To begin with, I have been Geocaching for roughly 7 years; before having Littles, it was something I would do in my spare time: long hikes in the woods, snagging complex caches, road trips to specific caches. After having Littles, I thought my time Geocaching would be over for a while- boy was I wrong!
Geocaching looks a little different from when I was younger, solo cacher; however, it is an exciting experience to share my hobby with my children and it is a wonderful excuse to get the kids, and myself, outside.
Watching my toddler's face light up when we find "treasure" is better than finding "Swag" for myself. It is wonderful seeing how much happier my infant is after spending time outside taking a walk, or hike, to a cache. Regardless of how much time we spend finding a cache; be it 15 minutes for a quick grab or a 3 hour day of snagging multiple caches, the most important aspect to Geocaching as a parent is the time spent with my babies.
To me, and many fellow Geocachers, Geocaching is a GIANT Treasure hunt that can be incorporated into your everyday life. A great excuse to visit new places, get outside, and use your noggin. Believe it or not, there are over 3 million Geocaches worldwide; chances are, there is one not even a mile from where you are reading this!
It is very simple to start playing. Geocaching can be done in the city, suburb, or rural area; All you need is a phone or handheld GPS, swag, and a pen! Sign up at geocaching.com.
Geocaching is something you can do alone, with friends, your kids (my daughters first cache was at 2 months old), even your dog.
Many caches take you to wonderful, out-of-the-box, locations that you may never have thought to visit before. When you find your first container; you may notice small trinkets inside called "swag", a pen, a log book, and/or trackables.
The game started in Oregon in 2000, based off a hobby called "letterboxing", and since, it has grown from 75 caches in the United States to over 3 million spread out over 190 countries. Amazing.
If you go to Geocaching events you may be able to meet some of the early 2000 cachers, and hearing their cache count, adventure stories, and personal hides, is enlightening and can really motivate you to get as many as you can- if you are a seasoned cacher please comment and let me know as I LOVE meeting OG Cachers!
This article will go into details about the different Geocaching terms, rules, and give you some ideas on what you may need for finding your first cache. For my quick glancers' I have added a "quick start" section; so you can quickly skim and get started, while the rest of the article goes into further details and can be used as a reference if you need any refreshers.
Quick Start:
Download the Geocache App; There is a free option, pay by month, or $30 yearly https://www.geocaching.com/sites/education/en/premium-membership
Bring a pen/pencil to sign logs
Bring small trinkets (called Swag) to leave in caches (leave swag if you take swag)
Have fun!
Quick Rules:
Cache in, Trash out. Don't leave trash behind!
No illegal substances, perishables (food/drink), or trash is to be left in/around cache
Be vigilant; be alert when caching in high traffic areas (do not walk into traffic or parking lots distracted) / be prepared when hiking in wooded areas- we are guests in nature please be kind and try not to disturb wildlife!
Don't get caught by muggles!
Parents don't forget!
Water/sippy cups
Dress for the weather/ bring extra clothes to change into. Especially socks!
A bag to throw diapers/trash/dirty clothes in (do not leave trash behind, if you can, even pick some up while you're playing and throw away in propper bins!)
Snacks
Enjoy the time with your kids even if they have to pick up EVERY rock, all the rocks, along the way, have fun!
How do I start? First download the "Geocache" App on your phone or GPS, you can find basic caches for free , however, for a year membership it cost around $30 USD and allows you access to the entire database (so worth it, this opens up more caches in your area). Depending where you are Geocaching, you may lose service, which is why some may choose to invest in a GPS if they know they will be hiking far from cell service; they can download maps onto it and use without cell service. But, a cellphone works just fine and you can get many Geocaches with it, like me. There have only been a few spots that I have had spotty service.
When you create an account you have to come up with a username, or Geotag, our family is: Littleadventuresev (follow us!), I recently re-set my account for my kids so I know how many they have gotten; before kids I had over 100, which compared to some, is not many; I know some people with 3,000 caches or more!
I suggest starting with traditional caches, in my opinion they are the easiest caches and plenty of them. They are the green dots on your Geocache map and anything from Small to Large would be best to start finding- Micros are fun, but can be hard to find, start with a few easy ones to build your confidence! There is a way to filter what caches show up on your map; in the future I plan to create a post and video on how to select specific filters.
What do I need? Along with your phone/GPS with the app/maps downloaded, It is a good idea to bring a writing utensil (pen is best) and some "Swag" on your adventures. Swag is the treasure you leave behind in exchange for Swag you may find at a cache (Swag= treasure of equal or greater value). Swag can be anything from small trinkets you find at the dollar store, stickers, cool marbles, even home made products like a home made coin with your Geocache username on it. Avoid putting trash, food/drinks, broken items, and illegal substances in the container- remember kids are playing, keep swag PG, and put stuff you would be excited to find! Soon I will be adding an option to purchase swag off my site, however for now, if you scroll to the bottom of this article you can purchase through Amazon my favorite swag item!
Some caches will provide a Pen/Pencil, but some are too small and you may need to bring your own in order to sign the Log Sheet. The log sheet is a notebook or piece of paper located inside the cache where you sign your Geocache username that lets other players know you found it! But don't worry if you forgot a pen (which I do ALL the time), you can still find the cache and log it into the Geocache app. Some people will buy custom stamps with there Geocache username and stamp the log sheet.
What will I find? Geocache containers can vary in size: micro, small, regular, large, or "other". You may find a log sheet, swag, and/or trackables.
Micro Caches: can be tricky and may be very hard to spot- sometimes they look like a pebble, a small magnet, even a piece of chewing gum! They usually only fit a log paper and you need to bring a pen to sign.
