Time capsule ideas for baby – the perfect memory box inclusions!
Every time a friend of mine has a new baby, I like to introduce them to the time capsule.
A time capsule is a fun way to keep special items meant to be opened when their child turns 18 and is ready to leave home.
Every time I’ve done it so far, people have been really excited about this idea and loved having something tangible to look forward to for their future self.
Your time capsule doesn’t need to be buried or hidden somewhere, you can do one that’s just stored away in your attic space or basement until the day arrives. So here are some great ideas for what you might want to include and I hope you love this idea too!
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How to Make a Time Capsule for Baby
The sky’s the limit when making a time capsule for baby. You can make a big one, or just a small one with carefully curated pieces. Here are some things you might want to think about before you get started:
- will you include keepsakes from your pregnancy and baby shower in the capsule?
- what cut off time will you set for the time capsule (some people like to add special items every year!)?
- do you want to feature your time capsule at baby’s first birthday and include sweet notes from family?
What to Include in Baby’s Time Capsule
1) Newspaper from the day they were born
One of the most popular traditional ‘time capsule’ ideas is picking up a national newspaper from baby’s birth date. This is a time capsule idea that will be both sentimental and educational for your little one once they are older.
It can also provide an opportunity to talk about current events with your child as you read aloud or point out headlines together. How much will the world change before your chil’s 18th birthday?
2) Dollar Bills or Coins from the Year Your Baby is Born
Another time capsule idea for baby that would be a special keepsake is to include a one dollar bill or coin from the year your little one was born. They’ll get a kick out of seeing their birth year on the coin and knowing that this coin is as old as they are.
3) Milestone Photos or Records
First time wearing shoes, first time eating solid food, first photo, first time at home… there are SO many ‘firsts’ in baby’s first year and these photos are perfect for baby’s time capsule.
Why not take and print photos of key moments in baby’s life and add them to your time capsule in a special album? Or you could simple keep a written record of baby’s milestones and add it to the capsule – there’s no best way. to do it
4) Special Items
If you’re planning a first birthday time capsule, Save a few things from baby’s first year – clothes, favorite toys and books. These items will help your child feel connected to the time they were born. Make sure you have photos and keepsakes from any special occasions.
5) Memory Quilt Pieces
Make your favorite baby outfits last forever by turning them into a memory quilt! You can cut the pieces to keep for later… or just save the whole outfit. Who knows? Your little one may want to use their favorite outfit for their own little baby someday, and continue the tradition with future generations.
6) A Lock of Hair
Cut baby’s hair? I know… unthinkable!
But, if you want to save a lock for the future, you’ll have to grab a teeny bit.
Baby hair is so fine and soft, your child will marvel at it when they are a little older.
7) Make Predictions
Make some predictions about what life will be like when they are older! What are they going to do enjoy doing? What books do they like? Movies? Sports?
8) Lots and Lots of Photos
The great thing about a time capsule is you can pretty much put anything in it and it will be interesting!
Your child will love seeing photos of themselves as babies. If you wanted to keep filling the time capsule as they grow, you can add photos for every birthday and milestone along the way.
9) Keep Baby’s Hospital Tags
Make sure you keep baby’s hospital tags to add to the time capsule. While it may not include your child’s name, it’s still the first thing they’re going to wear.
10) Umbilical stump (Or Just the Clip!)
Did you know some parents keep their baby’s umbilical stump? It usually falls off in the 7-10 days after baby is born.
If keeping the stump seems a little icky, you could always just keep the clip.
11) Breast Milk Jewelry
If you breastfed your baby, you might like to memorialise your journey by turning some of your liquid gold into a beautiful jewel or piece of jewelry. This will make an interesting keepsake for your child to see!
12) First Tooth
You might’ve seen those cute little cases going around on Facebook for storing your little one’s baby teeth. You could totally add one of those to your baby time capsule if you’re adding to the capsule over time.
13) Letters from Mom and Dad
Add special letters written from Mom and Dad to the time capsule. You could expand this out to include other family members like grandma and grandpa too! For a newborn, you could include your hopes and dreams for your baby in the letter. As your child gets older, you could include observations on how they are learning and growing, their favorite song, favorite restaurants or other important things to them.
14) Drawings and Paintings
If you’re going to keep adding to your time capsule as baby grows, make sure you save some room for their drawings or paintings. While you don’t want to save every single art work, one or two at each level of development will show how they’re improving. What a wonderful way to look back at how much your baby has grown.
15) Hand prints (and Footprints)
Taking a print or a cast of your baby’s handprint and footprint is a great way to see just how much they’ve grown and how far they’ve come.
You can do this each year or just the once, and it’ll still make for a memorable and meaningful time capsule.
16) Baby’s Favorite Book
You will want to keep baby’s favorite books – as your child grows, you’ll want copies for the future so you can read those same books to their children. What a way to go down memory lane than with a small library of your favourites.
17) Baby’s First Outfit
Something they wore when they were just born or their special ‘going home’ outfit. My time capsule includes the little woollen hat our hospital gave us when my son was born given – the hats are knitted by local crafters, so it’s extra special!
18) First Birthday Time Capsule Ideas
A wonderful way to make a beautiful memory box time capsule for your baby is to get your family involved with a 1st birthday time capsule. On baby’s birthday, print out time capsule questionnaires for each person to fill out. What should you include? You can ask people to make predictions about your little one – what they will do when they grow up, what their likes and dislikes will be. You could also ask family to write a loving personal note for baby. This will make your baby’s birthday a really special time.
Don’t forget to include a family tree so your baby will know who left these notes to her in the future. Family photos would also be a fun idea !
What Should You Use as Baby’s Time Capsule Container?
So, you’re in, right? A time capsule for baby is the best idea!
But, how do you make sure you store everything safely until the right time? After all, if you’re going to the effort of making something beautiful you hardly want to have the big reveal and find your precious time capsule items have grown mouldy or moth eaten. You need a suitable container.
The first thing you should do is think about how big your time capsule container needs to be. If you’re collecting things over 18 years, you’re probably going to need a lot more space than if you’re just doing a special ‘day you were born’ time capsule.
Next, you probably want to choose something plastic and sealable – a container that’ll keep out bugs, pests and dust. I like these basic plastic containers. They come in so many sizes, so you can pick the one you need.
The Final Word on Time Capsule Ideas for Baby
There’s no right or wrong way to make a time capsule for your baby. I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas and that they’ve sparked many more of your own! You’ll love taking a trip down memory lane with your child on their 18th birthday.
