Remember the year 2000? In the United States a pound of bacon only cost $3 and a gallon of gas set people back $1.26. The iPhone was still 7 years away from being introduced. But on September 2, 2000 some hearty adventurers, tired of being tied to an office cubicle day after day, launched Geocaching.com. The adventure to inspire outdoor play through GPS technology began.
Just like any story-worthy journey Geocaching.com’s beginning was filled with uncertainty. Before geocache joined the ranks of approved Scrabble words or a Geocaching game piece rocketed to the International Space Station, Geocaching.com launched with only 75 geocaches. Today, the site lists the locations and descriptions for nearly 2.5 million geocaches hidden around the world. Adventure is truly waiting to be discovered all around you, as long as you’re in the 180+ countries where geocaches are waiting to be discovered [hint: you are].
Here are some more little known facts about the game you love:
The activity of geocaching was originally known as the GPS Stash Hunt.
What we now know as the 1st geocache was hidden on May 3, 2000.
Running Geocaching.com was originally funded by the sale of 144 donated t shirts.
More than 9 million people have created Geocaching profiles.
As a parent, you learn to appreciate the little victories in life, whether that means celebrating a win after a soccer game or reveling in the triumph of getting your child to eat all their vegetables. However, nothing quite beats the satisfaction of watching your child grin from ear to ear as they win their own small victory by exploring and discovering the world around them through geocaching. With over 2.4 million geocaches waiting to be discovered worldwide, every location can be turned into an adventure and each family outing a victory.
Recently I sat down with real-life Geocaching dad Monte Michaelis to discuss his experiences geocaching with his children:
How do you explain to kids what Geocaching is?
“I tell kids that Geocaching is like a treasure hunt that’s happening all over the world, all the time, even in their own neighborhood. I have them imagine playing a videogame where they are the main character, only the game isn’t played on a screen. It’s real life, in real places, and there’s no telling what they might find.”
How do you keep kids motivated to start or stay Geocaching?
“I think the secret is to make Geocaching a family activity. The kids should feel involved in choosing the geocaches you look for, ones that cater to their interests. I would also encourage parents to use Geocaching as a reason to try things for the first time.”
Why should parents Geocache with their children?
“I’m the father of two daughters, and I want to spend time with them. I want to talk to them about what’s going on in their lives. I want to share experiences and have adventures. Geocaching is the perfect way to do these things, because the whole point of it is to be in the places you love with the people you love.”
Kid SWAG
So are you ready to hit the trails? If you want to know what kind of geocache you should look for on your first kid-expedition, you came to the right place! Make your child’s first adventure a success by choosing geocaches that are age-appropriate. Geocaches are ranked by difficulty and terrain, so start easy by choosing ones with one or two stars. Try to select geocaches with multiple favorite points, as they sometimes prove to be the most intriguing. Before heading out, do a little research by checking the Recent Activity log of the geocache to see if it has been found in the past few weeks. Bonus points for combining a day of geocaching with other family activities, like a walk to the local library, a trip to the zoo, a short day hike, or even a stroll around the neighborhood.
Getting in Touch with Nature
Here are some insider tips from Monte and other geocaching parents to make your first time geocaching with your little tyke a success:
Let the kids be your guide. Children are eager to participate, so let them take the lead through navigating or looking under each rock and bush for an elusive geocache.
Be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are genuinely excited about geocaching, your kids will be, too. So start practicing your happy dance and be ready to break out those moves when you find one!
Become a pirate. Choose regular to large-sized geocaches that will provide fun toys and trinkets that your kids can trade for. Remember to trade up or equal, so have your little ones bring along some knickknacks to leave behind.
Make memories to last a lifetime. Bring a camera to capture all those memorable moments.
Bring snacks. They can mean the difference between a fun day at the park and a before-dinner meltdown.
No matter where you go or what you find, geocaching can make every family adventure into your own little victory.
They’re on the move! The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trackables are making their way into the hands of geocachers across North America. As the colorful Heffley Family themed tags move from geocache to geocache, you can keep an eye out for them and help the Heffleys find their lost luggage!
Greg, Rodrick, Manny, Mom, and Dad have hit the road, but they’ve lost a few things along the way. Can you help them find what they’re missing?
The Heffleys need your help finding 6,000 Wimpy Kid trackables hidden across North America. Each trackable features an item the Heffleys have lost. When you find a Wimpy Kid trackable, use the code to log it and then keep it moving by putting it in another geocache. Make sure you log it to see how far your trackable goes! When you place it in a geocache, others will have a chance to help the Heffleys, too!
When you find and move (or discover) a Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trackable, you’ll get a cool trackable icon to add to your list of trackables:
What adventures will the Heffleys get into on the road? Find out when Greg Heffley and his family hit the road in author-illustrator Jeff Kinney’s latest installment in the phenomenally bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul arrives in stores on November 4, 2014, and is available for preorder.
Want to make sure you’re the first to know about Wimpy Kid news, games, events, sweepstakes, and more? Sign up for the Wimpy Kid newsletter.
There’s some serious Geocaching going on in this family.
Brothers Sterling and Ethan are avid geocachers, and it seems to run in the family. Their mother, Candice, wanted to teach a Geocaching unit to the 120 students in her school’s gifted children program. At the time, though, there simply weren’t enough caches within walking distance of the school.
It’s always sunny at Geocaching HQ. Sterling and Ethan are pictured in the middle, with dad David in the center back, and mom Candice on the far left.
Like a true geocacher, Sterling came to the rescue.
Once he had 100 finds, Sterling hid four geocaches that his mother could take her students to. The class was undoubtedly a success. Within several months, many of the students had over 100 finds (and their parents were getting in on it too). Sterling and his younger brother Ethan maintain their caches carefully, and Sterling himself now has over 200 finds, with 250 in sight.
We were so excited that Sterling, Ethan, Candice, and David decided to spend the day at Geocaching HQ…especially since it was Sterling’s 10th birthday. Happy birthday Sterling, and best of luck to everyone!