Small Caches: vary from anything such as a small rock to a small Tupperware container and may only include a log and maybe some small swag.
Regular Caches: are usually ammo cans/ larger Tupperware/ large mayo jar size and contain a log book and usually some swag/trackables.
Large Caches: These can vary, however I have found some pretty huge ones! I found a cache that someone made to look like a large boulder, some can be an entire shed, an entire tree stump, I have even heard about a cache being a decked out port-a-potty! They are typically hard to miss and can be quite clever/funny.
Other: This could refer to a container-less cache (such as a virtual cache), a cache you need to complete a task for such as answer a question or post a picture, etc.
Swag: Items left in caches to trade for equal or greater value
Trackable: This is different than swag, it is found in a cache and must be logged in your geocaching app if found. You take the trackable but DO NOT KEEP! You move it to the next cache. Trackables may be small keychains with a trackable barcode attached, or big items, I found a bowling pin that was a trackable!
What is a muggle? A Muggle is a person who is not a Geocacher. You want to try and discreetly find the geocache you are after so muggles do not remove the cache or find your behavior suspicious. However, if you are caught, just explain geocaching the best you can and send them this article!
Types of Geocaches and my age preferance for each: depending how accessible/quick to find. Birth+ refers to many caches being friendly enough to baby wear to or bring younger children. Some are more complex then others requiring patience and multiple steps, these are just suggested ages based on my opinion, so feel free to go wild and grab as many caches as possible regardless of my suggestion! My daughters first cache was at 2 months old, so don't let age limit you there is something for everyone!
Traditional: my favorite to find with younger kids, they are simple and usually pretty quick finds, most have swag to trade. Age: Birth+
Multi-Cache: think of National Treasure, these caches are a little more advanced and take time as they involve more than one location- usually you find the next location through coordinates at a starting cache. Age: 10+
Mystery: Similar to National Treasure as well, these caches are typically puzzles where you have to decode coordinates or find a secret code that leads you to the cache. Super thrilling when you figure out the mystery or open a puzzle container. Age: 10+
Event: Events are a GREAT way to meet up with other Geocachers in your area; or you can take a road trip to some of the "Mega" events that are held. Some events may be as small as 5 people meeting at your local coffee shop, while others host large Geocache events of over 5,000 people. Age: Birth+
Earth Cache: These caches are one of my favorite as they typically bring you to a location and give you information on that specific area; usually historical sites, animal preservation sites, a unique Earth feature, etc. You can learn a lot with Earth Cache's, a great tool for home schoolers. Age: Birth+
Letterbox: Some Geocachers have ink stamps with their Geotag name, these come in handy for letterbox caches, where a Geocacher will stamp the log book in the cache, and inside the cache is a stamp specific to that cache, and the Geocacher will stamp there own "Letterbox notebook". Similar to stamping a passport. Age: Birth+
Virtual: These caches are great for discovering exciting locations, rather then a physical container. Virtual caches don't have physical log books or swag, but may require you to take a picture, answer a question about the location, or complete a task in that location, and log it in the geocache app. Age: Birth+
Webcam: While I have personally not done this type of cache, they require you to stand in front of an existing camera in a location to log the cache. Example: stand in front of a camera at a park or building. Age: Birth+
Wherigo: I personally have not done this type of cache yet but will likely do soon to familiarize myself with it- however, this YouTube video explains it quite well for those wanting to try it out before I have a chance to update this page. Age: 10+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd84wv5j_rg
Locationless: These are similar to virtual where you don't find a container but rather go to a location and log the find using a different medium, be it taking a picture, logging coordinates, answering questions about the location, etc. Age: Birth+
Adventure Lab: This is similar to a Wherigo, multi, and virtual cache all in one; I have yet to complete one of these as well, but I will update this post when I have a chance to tackle it! Here is a video explaining Adventure Lab if anyone is interested in trying before I have a chance to do so myself. Age:10+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta6t8u1gB1I
*As an Amazon Affiliate, I receive a small commission if you purchase through one of my links to an Amazon product, but I promise to try and test anything I link!*
Helpful Products: As a parent I know going on adventures can be hard, so here are a few things that have helped me and the kids along the way! Anything I recommend I have tried, tested, and love! (Amazon Affiliated Links)
Wool Socks for Toddlers:
Wool Socks for Infants: I noticed my babies toes always getting cold when hiking in the winter, even with layers on, these socks are phenomenal for keeping them warm without having to put on a bunch of layers!
Hiking Backpack for up to 48lb toddlers: I recently got 3 of these, one for my nephew and two for my kids. The fit is amazing, my husband & myself can easily carry our toddler, and its SO much easier than carrying a toddler on your hip while trying to hike. Has a lot of room for all the essentials:
Infant Front Body Carrier: This is perfect for your infant who cannot support their head yet, and when they can, you can forward face them so they can see what is going on. It includes a rain pouch too! Very light weight and I find not so sweaty during the summer months.
Water Bottle Strap: Because toddlers love to yeet things, this keeps water cups from being thrown on the trail and left behind!
Hot Water for Formula Bottles: Some people like to buy the travel bottle warmers, but I prefer these thermoses that can be used even after baby has grown out of a bottle; I either drop the bottle in the canister to warm it up or just use the hot water, pour in the bottle, and then add the formula.
Body Suite for cold weather hikes: These are great because they have built in hand and feet mittens. My toddler throws his mittens if not attached to his suit so these are great!
My favorite Swag Item: Stickers are great swag items because they are lightweight and easily carried!
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