Clubhouse Time Capsules, Leap into March!

With all of the excitement of Seuss Week here at the Clubhouse, we definitely didn't want Leap Year to get lost in the shuffle. After all, this is a day that only comes once every 4 years! Armed with a long list of activities that incorporate both leaping and rhyming (you can integrate Dr. Seuss into everything!) I still felt like there was something more I wanted to do with the Clubhouse Kids, and with my own son. So I headed to the internet in search of ideas and stumbled across one that was definitely what I had been missing.

A Leap Year Time Capsule!!

The post that inspired me was written by Are We There Yet Mom? Rebecca, and I found it on Quirky Momma, Kids Activities Blog. You can find it here. She lists a variety of  activities for leap year. I could just leave it at that, her blog covers a lot, but I wanted to share a few ideas specific for those of us who are celebrating, and commemorating, with Preschoolers. 

Start by explaining to your little ones what a Leap Year is! Of course, you could attempt to simplify the Wikipedia definition all on your own... or you could just let them watch a cute little video that does it for you. I love this one.

I must admit, those Veggies sure did clear things up for me on this one. 

Now that they have a better idea of why we have an extra day, let's make that extra day one to remember! This activity is as simple as you want it to be, so let me just tell you how we're going to do it.

We will start with a questionnaire. Do this with just your little one, or as a family. Ask simple questions, and write down all of their answers... verbatim. Capturing exactly where your child is at this point in time is the idea! Here's a look at the questionnaire I whipped up this morning, with some comments/ tips in bold.

**Leap Year 2012**

Name:___________________________________________

How old are you today, February 29^th, 2012?_______________

How old will you be on February 29^th, 2016?________________

(Bonus Math Lesson right there!)

**Favorites**

Color:	Movie:
Friend:	Animal:
Book:	Sport:
Toy:	Food:
Song:	Beverage:

**Measurements**

Weight on February 29, 2012:

Height on February 29, 2012:   -You can also measure them using a string, cutting it to their exact height. Add the string, with a note, to the time capsule. That provides a visual way for them to see how tall they are/ were.

How much do you think you will weigh on February 29, 2016? -These answers are going to be hilarious, that's the best part.

How tall do you think you will be on February 29, 2016?  -These answers are going to be even more hilarious in 4 years,  maybe that's the best part.

**Handprint**

-We did painted hand prints today for all the Clubhouse Kids, (with washable paint of course)... but you can also go the less messy route and just trace their hands on the paper.

**Write your name**

-Even if they write their special "scribble" letters, just let it be. The point is simply to tell them to write their name,  and let them do it all on their own.

**Footprint**

-We did painted footprints today too, but again... you can trace if you want to avoid extra scrubbing at bath time.

Shoe Size:  Oh how this will change :)

Self Portrait: -Tell them to draw a picture of themselves. In 4 years, when you do this again, there self portrait will have changed dramatically.  This is a great way to mark your child's development,  and a nice addition to your scrapbooks!

You can stop there, or keep going with anymore specific questions you may want to ask your child. Also, let your child ask you a few questions and document those questions, and your answers, as well.

For Teachers, send the questionnaire home with the kids, along with their footprints and hand prints. It's a great activity for them to continue at home with their families.

Yes, I laminated them.

For Parents, once you have a completed questionnaire, you can then add anything else you want to your time capsule. 

Here's a list of, as of now, what we will be adding:

• Family photos.
• Photos of our son doing some of his favorite things.
• The front page of the newspaper from February 29th.
• A letter from Mommy to Son, in which I plan to share a few things I love about the age he is now, and including some unforgettable quotes of the past few months (like when he yelled, from the other room, "Momma, I think I need the duct tape!") I may also include some more mushy Mommy stuff. I'm sure I'll cry a little as I write it later this evening.
• A letter from Mommy to Daddy. Since we will be completing this activity as a family, I figure I'll throw something in for the Hubster. I'll spare you the details on that one ;)
• A letter from Daddy to our Son, that he doesn't know he's writing yet. He'll probably just add a few lines and sign my letter... but hey, that works for us.
• A letter from Daddy to Mommy... pssshhhh, yeah right. Who am I kidding with that one? :D
• One of our "family written books"... (you can read about that here, #14.)
• ANYTHING else we might decide to throw in before we seal it up tight!

We may just walk around the house and see what else shows who we are right now. As long as it fits and we don't need it anytime soon.

Which brings me to this tip: Be sure not to put anything in there your child is going to be crying for in 3 days. If they say they want to put in their favorite teddy, or blanket, just take a picture of the item instead and put that in there. This will help avoid any "I don't want to wait until 2016!!!!" tears sometime next week.

Once you have everything, seal it up tight and hide it away. Once upon a time I would have thought four years is a long time. Becoming a Mother has showed me that these years are simply flying by, and I want to remember them in as many ways as I can.

You don't think I forgot to mention the actual capsule, do you?

I found something for us to use, and I let our son start painting it today. It's a little large, but it was just too perfect for us so I had to use it. It's as close to an actual capsule as we were going to get.

I still have no idea where I'll put it for the next four years, but when I do find a spot I may share it with all of you so that, if need be, in 4 years you can remind me where I put it.

You can use anything for the capsule. A nice sized jar, label removed. A shoebox. Tupperware. Whatever works for your family. These projects are meant to be fun, create memories, and give us something to look forward to as a family. So let's not stress over what to put in, or what to put it in... just do it! 

Tomorrow my son can finish decorating the time capsule. Stickers, glitter, whatever he decides. The one thing I will make sure we don't forget is the sign that goes on it after it has been sealed:

Grab a shoe box and have some fun,

Ms. Liz