Guides · Family memories

Time capsule.
A piece of today, to open tomorrow.

A time capsule is a collection of memories to open in a few years’ time: drawings, photos, letters, little objects that show who you are right now. You can make one in a box or digitally, and choose the exact day it will be opened.

Two children’s drawings stuck to the fridge with colourful magnets

Emma and Leo’s drawingsTo open on 1 September 2036

In short

What is a time capsule?

A time capsule is a collection of objects, words and pictures, sealed today and opened on a chosen date in the future. It captures a moment in life, just as it is, so you can rediscover it years later through different eyes.

WhatDrawings, photos, letters, little objects, a recorded voice.

Who forFor a child, for the family, for a class, for yourself.

WhenIn 1, 5, 10 or 18 years. You decide.

The beauty of a time capsule is that today everything seems ordinary: the drawing on the fridge, the song you sing in the car, the price of an ice cream. In ten years, those ordinary things will be the most precious of all.

What to put in it

What to put in a time capsule

You don’t need valuable things. You need real things, that show what your life is like right now.

Words

A letter to whoever opens it.
The funny things the children say, written down just as they said them.
A list: friends, favourite foods, today’s dreams.

Pictures

The favourite drawing, the one on the fridge.
A photo of your home, the children’s bedroom, the neighbourhood.
A hand traced around on a sheet of paper.

Objects

A cinema or concert ticket.
A little toy, a shell, a bracelet.
A shopping receipt: today’s prices will make you smile.

Sounds and videos

The children’s voices, telling you about their day.
The song you’re listening to most at the moment.
A video of an ordinary Sunday.

Questions to ask the children before you seal it

Ask these questions, then record the answers or write them down just as they come. In a few years, this will be the funniest part.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Who’s your best friend? What’s your favourite food? What makes you laugh the most? What do you think you’ll be doing in ten years? What’s the best thing you’ve done this year?

Step by step

How to make a time capsule

Five steps, one afternoon, and something that will wait for you for years.

1Decide who it’s for and when it will open.
A set date makes it all more exciting: a birthday, the end of school, an anniversary.
2Gather things together.
Get everyone involved: each person chooses one thing to put in, without showing the others.
3Add a letter.
It’s the part people reread most. Describe what your life is like today and what you hope for tomorrow.
4Choose where to keep it.
A well-sealed box, away from damp and light. Or a digital version, where nothing gets damaged or lost.
5Mark the opening date.
Write it on the box and on the calendar. With a digital capsule, Erabox remembers the date for you.

Ideas

Ideas for every occasion

Every capsule has its own story. Here are a few, with what to put in and when to open them.

For a newborn

What to put inThe hospital bracelet, the first photo, a letter from Mum and Dad.
When to open itOn their 18th birthday.

For the family

What to put inA photo of everyone, the answers to the same questions, the menu from dinner.
When to open itEvery New Year’s Eve, to open last year’s.

For a class

What to put inA drawing from each pupil, the class photo, promises for the future.
When to open itOn the last day of secondary school.

For a couple

What to put inYour wedding vows, the first-dance playlist, a letter from each of you.
When to open itOn your tenth anniversary.

For yourself

What to put inA letter to your future self, your goals, what’s on your mind today.
When to open itIn five or ten years.

For a milestone birthday

What to put inMessages from friends and family, photos from the party, the loveliest wishes.
When to open itOn the next birthday ending in a zero.

An example

A letter for the time capsule

The letter is the heart of the capsule: it gives meaning to everything else. Here’s an example written by two parents, to open in ten years’ time.

If you’d like to write to a particular son or daughter, you’ll find more ideas in the guides Letter to my son and Letter to my daughter.

Dear Emma and Leo,

today there are two drawings on the fridge. One is a tiger in the long grass, under a sun that’s completely brown. The other is a blue monster with very, very long arms, holding a little girl’s hand. You explained to us that it’s a kind monster.

We’ve put them in here, together with your answers to our questions. Emma wants to be a vet for tigers. Leo wants to be “as big as the monster”.

When you open this capsule you’ll be taller, maybe more serious, and definitely full of new ideas. We hope you’ve held on to one thing: the courage to draw the world the way you see it.

In the meantime, the fridge is always ready for the next masterpiece.

Mum and Dad

With Erabox

A capsule that opens by itself

Boxes get moved around, forgotten in the loft, damaged by damp. A digital time capsule keeps everything safe and opens on exactly the day you chose.

Box Erabox

Where it staysIn a cupboard, in the loft, in the gardenOn servers in Switzerland

What it holdsPaper, photos, little objectsLetters, photos, voice, video

On the opening daySomeone has to rememberIt arrives by itself, on the chosen day

Over timePaper and photos can get damagedEverything stays as it was

The two go well together: the box for objects, Erabox for letters, voices and videos.

Gather your memories

Write, add photos, record voices and videos.

Choose who will receive it

The person who receives it doesn’t need to sign up or download anything: they’ll receive a personal, secure link.

Choose the day

A birthday, an anniversary, the last day of school, or a date that’s just yours.

See how it works

Frequently asked questions

Time capsule: frequently asked questions

Can’t find your answer? Write to us via Help.

A collection of objects, letters and pictures, sealed today and opened on a chosen date in the future. It lets you rediscover, years later, what life was like at one particular moment.

Things that capture the present: a letter, photos, drawings, little objects, the answers to a few questions, a receipt or a ticket. In a digital version you can also add voice and video.

There’s no rule. For children, 5 or 10 years works well, or their 18th birthday. For a couple, a special anniversary. What matters is choosing a date and not forgetting it.

In an airtight container, somewhere dry and dark. It’s best to avoid damp cellars and anything with batteries. Burying it is a lovely idea, but damp can ruin paper and photos.

With Erabox you write or record your content, add photos and videos, and choose who will receive it and the day it will open. On the chosen day, a personal link arrives, with no need to sign up.

Yes, it’s a wonderful activity for a class. Each pupil brings a drawing or a letter to themselves, and the capsule is opened at the end of a stage of school.

Other words, for other moments

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Start now

Some days deserve a surprise.
Get it ready today.

Create your digital time capsule. It will open by itself, on the day you choose.

Discover what Erabox is

Time capsule.
A piece of today, to open tomorrow.

What is a time capsule?