Geocaching, a GPS enabled treasure hunt, sounded like the perfect summer activity for our family. What kid wouldn’t want the adventure of using technology to search for hidden treasure? In theory we were all in… but reality was a little different. Here’s everything you need to know before you go geocaching with kids.
Across the globe, people are searching for and leaving behind small treasures for other treasure seekers. It seemed like the perfect activity to add to our summer vacation. In my mind the possibilities were endless. We could do this on all of our trips and even near our home. Why hadn’t I heard of this before? I did some research online and it seemed like a slam dunk.
How to Get Started
It’s really easy to get started geocaching. You need to download the Geocaching App to a phone or tablet that has cellular service and create a free account. There are options to upgrade your membership to be able to find more difficult caches in the future, but I’d recommend starting with the basic free membership.
You also need some “treasure” to leave behind at each of the caches we found. We found that this varied greatly depending on the cache we found, but think small birthday party favors. I swung by our local grocery store’s toy section and picked up a pack of 12 plastic dinosaurs. They each seemed big enough to serve as treasure for a future hunter.
Ready to Geocache
Once you’ve got your app and your treasure it’s time to get started. With your location services on, go into the app and search for the green cache markers that are near you. Once you click on one, the name of the cache and its proximity to you will pop up. If you click on the white box, it will bring you in to a screen to navigate towards the cache. There is also a description of the cache and the recent activity, including who found or did not find the cache and their notes about its location or condition. I highly recommend reading the most recent activity notes before you set out to find a cache.
The Good and the Bad
We started by selecting a cache that was not far from where we had been hiking. The boys loved the opportunity to use the phone to navigate towards the cache, telling us where to turn and how much farther to go. The app says it gets you within 30 feet, so once we got close, we knew we just had to search around. All four of us got in on the action, searching all around the area. We also reviewed the activity notes and found a few clues that assisted us in locating it.
I’ve got to be honest. It was exciting when we found the cache. This one was in a large metal box. Some are also in smaller plastic containers, but all are labeled with a geocaching symbol on them. When we opened it there was a log book, which each member signs, and a plastic bag filled with small toys. The boys each exchanged a dinosaur for one of the toys that was there and we returned it to its rightful place. The quest was fun and finding treasure was exciting. We couldn’t wait to try a few more.
Unfortunately, our subsequent geocaching experiences were not nearly as exciting. On our next quest, we had to walk through a field of large thistles to get to the cache. When we finally found it, we discovered that the container wasn’t big enough to hold anything more than the log book, so there was no treasure. The next quest brought us to a rocky area where the last two searchers did not find the cache and we were unable to locate it as well. I clued in to the importance of reading the activity log ahead of time and was certain I was ready to set out again the next day.
On our third trip geocaching, I selected a place where three caches were located within .5 mile. I felt confident that between the three caches we’d find some great treasure. We couldn’t locate the first cache, despite being found recently and reading several tips. The second cache took a long time to find, but we found it! The boys were so excited. When we opened it there were a few plastic beads from a broken necklace, a metal washer, a few pennies and a few dead wildflowers. They were devastated. It was hot and they had searched and searched and this was not the outcome they were expecting. Needless to say we didn’t even look for the third one.
The Reality
Geocaches are created and maintained by people who enjoy geocaching. The reality of that is that they are not all well maintained. Reading the recent activity on a cache before visiting will give you an idea of the condition ahead of time. We found that some people had noted that caches were waterlogged, missing, or empty. Understanding that ahead of time can prevent you from being disappointed when you arrive and find it in poor condition.
Geocaching with kids can be a lot of fun, especially if you focus on the hunt, rather than the treasure. A lot is dependent on the person who created it and all of the people who have visited before you. Depending on where and when you go, you could end up with a great treasure and a really fun experience. But you can also end up feeling devastated that you did not find anything or that you may found the box, but there’s no treasure inside. It’s a good idea to explain this to your kids up front to help mitigate the possible disappointment.
We gave up geocaching for the time being, but I know the boys will want to try again. The opportunity to hunt for treasure is just too great!
Have you ever gone geocaching? What did you find?
