What to Put in a Time Capsule (Teen Edition)
What to put in a time capsule: small objects that show what your life looks like right now (a receipt, a ticket, a photo), a few digital things you'd forget (screenshots, playlists, your screen time), a list of this year's slang, and a letter to future you. Keep it dry, skip anything that rots or leaks, and pick an opening date before you seal it.
One thing that'll be hilarious to look back on is how much of your day ran on autopilot, and Brainrot Test gives you that as a score from 0 to 100 you can drop straight into the capsule: Check my brainrot.
Pick when you'll open it
Do this first. The opening date changes what's worth including.
| Open in | Good for | What hits hardest |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | New Year's Eve, start of a school year | Predictions, inside jokes, "who I'm into right now" |
| 3–5 years | End of high school, starting uni | Your goals, your friend group, your phone |
| 10 years | Graduation, 16th or 18th birthday | Prices, slang, tech, what you thought adulthood was |
| 20+ years | Time capsule for future generations | Everyday objects, a "normal day" description |
Write the date on the outside. Then put a reminder in your calendar, your email ("schedule send" works great), or tell a parent. Forgetting where it is happens a lot.
Things to put in a time capsule
Here's a time capsule list that works for a shoebox or a proper time capsule box. Physical stuff first.
Everyday objects
- A receipt from your favorite food place (prices will be wild later).
- A cinema, concert or match ticket.
- Your current school timetable or uni schedule.
- A friendship bracelet, keychain, or pin.
- A photo strip from a photo booth.
- A note passed in class (with permission from the other person).
- A coin or small note in your currency.
- A menu or flyer from somewhere local.
- A page from a planner showing a normal week.
Things that show who you are right now
- Your height, shoe size and handwriting sample.
- Your top five songs, films and shows.
- A list of your friends and how you met each one.
- Your "current obsessions" list.
- Something you made: a drawing, a poem, a recipe.
What to put in a time capsule for school
If it's a class or school project, think group-friendly: a class photo, everyone's signature, a list of the most-used phrases in the classroom, a printed school newsletter, predictions for each person, and your teacher's best catchphrase.
Digital items to save
Most of your life is on your phone, which is exactly why it's worth printing some of it. Phones get replaced, accounts get deleted, and cloud storage doesn't stay around forever.
Print or write down:
- Screenshots of your home screen and your most-used apps.
- Your screen time report for one week. Future you will either laugh or gasp.
- The group chat name and three of its best messages (ask the group first).
- Your current playlists (title and the first ten songs).
- This year's slang. Write ten words with definitions. Words like "rizz," "delulu," "aura" or "brainrot" might sound ancient in five years. (Brainrot Test has a 30-word slang wiki if you need a refresher.)
- The most-viewed video on your camera roll.
- Your brainrot score and tier.
That last one is underrated. Your screen time shows hours, but not how you use your phone.
It's hard to describe your own habits honestly. Brainrot Test does it in seventeen taps about what you actually do when you pick up your phone, gives you a brainrot score from 0 to 100 and a tier compared with everyone who's taken it, plus a share card you can screenshot and print for the box. Check my brainrot
Digital time capsule option
Want a digital time capsule too? Put photos and voice notes in a folder, zip it, and email it to yourself with a clear subject line like "OPEN IN 2031." Also save a copy on a USB stick in the physical box, but know that formats and ports change, so prints are the safest backup.
A letter to future you
The time capsule letter is the bit people cry over. Here's how to write a letter to future self that doesn't feel cringe.
What to write
- Today's date and where you are right now (room, café, bus).
- A normal day: what time you woke up, what you ate, who you texted.
- What's stressing you out. Exams, a crush, a friend fallout. Future you will be glad it passed.
- What you're proud of.
- Predictions: where you'll live, what you'll do, who you'll still be friends with.
- Questions for future you: "Did you ever learn to drive?" "Are you still into that band?"
- One piece of advice you'd give your younger self.
Time capsule questions to answer
- What's the one app I open first every morning?
- What's the biggest thing I'm hoping for this year?
- Who do I talk to the most?
- What's a trend I think will look embarrassing later?
Friend group time capsule
What to put in a time capsule with friends is a whole different vibe. Make it an event:
- Each person brings three things: an object, a photo, and a sealed letter.
- Write predictions for each other. "Most likely to move abroad."
- Record a group voice note or video and save it on a USB stick.
- Pick the opening date together and one person to keep the box. Agree on a backup keeper.
- Sign the outside.
New Year's Eve is perfect for this (see our New Year's Eve party ideas for teens), and so is the last week of senior year. It's an easy tick on any senior year bucket list.
How to seal and store it
What not to put in a time capsule
- Food or sweets (rots, attracts bugs).
- Anything that leaks: batteries, liquids, makeup.
- Rubber bands and some plastics (they break down).
- Your only copy of something irreplaceable.
- Anything with passwords or private info about other people.
How to make a time capsule last
- Use a sturdy airtight container: a plastic storage box with a seal, a metal tin, or a proper time capsule box.
- Put paper items in zip bags or acid-free envelopes. Add a silica gel packet if you have one.
- Store it somewhere cool, dry and dark: top of a wardrobe, under a bed, in a parent's storage. Lofts and garages can get damp or hot.
- Burying it is risky. Water gets in and people forget the spot. If you bury it, double-seal it and map the exact location.
- Label it clearly: names, sealing date, opening date.
Make your score part of the capsule
Take Brainrot Test today, screenshot your score and tier, and put it in the box with your letter. When you open it, you'll know exactly how your phone habits looked this year. It takes seventeen taps.
FAQ
What are good things to put in a time capsule?
Receipts, tickets, photos, a playlist, your timetable, a list of this year's slang, a screenshot of your home screen and a letter to future you. Small everyday things are often the most interesting later.
What do you write in a time capsule letter to your future self?
Describe a normal day, what's stressing you, what you're proud of, and your predictions. Add a few questions for future you. Keep it honest rather than polished.
What should you not put in a time capsule?
Skip food, batteries, liquids, rubber bands and your only copy of anything precious. Also avoid private info about other people or passwords.
What should I put in a time capsule with friends?
Each friend brings an object, a photo and a sealed letter, plus predictions for each other and a group voice note. Agree on an opening date and who keeps the box.
How long should a time capsule be buried or kept?
One to ten years works best for personal capsules, because you'll still remember it. For what to put in a time capsule for future generations, choose 20 years or more and focus on everyday objects and a description of a normal day.