My husband has always been the more naturally fun parent. While I’d get the snacks together, he’d be the one climbing the rock wall or cannonballing with our girls into the pool. And although I appreciated the creativity of the elaborate pillow forts he and the girls constructed, I much preferred pillows in their proper place.
So, of course, he introduced our daughters to modern-day treasure hunting while on a daddy-daughters outing. I didn’t even know about geocaching until they came home with a glow-in-the-dark bouncy ball and a small plastic puppy. But from then on, our kids wanted to search for treasures every weekend. If you’re looking for a family-friendly outdoor adventure, here are the basics of geocaching with kids to get you started.
Geocaching Basics for Families
Our girls found their first geocache in the parking lot of our local ice skating rink. That’s just one of more than 3 million geocaches to be found worldwide. Here’s how geocaching works. Start by getting a geocaching app on your smartphone. The app lists and describes the caches—or hidden containers—near your current location.
The goal is to work together to follow the coordinates and clues in the description to find a specific container. Containers can vary in size, and most include a logbook to sign. The larger caches typically contain small items to trade. So, bring along something like a toy car, foreign coin, or even a trinket from a fast food joint so your child can pick a prize and leave one behind!
And, hey, if you find yourselves traveling along an interstate and need a new family road trip activity to try, many rest stops include geocaches.
Geocaching With Young Kids
We started geocaching with our girls when they were both under 5. My husband looked for locations on the app that were labeled “kid-friendly” in the description. Those geocaches tend to be easy to navigate and often include spots such as playgrounds, paved walking trails, and libraries. You’ll be surprised how many geocaches may be hiding where you already take your kids.
With young kids, pick the largest geocaches to find. Those containers can be easier to spot than the small ones and also tend to include the best trades. Those little treasures can be the best part for a child and can also prove to be a motivator to keep looking! So, remember to bring something to swap.
And while you’re out and about, looking for a geocache together is a natural time to introduce your young child to basic navigation terms and concepts: north, south, east, west, left, right, up, down.
Geocaching With Elementary-Age Kids
As with young kids, look for geocaches labeled “kid-friendly.” However, you can also hunt for a cache that may involve a little longer walk or hike. Kids in elementary school are at a good age to look for geocaches that also include an educational component. Some caches provide information about local history, wildlife, or geography. We live near an area once known for gold mining. We learned more about it by following the clues of several geocaches. And, as an added unexpected bonus, one find included small nuggets of fool’s gold, which our kids excitedly traded up to receive.
Make the most of your treasure hunting in nature. Discuss the importance of being aware of your surroundings. Point out plants to avoid (hello, poison ivy!), where snakes like to curl up, or even butterfly cocoons out in the wild! Reinforce safety rules and guidelines, such as staying on marked trails, avoiding dangerous areas, and respecting nature. You can even add in a “cache in, trash out” twist by cleaning up litter in the areas you explore together.
For older kids, boost their confidence by letting them hold the phone and lead the hunt. That also gives them practice in using navigation skills.
Geocaching With Tweens and Teens
It’s time to up your game! Geocaching with kids reaches a whole new level when you go with tweens and teens. Put their technology prowess to use (and encourage their growing independence and decision-making) by putting them in charge of using the app to find a cache, take photos of the experience, and log finds online. Challenge them to look for caches that involve “trackables” (items that move from cache to cache) and puzzle caches (finds that involve solving a puzzle to determine final coordinates). Or lead them to look for caches that involve hiking, climbing, or exploring off-the-beaten-path locations.
Also, geocaching can be a fun way to get to know your child’s friends better. Invite them to come along on a night caching adventure. Some caches are specifically designed to be found at night. Plus, your teen is a night owl now anyway! Or challenge your teens to create and place their own geocache.
What’s your favorite geocaching with kids tip?
