Coronavirus Kent: Time capsule printable sheets for children to record time in lockdown

The coronavirus outbreak has undoubtedly found a large place in the history books. But as we move through this pandemic how can we best record our own experiences, especially for family members too young to remember it years from now?

If you'd like to create a record of your time in lockdown, we have some print outs and ideas to easily help you build your very own family time capsule. You might wish to collect these items in a scrap book or folder or gather them in a box you can add to as time goes on. Here are some of the things you could include:

How will you remember this time when the country was asked to stay home?
How will you remember this time when the country was asked to stay home?

1. Time capsule downloads

To get your started we've designed two templates to help you quickly gather information from your family that are available by clicking here.

The first is called 'All about me' and enables your children to record some things about themselves such as the what they've enjoyed about lockdown and what they miss. It also asks them to list three things they'd like to do when this is all over. Great questions to look back on in years to come!
The second sheet 'Interview your parents' is for kids to record how mums, dads and carers feel about the current situation. It includes questions about home school and what you're finding a challenge and should help children make an easy record of their parents thoughts and feelings.

You could even grandparents or other family members and ask some of the same questions.

Have you still got your letter from Boris Johnson?
Have you still got your letter from Boris Johnson?

2. The Prime Minister's letter to households

At the beginning of April the government announced it would be sending a letter from Boris Johnson to 30 million households across the UK.

Complete with a leaflet about coronavirus the Prime Minister wrote 'It's important for me to level with you - we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations and the more we all follow the rules the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal."

If you've still got your copy sitting in a letter rack, it's definitely something to add in.

The Queen's coronavirus broadcast. Picture credit: BBC
The Queen's coronavirus broadcast. Picture credit: BBC

3. The Queen's address

In a rare televised speech to the nation and the Commonwealth on April 5, Her Majesty The Queen urged people to show strength during the coronavirus crisis. From her home in Windsor Castle the 94-year-old thanked the NHS and other frontline workers and urged the rest of us to stay home in order to protect those most at risk.

She said: "I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country.

"The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future." Copies of the speech in full are available on the internet, it would be a great addition to your time capsule.

Add your local paper to you time capsule collection
Add your local paper to you time capsule collection

4. A KM Group newspaper

Trusted news has never been more important, and throughout the coronavirus the KM Group has continued to print and distribute its newspapers bringing you the latest developments from around the county.

If you can pick up a copy next time you're food shopping it will provide you with a record of how your community responded to the challenges of the outbreak. I

f you can't get out perhaps you could print some stories from Kentonline instead to add to your scrap book collection? You can also access our newspapers digitally here.

Have your children been writing to relatives? Collect those letters for a capsule.
Have your children been writing to relatives? Collect those letters for a capsule.

5. Letters from family, friends and schools

Perhaps your children's grandparents have sent handwritten letters during lockdown? Or have their friends put messages and cards through your letterbox during a daily walk?

Maybe when schools closed in March your children's teacher sent them home with official letters about the closures or they've been sent emails since from their headteacher updating them on home schooling. Has anyone celebrated a birthday with messages inside or even been sent a lockdown-related birthday card?

Round up any correspondence you've received in the past five weeks and add it to your growing collection! And if you've sent messages to grandparents for our special pull-out, don't forget to collect that too from May 4.

Don't forget to print of your moments in lockdown
Don't forget to print of your moments in lockdown

6. Photographs

Mobile phones and tablets mean that we document our daily lives often. But so many photos sit on camera rolls never to be seen again.

Pick some of your key moments from lockdown and have those pictures printed. It could be in image of your children in home school, clapping for carers, or even out on their daily exercise. If they've learnt a new skill in lockdown, such as riding a bike - take a picture of that too! Some of you may have even sent your pictures and had them featured on Snapshot Kent.

They are your record of this episode of history we find ourselves living through and will be lovely to look back on in the years to come.

Pupils across the county have drawn rainbow pictures. Collect your children's for a family time capsule.
Pupils across the county have drawn rainbow pictures. Collect your children's for a family time capsule.

7. Rainbow artwork

Rainbows have become a symbol of hope around the country since the coronavirus outbreak.

Children have decorated windows, coloured pictures for the NHS and sent messages adorned with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Before you finish your time capsule and close the cover or lid on it, don't forget to round-up pictures or posters in your front windows as part of the collection. And if you haven't got round to designing one yet or you'd like to do a fresh one especially for your scrap book here's a poster to decorate here.

For more family-related news and events visit www.mykentfamily.co.uk

Share this story

Helpful links

Local news