Geocaching with kids can be a pleasurable adventure for families. It helps children learn to appreciate nature while they are getting some much-needed exercise.  Nearly all kids will cringe at the thought of going on a hike.  Yet  if you take them geocaching, they don’t mind all the walking. In fact, they are eager to do it.  In addition, children love the idea of a treasure hunt.

Here are 15 tips for geocaching with kids to help guarantee your entire family has a great time.

1. Let your kids decide on their own signature name to use to sign the logbooks in the caches they find.  If they are old enough, let them join geocaching.com and create their own account so they will be able to log their own finds.
2. If possible, get your kids their own GPS.  There are low-priced units like the Geomate Jr  that are perfect for children.  If you have to share one, make sure your kids take turns navigating to the cache.
3. When searching for caches to hunt for, pay special attention to difficulty and terrain ratings on the cache descriptions to rule out the ones that may be too difficult for your kids to finish.  Also make sure to check for hints.  Take a minute to glance at the earlier logs to make sure the cache has been found recently.  Geocaching is no fun for kids if they can’t recover the cache because it was too difficult or the cache is missing.
4. While micro caches can be enjoyable due to the challenge of finding something so small, kids possibly won’t like them as much for the reason that they don’t have room for trading items.  When geocaching with kids, it’s best to pick out regular size caches to guarantee your children get the most enjoyment.
5. Instruct kids to be discrete when searching for geocaches.  Muggles, (non-geocachers) can be suspicious of your activities if they are {not familiar with|unaware of|unacquainted with the game of geocaching.  Instruct your children to be subtle around other people when searching for the cache.  Stick to caches located in parks and wooded areas.
6. Bear in mind that kids tend to walk slower and tire more easily than adults.  You may not have a chance to get to every cache that you had planned to visit. Try hunting for those a different day.
7. Let every child pack a small backpack with trade items to take along on your geocaching hunts.  If each child has their own trade items, there is less likely to be any bickering, which makes for a more enjoyable experience for everyone.  Good SWAG items are Happy Meal toy, bouncy balls, sticker sheets, and small toys that you find at the dollar store.  Be sure that all your trade items are in well-sealed plastic bags in case the cache becomes wet.
8. Make sure to bring along a water bottle for everybody in the family.  Since geocaching typically involves a lot of hiking, you want to guarantee that everyone has an adequate amount of water to drink.   It is critical to stay hydrated, even on cooler days.   It is a good idea to purchase a reusable water bottle for all family members for use each time you go out geocaching.  A carabineer clip is useful to attach the water bottles to backpacks, especially if the lids get tired of hauling theirs around.
9. Bring a snack along for everyone.  Long hikes can burn up a lot of calories.  Having a healthy snack along the way can give everyone the energy to keep going.  Granola bars and fresh fruit are some good choices.
10. Carry a small first aid kit with you. Hand sanitizer and tweezers are a valuable addition.   Scratches and scrapes are inevitable when you are out geocaching with kids, especially if you are in a heavily wooded area.  With a first aid kit, you will be able to take care of minor injuries on the trail.   The tweezers will come in handy if you encounter any ticks or splinters.  Bug repellent is also a must.
11. After you have been geocaching for awhile, let your kids pick up travel bugs to help them on their way.  These are not typical trade items.  They include a tag with a code on them and are meant to move from cache to cache.  Some travel bugs may have specific goals, while others may just want to accumulate miles.  Be sure to log the travel bug on the geocaching website using the code on the tag.  Then move it to another cache as soon as possible.
12. Let your kids circulate their own travel bug.  Using trackable tags from the Geocaching Website, you can make a travel bug out of just about anything that is small enough to fit into a cache.  Children like tracking how many states and countries their travel bug visits.
13. Think about choosing a family mascot such as a small stuffed animal or action figure.  Take your mascot and a camera along and take a picture of the mascot with the cache and any scenic views you encounter along the journey.  Create a scrapbook or Facebook page to share your adventures.
14. Help your kids create their own signature items to leave as a “calling card” to let future geocachers know they were at the cache.  Good signature items for beginners are wooden nickels or pencils stamped with your trail name.
15. Let your kids establish their own signature item collection.  Lots of geocachers leave signature items in caches they visit.  You kids will take pleasure in the tangible reminders of all their geocaching adventures.

With a little advance planning, geocaching with kids can be a wonderful experience for the entire family, and can help create treasured memories that will last a lifetime.

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