Geocaching with young kids

A while ago, I put up a post about geocaching with a toddler. Well, now we have a toddler (GC handle: Q-Bit) and a 6yr old (GC handle: (:TheBoy:) ). We’ve logged quite a few more finds since that post and we’ve introduced quite a few other families to the hobby!

Geocaching remains a favourite activity of our now 6yr old. He loves getting out, exploring new parts of the city, the province, other provinces, and indeed other countries! The treasure-hunting aspect of it is fun, but he enjoys the technological aspect (he’s a gadget geek just like his parents) and the SOCIAL aspect too.

We often go out caching with other cachers. Sometimes they have kids too, and it’s this shared experience that really appeals to (:TheBoy:). He has kids to talk with, to explore with, and to treasure-hunt with. To be sure, it gets a bit competitive sometimes, but generally speaking good fun is had by all.

Our youngest has never known weekends without geocaching! He seems to be taking after his brother, having claimed our older eTrex as his own, and participating in the hunts. He loves tromping through the woods, bush-wacking through the scrub, and finding the next cache in “just a few metres” — which is always his response to “how far to the next cache?”

With almost 800 cache finds, about 400 of those with one kid, and another 300 with both kids, we think we have some perspective on how to have fun as a family geocaching.

• Caching as a family is fun. Two families caching is more than twice as fun. Geocaching is also an all-ages hobby. Geocaching with grandparents is a great way to spend a day!
• Keep spirits up by bringing lots of food and drinks. Snacks along the trail are important to keep everybody’s energy level up and spirits high. Don’t forget about snacks and drinks for you too!
• Patience is key. If it’s taking too long to find a cache, the kids will get bored and distracted and morale will fall. Be willing to accept DNFs!
• The kids set the pace. They’ll let you know when enough is enough, so resist the urge for “one last cache” — you’ll end up paying for it in the end!
• Pay attention to the terrain and difficulty ratings. Don’t tackle caches that will be too difficult to find, or be too hard to get to with the kids. We sometimes have the toddler walking on his own, sometimes in a backpack, and sometimes in a stroller. The terrain has to be appropriate!
• As a practical matter, kids under 5 can handle a few kilometres’ walking, but if you’re doing more than 5 kms (3 mi) return then you’re starting to push things.
• It’s not just about the hunt! Through the course of your adventures, you will discover parts of your region you never knew existed. Take some time to explore them, and enjoy them. You’ll come across countless new playgrounds, and your kids will love that.

Do you go caching with your family? Do you have any tips or tricks to share?