I wanted to share an exciting activity that my family and I recently discovered and we think it’s amazing! It’s called Geocaching.
Geocaching is a fun, outdoor activity that’s great for families, kids, and people of all ages. It’s a great way to get everyone out of the house and away from screens, and it’s also an affordable and healthy way to spend time together. To participate, all you need is a GPS-enabled device like a handheld GPS, smartphone or PDA.
The objective of Geocaching is to find caches or “treasures” hidden in various locations, such as parks, trails, or urban areas. Each cache contains a logbook and a small “treasure”, typically toys or trinkets of little value. Participants are free to take objects from the cache and replace them with something of similar or higher value.
Geocaching is a global activity with caches placed in over 100 countries and on all seven continents, including Antarctica. With millions of caches registered on various websites, there’s likely to be one near you right now!
For our special needs son Stony, it can be difficult to get him to new places due to anxiety and fatigue. However, by checking for geocaches in the area we plan to go, Stony gets motivated and excited, and he overcomes his anxiety much easier. Once we arrive, he is usually fine.
Geocaching can also be a fun art-and-craft activity for kids. You can even create your own caches and place them in a nearby park or at your doctor’s office, to make appointments more fun for your kids.
We highly recommend giving Geocaching a try! You never know what beautiful places and interesting finds you may discover. Here are some links for more information and photos of our summer Geocaching adventures:
https://www.thespruce.com/whats-inside-a-geocache-box-3570580
