Create your map

An adoption day star map

An adoption star map shows the stars above the place and day your family grew. Families choose the day they met, the day the child came home, the court day, or the day they call gotcha day. You add a name and a message, and we print it on matte art paper.

It's a keepsake for the child's room and a gift from grandparents, godparents and friends. It records an arrival, so it belongs to the day your family found each other.

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Which day, time and place to choose

Adoptive families keep different days. Some mark the day they met their child, some the day the child came home, some the day a judge made it final. There's no single right one. Choose the day your family talks about.

Use the city or town where it happened: the courthouse, the agency office, the airport, the hospital or the home. For an adoption abroad, use the city where you met your child and enter the local time there. We use the time zone of that place, so you don't need to work out the time difference.

If you have the exact minute from a court record, a photo or a flight record, use it. If not, choose the time you remember. The sky moves slowly across an hour.

Families use different words for the day: adoption day, family day, gotcha day or none of them. Use your family's words in the title.

Poster title ideas

Message ideas

Sharing the day with the whole family

In an open adoption, some families give a second print to the child's birth family. If that fits your family, make one map and order two prints.

If you celebrate more than one day, make a map for each one and hang them side by side.

Giving it as a gift

Grandparents, godparents and friends can order the print and ask the parents for the day. A message about welcoming the child into the family is the heart of the gift.

A framed print is ready to hang the day it arrives, so the parents have one job less.

A theme for a child's room

Starlight is a light paper with dark ink, and it's a soft choice for a nursery or a bright room. Midnight and Eclipse give a night sky look that suits a darker wall.

Turn on the Moon if the day had one in the sky. We calculate its position and phase for your place and time.

What customers say

  • “Such a beautiful approach to capturing a special moment. A minimal yet sentimental gift, perfect for the one you love.”
    Celeste M.
  • “Very pleased with the print quality. Made a lovely anniversary gift for my girlfriend! A+”
    Niall B.
  • “Excellent idea for remembering a special date. Great service and fast delivery, highly recommend it!”
    Catalina P.

Questions

Star maps for other occasions

Start with the night you want to keep.

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