Time Capsules

Time capsules came to mind when thinking of ways to get to know the children at Sesat School, and also practice some imaginative writing. I have such fond memories of making time capsules with my family and at school when I was younger. The excitement and anticipation that comes with opening one and seeing what is inside is exhilarating, but even more engaging and fun is figuring out what to write. 

During circle time, we spent time talking about what time capsules are. One boy shared that he didn't know what the word capsule meant, so we worked on contextualizing it. When I shared the idea of the project, that we would be sealing and burying them, he added that he thought it was a special kind of jar. This led to a conversation about what exactly was so special about this jar. A girl decided that if it was going to be in the ground, that it would need to be protected from things like dirt and rain. A girl added that bugs needed to stay out as well. We then talked about the time component, that we would't see these jars for some time. That they would represent who we are, but just right now. That we might open them and think that we were much older and bigger than we were then. 

After figuring out that the lid would need to be on tight and that we would put strong tape around the lid, we moved to the table to begin working on what would go inside the jar. The children began by writing their names, the date, and the date that they would open it. As a group, it was decided that a year would be an ideal amount of time, specifically because they would have forgotten what they had written by then. That way they would be surprised!

The prompts asked questions about interests, dreams and wishes. The drawing prompts asked what the classroom looked like, and to trace their hands. A girl asked why we were tracing our hands, and another child quickly answered that they would be bigger when we opened the jar, and that way we could see how much they grew. I added that their classroom might change as well, and so drawing an aerial map would help us remember how things used to be. 

As tempting as it is to share the lovely and inventive responses and drawing that made their way into the jars, it will have to wait until they are opened! One that caught my attention was one child's dreams and wishes page, on which he drew himself flying. 

 Working on filling out our favorite things to do. 

Girl finishing up a trace of her hand. 

A boy writes down his love for building things. 

 Satirically, a girl demonstrates how much she thinks she 

will grow by the time the jars are opened. 

Another girl shares too. 

Marking their jars with permanent marker. 

We gather tools for burying the jar, and choose a spot in the front garden.  

Putting the final pieces of duct tape on the jar. 

Working to dig a whole that is deep enough. 

See you next year jars!