I know parents of middle-aged kiddos will feel me when I say that life is starting to get expensive. Every activity my kids seem to want to do — go roller skating, go to the movies, go to the trampoline park — seem to come with a large price tag. It’s easy for us to spend $100 on an afternoon of family fun together, and that doesn’t even count meals.
Suffice to say, we are always on the hunt for FREE outdoor adventures we can do together as a family.
Enter Geocaching.
What is Geocaching?
If you aren’t familiar, Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use GPS on a mobile device to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches” at specific locations marked by coordinates.
A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a log and sometimes a pen or pencil. The geocacher signs the log with the date and their name, in order to prove that they found it. After, the cache must be placed back exactly where it was found. Larger containers may also contain items for trading, such as toys, trinkets, or coins.
In simple terms, it’s a worldwide scavenger hunt! And for adventure-loving families, it’s the perfect activity. Not only is a free to do, but it’s a great way to get in outdoor time.
We recently ventured to find caches in our area, and had no shortage of fun within a 5-mile radius of our home. There are caches all over, and some are stealthy — and rewarding — to find.
Fun fact: There are more than 2,200 caches around Ann Arbor alone!
How to Geocache:
- Download the Geocaching app on your phone {we do not have the premium version and it still offers plenty of fun}.
- Set your location to see where caches are hidden.
- Navigate to the location. Some caches aren’t perfectly spot on, which makes the adventure even more fun. Most containers are covered in camo, so make sure to look hard. Containers will NOT be buried, so make sure to look up and not down if you’re struggling 😉
- Bring along a pen so you can sign the log to show you visited {nicknames are fun!}, and mark it off as logged on your phone. If you take photos, make sure not to reveal the cache location and spoil the surprise for others.
- Take a trinket if there is some, but make sure to leave one as well. {We left cute stickers on our adventure. Other popular items are coins, temporary tattoos, magnets and small toys. Not all caches have items — but better to be prepared when heading out!}
NOTE: Geocaching can look kind of odd in public, so if someone is staring, or wondering what you are looking for, make sure to explain what you are doing! For this reason, I wouldn’t do this at night. People who do not geocache are called “muggles” — so you may see that wording in the app. Other terms can be found here.
Now that our family has the hang of it, we’re planning to do it cities we visit, and even will be adding hiding some geocaches to our summer bucket list.
Geocaching and Mother Nature
One of the founding principles of Geocaching is CITO – Cache In, Trash Out, so for this reason, consider bringing a bag to collect any trash you may find around the cache. Springtime is a wonderful time for some clean up after the snow has melted.
Overall geocaching is a wonderful way to have some fun, be adventurous, and help clean up our planet. What could be better than that?!
Have you been geocaching? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below!
{If your family loves treasure hunts, check out how to plan a scavenger hunt in your town!}
Leave a Reply