Looking for an unusual and memorable gift? Why not preserve a precious snapshot of your family's history by creating a time capsule for your child? It's a great way to commemorate a special time in your child's life like a first birthday, graduation, or even a new year.

Think of your time capsule as a treasure box that preserves a piece of the past. Years from now you will open the time capsule and glimpse a frozen moment in the life and times of your child and family.

First, choose a proper container to hold your precious artifacts. It should be non-biodegradable and provide a cool and dry environment, like plastic, metal or heavy duty rubber. A kitchen food storage container or metal cookie or popcorn tins with sturdy well-sealed lids make good choices. Time capsules are also available online in a variety of styles.

The key to a meaningful time capsule is to make it personal and interesting. If you are centering around a specific event like your child's birthday, focus mainly on things happening on or around that date. Include both big and small events, from the main headlines of the day to your child's first words or favorite foods.

A small notebook with facts such as your child's height, weight, or number of teeth missing will provide interest in years to come. A keepsake album featuring pictures of your child, family members and friends will tell a thousand words too. Prescription bottles can hold baby's first tooth or a lock of hair.

Topics of interest such as fashion trends and fads, popular movies, books and toys can be cut from newspapers or magazines. Include a CD of favorite songs or a singing group. A video or audiotape of your child at their party is a great choice as well.

Objects of everyday life such as coins, postage stamps and a grocery receipt showing the price of milk or bread are popular items to include.

Much priceless material for your time capsule can be collected from special people in your child's life. At your child's party or event, provide colorful note cards for family members to pen their special thoughts about your child.

Encourage your older child to add his or her own special objects to the time capsule. Paraphernalia from favorite sports or hobbies, such as baseball cards and ribbons won in competitions are wonderful choices.

School papers, drawings, and outlines of hands and feet will make for exciting comparisons when the time capsule is opened.

Younger kids can make a list of "My Favorite Things" or "Things I'm Good At". Older kids will enjoy writing a "Letter to the Future" telling what life is like now, current family traditions, their hopes, dreams and ideas.

Before sealing your time capsule make a document detailing all the contents. Specify the unsealing date and who should be present when it is unsealed. Most importantly, write the exact location of the time capsule. Stow this document in a safe place.

Finally, find a good hiding place for your time capsule in your house. A little trafficked spot in the attic, basement, or garage is your best bet. This is preferable to burying the time capsule as families often move or forget where they buried it!

It is exciting to look forward to the opening of your time capsule. Wait as long as possible to make the effect more dramatic. Even a year will seem an eternity to children. Whatever you decide, set a date and stick to it.

Your personally designed time capsule preserves the history, culture, and ideas of the day, as well as your family's special memories, dreams and aspirations for the future. Your time capsule will be a truly unique and thoughtful gift that will be cherished for years to come.

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