Geocaching has become one of our favorite family activities over recent years, especially during the summer when we are looking for any excuse to get outdoors.
For those not familiar with geocaching, it’s basically a type of outdoor scavenger hunt using GPS coordinates — and it’s a BLAST!
There are millions of geocaches hidden around the world and there may be some right in your neighborhood, just as we discovered when we first started. The types of geocaches you find on your hunts range in size from micro to large containers with trinkets hidden inside. They may be so small or so well camouflaged that you walk by them on a regular basis without noticing. The easiest way to get started is by downloading the geocaching app by Groundspeak on to your GPS equipped phone. This video from geocaching.com explains further.
So now that you have a better understanding of what geocaching is, here are our top five reasons why geocaching is a great family activity and why our family loves geocaching together.
1. It’s a fun activity for all ages
With kids ranging from preschool age to teens, it can sometimes be difficult to find activities that everyone enjoys. Geocaching really is enjoyable for all ages. Adults enjoy the challenge of finding some of the more difficult caches and kids enjoy the search, because it’s just like in a treasure hunt.
2. Geocaching promotes family bonding
You really have to work together to coordinate which direction everyone should be looking and who should search certain spaces. Finding a cache requires a group effort and when a cache is found, it is a group success.
3. It gets the family outdoors
Geocaching can be done anywhere. Sometimes we pull into a parking lot and pile out to find a cache within a few feet, but our favorites are the ones that require a little more effort. It is amazing how hiking includes a lot less whining when the kids know there is a geocache at the end of the trail.
4. Geocaching is free
Assuming you already have a phone enabled with GPS, the only cost involved is the cost to download the app. Besides that, it is a free, fun activity that gets your family working together in the great outdoors. Some of the bigger caches have little trinkets and your kids can choose something to take home. Etiquette says that “if you take something, you leave something behind,” but if your kids are like mine, this shouldn’t be a problem. My kiddos have a lot of little things lying around the house, so every once in a while I’ll collect some of these items to keep in the car for just such an occasion.
5. It teaches persistence
Some of my kids tend to give up on things easier than others, but if we are geocaching and we all decide we won’t be going anywhere until the cache is found (mostly because of my own stubbornness) then the kids recommit to helping find the cache. This is an easy way to teach kids about being persistent and not giving up.
Besides these five reasons, Denver is a great city to try out geocaching. There are plenty of both urban and rural geocaches to keep you busy for a very long time.
[…] out for a Geocaching […]
This sounds like fun! My son and I actually found a geocache by accident once, and we’ve been thinking about doing it. The one we found was just a little capsule with paper for writing down your names. I didn’t know about the item exchange. I’ll have to collect some things and get that app. Thanks!