A Time Capsule for Raleigh's First Birthday

A Time Capsule for Baby's First Birthday is a project where letters are written to a baby as they turn one, and the letters will be opened later on the child's 18th birthday. It is a sentimental way to celebrate a 1st birthday, and prepare for a meaningful 18th birthday as well!

Time capsule of handwritten letters for a baby's first birthday, to be opened when they turn 18 years old.

What is a Time Capsule?

Simply put, a time capsule is a container of items meant to be opened at some point in the future.

It can contain many things including newspapers, clothing, objects, or written mementos.

My Time Capsule with My Friends

The concept of a time capsule is familiar to me.

When my high school friends and I came back to town for Thanksgiving break during our freshman year of college, we gathered together in the basement of my parent’s house and created a Time Capsule of our own.

We filled out questionnaires asking things like: "Where do you think you’ll be in X years" and "What career do you think you’ll have?"

Then, we sealed them in a box with the intention of opening it again someday in the future.

A Time Capsule for Baby's First Birthday

There was a video circulating on social media of a girl's 18th birthday, where she was given a time capsule of letters from family members as part of her birthday present. The letters were written to her on her first birthday, and there she was, reading them 17 years later.

The video was emotional; several of the letters were written by people who had passed away over the last 17 years between her first and 18th birthdays.

I immediately loved the idea, and sent an email to friends and family, asking for help in creating a Time Capsule for my son's first birthday.

At his first birthday party, family and friends gave me letters to put into a time capsule for him.

Letters written to a baby on their first birthday as part of a time capsule, sealed and to be read when they turn 18.

The letters are to be opened by him on his 18th birthday.

For now, I will keep them safe.

I hope he will appreciate the words of encouragement and love that were written to him by the people who love him most.

I hope when he reads them on his 18th birthday, they will speak life and hope into his heart, and show him that he was loved deeply, right from the start.

Time capsule of letters written for a baby's first birthday, to be opened on their 18th birthday.

A first birthday time capsule, filled with letters from family and friends written on a baby’s first birthday and designated to be opened when they turn 18, is a unique gift that will only become more significant as time goes on.

I look forward to the day my son can read the heartfelt words in those letters written just for him.

Common Questions

What is a time capsule?

A time capsule is a collection of items from the present, to be looked at or read by someone in the future.

It can be as simple as friends putting mementos into a shoe box when they graduate high school (to be opened at their 20-year reunion for example), or as coordinated as a collection of letters to a baby on their first birthday, to be opened when they turn 18.

What is the purpose of a time capsule?

There is something fun about imagining what the future will be like, and something nostalgic and emotional about reflecting on the past. Time capsules are a fun way to capture a moment in time, and offer a way to preserve and revisit the past when they are looked at in the future.

How do you make a time capsule? What should I put in it?

All you need to do to make a time capsule is to collect items and find something to store them in. Favorite toys, cards, mementos, awards, items from pop culture, newspapers, magazines, product packaging, photographs... they all make great additions to a time capsule.

Questionnaires, handwritten letters, greeting cards - these are wonderful items for a time capsule too. Questionnaires let you capture the present and predict the future. Add fun questions like "What will vehicles be like?" or "How much will a house cost?" to your questionnaires so you can compare your predictions to what the future really ends up being like.

Especially for a sentimental time capsule on a baby's first birthday, handwritten letters are the perfect addition. They will be a literal message from the past.

What should I put my time capsule in, and where should I store it?

A simple shoe box is perfect for a time capsule, as long as you store it somewhere safe and dry.

If you plan to bury it in the ground like in the movies, you'll need a waterproof, airtight container to protect the contents.

Make sure you store it somewhere safe so it won't get lost or forgotten about. (And if you bury it, make sure you know exactly where it is.) If you can't find it, you can't open it again.