Hidden treasure, tantalizing clues and picturesque locations. The latest Hollywood blockbuster? Nah, just a super-fun, low-cost, educational activity called geocaching that’s perfect for family boaters looking for a fun new activity to try with the kids on your next excursion.
A 21st century variant on hide-and-go seek, geocaching (rhymes with “mashing”) was started just over a decade ago, and today 4 million people participate. Here’s a three-step primer on what geocaching is all about and how you can integrate it into your family boating trips.
When taking kids, you’ll want to start with a cache that’s relatively easy to find so they’ll be guaranteed a positive experience. Each cache is rated on a five-point scale in two categories, difficulty and terrain (labeled “D/T” on the site). For your first geocaching excursion, look for the following:
- a 1/1 difficulty/terrain rating,
- a “traditional” cache type (rather than more challenging versions)
- a “regular” or “large” cache size
Double-checking that other geocachers have recently logged finds—indicated by a smiley face icon—will help ensure that the cache is still in place. Browsing the cache entries is also a good way to find helpful boating-specific information, such as whether the cache is accessible by boat, land or both, and whether you’re better off docking, beaching your boat, or anchoring and swimming to shore.
2) Gearing up for caching: First and foremost, you’ll need a GPS or GPS-enabled device to guide you and your family to the treasure. A basic GPS that your child can use to help monitor your progress is a good choice and provides a great opportunity to introduce your kids to basic navigation.
With the increased popularity of smartphones, corresponding apps have emerged that enable you to use these mobile devices for geocaching, so this is an option you may want to consider. The iPhone app, for example, runs $9.99 and allows you to search for, navigate to and log geocaches.
Next you’ll need items to leave at the cache. Inexpensive toys and trinkets are the norm, with examples including matchbox cars, CDs, Beanie Babies, hat/lapel pins, pens and thousands of similar items.
Don’t forget to pack whatever gear you’ll need to keep you and the kids comfortable while you’re in the great outdoors hunting for treasure, such as suntan lotion, bug spray, bottled water, snacks, etc.—all of which are likely already part of your boating equipment arsenal.
Each cache will contain a log book where you can enter your name and notes, and most also contain various treasure items. Common etiquette is to leave an item of equal or greater value than what you’re taking. This is also a great opportunity for you to reinforce the idea of leaving an area looking better than when you arrived, so make sure to remove any trash as you exit the premises.
When you’re back home, you and your kids can log on to geocaching.com to post pictures and describe your experience. And with a successful geocaching experience under your belt, it won’t be long before you’re be ready to search for your next cache, perhaps branching out to higher difficulty levels or even registering and hiding your own cache for others to find!
Have you gone boating and geocaching with your kids? Share your experiences and tips.
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