First, I have some proud-mama news: Travis has graduated from High Five magazine (which we’ve subscribed to since he was two years old) to Highlights magazine! I noticed he’d grown bored of High Five’s crafts and recipes, and sensed it was time for a change. When his Welcome issue arrived, he had to dive in right away, and we couldn’t wait to read the comics, puzzles, and stories. The magazine is billed for ages 6 to 12, so we’re starting young, but Travis is so proud to be reading the “big boy” version.

One project we needed to try right away: a photo time capsule.

I set Travis up with the instant camera, as well as cute photo frames to slot the prints into, and challenged him to find things he loved around the house that represent this time period.

Some ideas include favorite books, favorite games, and favorite foods.

Here his superhero figures pose for a pic!

Highlights also suggested capturing family meals, pets, or school tests in a picture, although we skipped those. Some of his choices were not what I would have spent ten instant photos on, but it’s his capsule, and turned out adorable. When I questioned why he snapped the bread loaf from his toy food set, he said, “Because I like to eat bread in restaurants!”

And of course we captured bigger things, like baby sister Veronika, and his bedroom at this age.

Make sure to label the photos, then seal in an envelope. Travis wanted to decorate the envelope all yellow so it was “happy”.

We taped it shut, and wrote this directive: “Do not open until 2029!” We’ll see you in 10 years, time capsule!