Kids Crafts: Make a Time Capsule for 2006

The New Year is coming and 2007 brings us wonderful things that we can't even imagine at the moment. New growth in our lives, new inventions and interesting things to learn about. Here is a project to celebrate to end of the year.

But wouldn't it be nice to seal this year's memories in some way? A great way to do this is to create a time capsule. This is a terrific project to do with children as a family or even as a class. It can also be a great project to do with adults.

The first thing you need to do is to invite everyone to participate. Mention the idea of a time capsule and what it means to people. How much fun it could be to look at the items five or even ten years from now and remember what 2006 meant to everyone. Get everyone excited about the idea. Once everyone is agreed about the idea of a time capsule, then proceed.

When creating a time capsule you will need a container. While some of us have seen time capsules that have been buried in the ground for many years, you certainly do not need to do this. A nice box that is kept warm and dry would make an excellent time capsule. Be sure to mark the box clearly "Time Capsule 2006" and perhaps some information if it is a class project with the teacher's name. Remember that the box or container needs to be large enough for everyone to put something into it. If it is a family project then you probably won't need this information since you'll be storing it yourself. Find a great place to keep it.

Next you'll need to let everyone know about the time capsule and that they can bring things to put into it. Set a specific date and time to seal the time capsule together. If you are doing this as a class, be sure to gather everyone's contact information so that you can contact everyone when it comes time to open the time capsule. A great way to have the time capsule sealing ceremony is to let everyone say why they chose the item and what the item means to them for this year and then have them put it in the box. Another way to have fun with this is to play music from this year, or to watch a movie or movie clips from this year. Talk about what this year has meant to everyone. You could also consider talking about what next year will mean to everyone also.

Once everyone has completed the box ceremony, seal the box with tape. You will also need to decide if you are going to open the box again at what time - in five years? In ten years? Or maybe in just one year? Let the group agree on the right time and mention that they will be contacted at the contact information they have given.

It will be lots of fun when the box is opened. There will be some things that people remember, but also some surprises. It will also be fun for people to see each other again, if this is a class people may not have seen each other for awhile. This is a great project that is lots of fun for many different groups. Happy 2006!