We love to go geocaching with our family. For those that don’t know, geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches,” at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.
We go geocaching with our children every chance we get and I wanted to share with you 5 reasons why you should try it with yours.
#1 Getting your kids outside
On the weekends, screens have taken such an important place in our kids’ lives. The kids get up and right away turn on the televisions or ask to play Minecraft on the computer. From there, they want to play on the PlayStation or watch videos on their tablet… STOPPPPP ! It’s time to get your kids out of their bedroom and geocaching is a great excuse.
#2 Spending time with the family
Take a mobile phone with you and your family to go on a real-world treasure hunt. You can go at any time and anywhere in the world. Your children will remember this time you spent together and will just love it. So be sure to enjoy these moments creating beautiful family memories.
#3 Having fun
If you doubt that your kids will be interested in this new activity, try this test:
Instead of just telling your children “Would you like to go for a walk?” because the usual answers will be “I don’t want to” or “Why?” Next time, try saying “We are going on a secret mission, looking for treasures that have been hidden. We will use the GPS on the phone to find secret hiding places of containers, called geocaches.”
I’m sure the kids will have already put on their coats and their shoes and will be waiting by the car to go. Why? Because it’s so exciting to look for hidden treasures!
#4 Discovering unknown places
Before you head out the door, make sure you download the Geocaching app on your mobile phone at home. Create a free account and use the app to find geocaches nearly anywhere. There are geocaches everywhere, by the sea, in the countryside, in big cities, around lakes, and more. There are millions of geocaches in more than 220 countries.
# 5 Rediscovering the nature that surrounds us
Between geocaches, take a few moments with your kids to admire and explain the nature around you: the red leaves, the ducks, the mushrooms. Make sure you appreciate being outside and talk about all the various forms of life all around you.
Once you get started, you’ll see there are different size of geocaches and different levels of difficulties. Pay attention to the directions as sometimes you will find clues to help your search. When you finally find a geocache, open it, and follow the indicated instructions.
Before you leave it, make sure to sign the log book in the container. Sometimes you will find a small item that you can replace with one that belongs to you.
I wish you a good geocaching!
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