Geocaching: Fun for geeky moms, dads and kids

My kids are older than many of yours, but I want to share my experience with geocaching because sometimes new moms need a mission to get them out of the house and this could be it.

Here’s what it is:

Trinkets or “caches” have been hidden all around the world and clues are found on a Geocaching website and/or app. You set up an account (pay a small subscription fee to get the worth-the-money extras) and then look for caches near you. (Your phone knows where you are.)

Caches are typically small containers; many are altoids tins or film cannisters, but they can be as big as a piece of tupperware.

Clues tell you the main destination such as “Cedar Rose Park”, and then more hints to help you get closer, like “near a water source”. The GPS on your phone helps you hone in in the exact place, showing how close you are in real-time, in terms of feet. It’s like playing hot/cold. Finally, spying the cache is the trickiest part. It could be tucked under a loose brick or inside a stump. See these two sneaky spots where 7-year old Theo hit the jackpot?

My kids love to find geocaches, especially the large ones that have goodies inside. If you go out “caching” bring along a few trinkets of your own, like plastic animals or foreign coins.

Geocaching is one way to lure reluctant children out walking on an errand. There are caches all over the place, so it’s not hard to find one nearby. Seeking them out is popular amongst the outdoorsy crew who hike into the woods to find them, but as a city girl I’ve found plenty next to pizza joints and urban playgrounds.

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.