the capsule may be opened. Then, either you can do the interview and fill in the fact sheets or the parents. The interview sheet could contain questions such as "what do you want to be once you're grown up?", "what's your favorite color?", "what's your favorite song / band or book?", "who's your best friend?" and so on. You'll be amazed to see how the answers will change year after year - or maybe not!
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Make a baby / kid fact sheet template to complete every year. The fact sheet template could contain things like "I am ... feet tall", 'I have lost ... teeth this year", "I'm in kindergarten / grade ... now", "I can - read, write, make a somersault, make a handstand, make a cartwheel, etc. - now", and so on...
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Reflect the current situation with the Coronavirus Pandemic (hopefully this idea can be dropped in the near future!): it's 2022 now and everybody's daily life is affected or has been affected by the virus. Write a note telling baby how your life has changed due to this pandemic. Do mom and dad have to stay at home and work remote? Or did they work remote the past year and are now able to go back to the office again? Where any scheduled travels or visits cancelled due to COVID-19? Where there any changes to the birth plan due to the virus? Any changes to your daily routine? Did you start a new hobby because of the pandemic?
Also add a face mask and / or a COVID-19 test kit to your time capsule.
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This time capsule ideas list is really long and I am constantly adding new ideas.
Maybe with your help? Please submit your suggestions via the contact me form. Thank you.
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What else to know about baby time capsules: choosing a container, how to best pack things, etc.
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