Photo Time Capsule

This is the time of  year that people look back on the past year and think of the new coming year. I hope all of you , Dear Readers, had a wonderful year, a time of strengthening relationships with your grandchildren and having lots of fun with them.

In looking forward to this New Year, I thought of a great activity that you can do with your grandchildren on New Year’s Eve — a Photo Time Capsule.

There are lots of different ways to do a photo time capsule depending on your situation and interest. The main idea is to take pictures throughout the  year of your grandchildren, put them in some sort of container, tuck the container away for a while, and then pull it out and look at all of the fun pictures.

Here are some ideas to help you get started on your own photo time capsule.

• You take pictures of your grandchildren on the first day of every month, or the 15th, or whatever day you decide. If you select a specific date, it will be easier to remember to take pictures.
• Have your grandchildren can take self-portraits or pictures of their family members throughout the year.
• Include pictures of the activities you do with grandchildren.
• Include pictures of a family reunion (if you have one).
• Include pictures of your grandchild taken on his or her birthday, the first day of school, the last day of school, in their Halloween costume, at dance recitals, school programs, soccer games, etc.
• If you have newborn grandchildren, take their picture with a stuffed animal. The pictures through the months will show how much your grandchild has grown in comparison to the stuffed animal.
• If grandchildren lose teeth, make sure you include them smiling a toothless grin.
• If a grandchild gets a driver’s  license, take a picture of him or her holding their license.
• Include pictures of ‘first dates’ of older grandchildren.
• If your grandchildren do not live close by,  have them e-mail you the photos that they take so you can put them in the photo time capsule
• Print the photos up, put in plastic pages for photos, put in a binder, and then in the container. Seal it  up to be opened in 2, 5, or 10 years (whatever length of time you decide).
• Grandchildren can write a letter to themselves that tell what grade they are in, what subjects in school they are taking, who their friends are, what their favorite activities are, etc. The letter can be included in the container.
• Or, print the photos on regular 8 x 11 pieces of paper. Put the pagers in plastic sheet protectors, in a binder, and seal in a box.
• Or, put the pictures on a CD.
• If you are really digitally talented, you can make a movie out of the pictures and burn it to a DVD. (On a Windows’ based computer, you can use Photo Story. On a Mac you can use iMovie.)
• If you are a super granny, you can make a book (using Shutterfly.com or Mixbook.com) for each child. When you open the photo time capsule, everyone can enjoy seeing the pictures and each grandchild will have their own book of all of the pictures.

I recommend that you label your time capsule with the date and time that it should be open. If you’re like me, you’ll probably forget when you’re supposed to open it. The label will help you remember when you stumble across it in your closet.

When it is the designated time to open the time capsule, have a party. Have food. Play games. Hug and kiss your grandchildren. Tell them that you love them.

Here’s wising you a spectacular New Year!