Geocaching as a New Family Activity

Looking for a new family activity? There are unlimited family activity ideas that fit your family situation based on several factors such as ages of children, preferences on activity intensity and location among other factors, but we have found that geocaching has become our favorite event for a weekly family activity. For those unfamiliar with geocaching, it is like a treasure hunt that you can go on practically anywhere. Cachers, people that have hidden little boxes of trinkets or logbooks, hide their “cache” and upload the GPS coordinates to a number of websites. Then other individuals or families use a GPS device to search for the hidden items.

Geocaching makes a perfect family activity because you can search for easy or progressively difficult caches. If you have small children, even little ones in strollers, you can choose to search for a cache in an urban area or just off a gentle path in the park. For the more adventurous family activities, you can combine multiple searches across more rugged terrain if you have older kids that are up for a really challenging family activity.

The beauty in geocaching is that you can use almost any smartphone, and considering that so many people have a smart phone these days there is not much barrier to entry. Once you have selected some potential sites to look for, head out for them and let the gps steer your way. This in itself is something that kids will enjoy. If you have several kids, they can take turns with the phone or gps. Even though the gps will lead you right to the area, you still have to seek out the hiding place. Some caches can be as small as little film canisters, while some might be old ammo boxes purchased from an army surplus store. Either way, they will be hidden out of direct site. Again the kids have an opportunity to search for the exact location.

Once you have found the cache you still are not done with this family activity. Depending on the type of cache, it may have little trinkets inside that you can exchange with new items you bring along. Or it could just contain a logbook in which you can add your name to the list of those that found the cache. Geocaching is a unique family activity that can be adapted for most families.