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Tips
for
Geocaching With The Kids...
Geocaching with your children can be strictly for fun or you can take it
as an opportunity to use it as an educational trip disguised in fun.
For instance it can be a learning experience by teaching them to read a
map, use a compass or just improve outdoor skills. You may find that
you can turn the event into a small history, science or geography lesson
in the process of your find. You can make it fun for the kids by
including a list of items to look for along the way to keep their
interest.
You
should have the kids join in the location selection for your cache
search. It is beneficial to all for you to adhere to the terrain and
difficulty ratings especially if your will be traveling with small
children. A traditional cache is the size that should contain items for
trading. Click here for information on
Geocache types.
Once you
get to the location remember that the final 100 feet can be the most
difficult because the cache will often be cleverly hidden. Try and leave
it up to the kids to find the cache to add to the excitement. Use
your clues to help with the process. Check for things that
look out of the ordinary like a pipe sticking out of the ground with a
screw off cap, an unnatural pile of rocks or a pile of sticks. This is
where it helps to know the type of container that you are looking to
find.
When you
locate a cache, it usually will contain small items to trade. You will
find that this is the best part of the adventure for the kids. Cache
etiquette requires that if you remove an item you need to replace it
with something of equal or higher value. In some caches you may
find traceable items known as geocoins or travel bugs. These items have
an identification number on them that you should write down. You can
use this number to look them up on geocaching.com to see where they have
been. Travel bugs and Geocoins usually have a travel goal stated by the
owner so you are expected to help it on its journey by placing it in a
different cache within a reasonable amount of time.
Prior
to leaving on your adventure help the kids to select items for trading.
It is important that you have at least one item for each child.
Put things in zip lock plastic bags for extra protection.
Remember
tems must be
non-persishable.
A few things that any child would love to find:
-
Small
toys from the
dollar store
-
Bouncy
balls
-
Playing
cards
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Miniature
flashlight
-
Keychain
-
Golf ball
-
Magnets
-
Coins
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Jax set
-
Gel pen
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Stickers
-
Stencils
-
Scrapbook Supplies
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Arts
and Crafts Supplies
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Marbles
-
Packet
of flower seeds
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Baseball Cards
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Yoyo's
-
Match
box cars
-
Pins
-
Patches
-
Pencils
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Erasers
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Finger
puppets
-
Dice
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Post
card
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Something that
represents your state or country
-
You can get
really creative and have the kids make craft items to put in the
cache.
Craft Ideas
For Geocaching Trades:
-
Beaded safety pins: take a large safety pin and simply slide
different colored beads onto the straight section and then close it.
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Friendship Bracelet: Make a bracelet out of beads or thread.
-
Construct
a magnet: Attach a magnet to a small seashell, painted wooden disk,
or a flat back glass marble (used for vases).
-
Make
a book marker and laminate it.
-
Create a "Geo-Ball"
- Take a golf ball and using sharpie markers add a face to the front
and the date/state on the back.
-
Decorate a pen or
pencil with feathers, ribbon or beads.
What To Do After You Find The Cache?
It is
extremely important that you seal the cache and return it to the
location it was found in the exact way it was discovered.
Return home and
log back into your caching website. Find your cache page and follow
directions to log your visit.
Remember that the cache owner will be notified of your log and is always
interested in knowing the condition of the cache and any obstacles that
you may have encountered. |
