First Day of School Time Capsule (Free Printable)

My kids are heading into 1st and 2nd grade this year, and one thing that surprised me when school let out last spring was just how much they had changed in a single school year. They were taller, their little hands looked bigger, and even their favorite things had completely changed.

I wanted a simple way to capture all of that at the beginning of the school year so we could look back and compare everything on the last day of school.

This First Day of School Time Capsule is such an easy tradition! Each child gets a bag filled with an All About Me page, a current photo, a traced handprint, and a string cut to their exact height.

Then you seal it up and don't open it again until the last day of school. It's a fun activity for families to do at home and would also make a great classroom activity for teachers.

I'll also be sharing the First Day of School Time Capsule tag and All About Me printable as a free download to make it even easier to put together.

First Day of School Time Capsule

This has to be one of my favorite back-to-school traditions because it's so simple, but it captures so much about your child in just a few minutes. I already can't wait to open ours on the last day of school and see how much my kids have grown!

Supplies

• Quart-size zip-top plastic bag (one per child)
• First Day of School Time Capsule tag (free printable)
• All About Me page (free printable)
• Scissors
• Tape
• Marker or pen
• Camera or phone to take a current photo
• Printer for the photo
• Glue stick or double-sided tape
• String, twine, or yarn
• One sheet of construction paper or cardstock
• Optional: Tissue paper cut into small squares for confetti

Click here to get your free First Day of School Time Capsule printable bundle!

Step 1: Prepare the bag

Print the First Day of School Time Capsule tags, cut them out, and tape one to the front of each quart-size plastic bag.

My bags had store branding printed on one side, so I simply covered it with the printable tag.

Step 2: Print the All About Me page

Print one All About Me page for each child.

I recommend printing 2 pages per sheet of paper and then cutting the page in half. This creates the perfect size to fit inside a quart-size zip-top bag.

Step 3: Fill out the All About Me page

Sit down with your child and interview them using the prompts on the printable.

Write down their favorite things, like their favorite color, food, and anything else included on the page. It's always so much fun to see how many of these answers change over the course of a school year!

The printable also includes a space for a current photo. If you're printing two pages per sheet like I did, the photo space measures 2 inches by 2 inches.

I simply snapped a picture with my phone, resized it in Canva, printed it, and cut it out, but use whatever method works best for you. Attach the photo with a glue stick or double-sided tape.

Step 4: Make a handprint

Place your child's hand on a piece of construction paper or cardstock and trace around it.

Cut out the handprint and add it to the time capsule. This is one of my favorite things to compare at the end of the school year!

Step 5: Measure your child's height

Have your child stand up straight.

Place one end of a piece of string at their feet (I tucked it just slightly under their toe), then pull it straight up to the top of their head. Cut the string to their current height and place it inside the bag.

It's amazing to see how much they've grown when you compare it on the last day of school.

Step 6: Assemble the time capsule

Place everything inside the plastic bag.

I put the All About Me page in first with the photo facing outward so you can see it through the front of the bag. Then I tucked the handprint and height string behind it.

For a fun surprise, I sprinkled in a handful of tissue paper confetti before sealing the bag. You could also use store-bought confetti if you'd like.

Seal the bag and store it somewhere safe until the last day of school. Then open it together and compare everything to see just how much your child has grown and changed over the year!

More Back-to-School Crafts You'll Love

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