All about the Differences and Similarities between the Treasure Hunting Adventures of Letterboxing and Geocaching - From How They Began to How to Play Today.
Letterboxing is a super fun scavenger hunt game that will get you and your kids outside and enjoying nature Several people have asked what letterboxing is, and so I’m finally getting around to answering that question. Letterboxing is basically a scavenger hunt. It is similar to geocaching in that you are going on a treasure...
Does your family enjoy a good outdoor adventure? Have you ever gone treasure hunting together? There are several ways to go on an outdoor treasure hunt with kids. Geocaching is probably the most popular. I'm going to talk about our family experience geocaching as well as a few other types of treasure hunts you can try.
July 2013 By Robin Farr Letterboxing is a mix of art, journaling, solving mysteries, and hunting for buried treasure. It’s similar to geocaching, except that instead of finding an object and leaving one in its place, you’re collecting a stamp in your journal and leaving your stamp in the journalContinue Reading »
1. Point out the location of geocaches as they pass them in a car My long-suffering muggle family and friends might humour me for the first few times I declare ‘there’s a cache just ove…
As a Geocacher, you know that one of the things that can make finding a cache fun is the treasure, the goodies, the swag, the trade items that you might discover (especially for younger hunters). If you've been geocaching for a while, you probably also know that the quality and appropriateness of swag can vary […]
Keep geocaching fun and make it simple with this kid friendly geocaching kit that keeps all your supplies together ready for that next find!
Thank you for visiting! This post has been updated with even more info & reposted on my new website Run Wild My Child. Direct link to the post >>> http://runwildmychild.com/geocaching-with-kids/
Whether youre an adventurer, a travel blogger, or a budget traveler, printable travel logs are an excellent tool for keeping organized accounts of journeys.
TravelFleas going out Letterboxing
Letterboxing is an activity kind of like a creative treasure hunt. And it's worldwide, which is totally awesome!
Letterboxing is a fun family activity. It is really similar to geocaching except you are given clues to find the hidden item instead of GPS coordinates. Also, letterboxing is about collecting stamps--like the kind you use ink and notepad. Each letterbox has clues that lead to a hidden container that should contain a stamp and a little notepad. {A letterbox we found.} The idea is that once you find a letterbox you leave your stamp in the letterbox book (indicating that you actually found it) and then use the letterbox stamp in your own stamp book for you to keep and remember. (If you're a little confused by my explanation, visit the links below for more detailed instructions.) To start letterboxing, you will first need a stamp book. This is for collecting the stamps that you will find at each letterbox. You can have one stamp book for the whole family or you can have one for each child, whatever works best for you. I like to use sketch pads (the stamps look really nice on the blank paper) and then cut them in half so I really get two stamp books from each sketch pad. Next, you will need to buy or make a stamp. This stamp is going to be your "signature" that you use when you find a letterbox. Here again you can either have a family stamp or individual stamps. There are los of tutorials available online that show how to make your own stamp. This can be fun because then you're stamp will truly be unique and one of a kind. You will also need to buy an ink pad so that you actually use the stamps (most letterboxes don't include an ink pad, plus you don't know how used the ink will be once you find it). Once you have those three things--stamp book, stamp, and ink pad--you ready to find your first letterbox! You will find the clues for the letterboxes on these websites: www.letterboxing.org and atlasquest.com. When you go to these websites, simply enter where you live or where you are going to see if there are letterboxes in that area. Once you pick a letterbox and have the clues, you are ready for the search! I love letterboxing because sometimes they are hidden in locations you've never explored before. {A beautiful waterfall we found while letterboxing} Plus, it feels like a treasure hunt as you try to decipher the clues. If you like geocaching or outdoor activities, then you are sure to love letterboxing!
Alisyn writes about the joys of letterboxing.
What is geocaching? Geocaching is an outdoor activity which combines orienteering with treasure hunting and puzzle solving- essentially you use a GPS signal (in most cases the geocaching phone app) to locate a ‘box’ or other such container which along with containing a logbook to document who has found it, may also contain ‘treasure’ aka trinkets and other such items that you can swap or replace with your own. It is a more developed form of ‘letterboxing’ which was and remains to be a common outdoor activity originating on Dartmoor national park in 1854 when a gentleman named James Perrott hid a jar at an isolated location at Cranmere Pool where other visitors could leave their visiting cards. It then developed further across Dartmoor and eventually developed into geocaching. Letterboxing differs slightly from geocaches they may not be registered to a GPS signal and usually contain a stamp and ink for visitors to stamp their own notebooks with, rather than physical ‘treasures’. Getting started with Geocaching: It is relatively easy to get started, all you need to do is download the app or join the website and it will take you through how to find them, different types etc. before you can select a specific location and start navigating to them. Lots of geocaches have been placed in trails or specific walks so you can find them all along the route of your walk. Note: There is a premium version of the app which costs £24.99 a year- I did pay for this version however, it is possible to locate caches with the free version. What to take with you: I recommend taking a pen/pencil, notebook (particularly if you are interested in letterboxing), and something to ‘trade’ with- this could include marbles, trading cards, small toys, small stationery items. Keep in mind most geocaches are the size of a small Tupperware box and you don’t know what is already inside them so think small! Basic rules and guidance: Respect the surrounding areas and wildlife, don’t leave anything that may cause harm. Once you have finished with a cache put it back exactly or as close as possible to where you found it! Only include items that are same and acceptable- don’t place any food or drink that may ruin the cache or cause damage to the surrounding environment. Be careful where you walk, make sure to stick to public land, and check before visiting areas for livestock, or if they are within a practice firing range (unlikely but still possible particularly up on Dartmoor) Final notes: Have fun! Geocaching is a great activity for everyone to get involved with whether adult, child, family, pets anyone can get involved in finding and locating geocaches- there are even features on the app which allow you to filter geocaches by accessibility, terrain, and difficulty!
If you have not discovered Letterboxing, then let me tell you about my family's new favorite weekend adventure! You can find out more by visiting Letterboxing.org.
Every geocacher needs to start somewhere. Here are some great geocaching supplies that are wonderful geocaching gifts for the beginner geocacher.
Letterboxing is a super fun scavenger hunt game that will get you and your kids outside and enjoying nature Several people have asked what letterboxing is, and so I’m finally getting around to answering that question. Letterboxing is basically a scavenger hunt. It is similar to geocaching in that you are going on a treasure...
These FREE Geocache Printable Logs & Signs for Geocache Containers are the perfect quick go to for an active geocaching family!
For most, the evolution of the geocache container begins with the iconic metal ammo can. But in nearly two decades of geocaching, the geocache family tree has branched off into dozens of directions…
Something we all get, aka Swag, is trade items left by Geocachers. One of the rules of GC is that if you take something from the container, you must replace it with something of your own that is of equal or greater value. Emptying the contents of a GC and replacing it with a handful of pennies, not cool. Unless they were rare I suppose. :p Anything not family friendly for all ages, is also not good swag. This omits leaving lighters, tobacco, alcohol, knives, and fireworks. Another rule is to remember to sign the logbook. That is the way to show that you did in fact find it, and since most caches are monitored, the owner normally double checks. Anyways, in our adventure of GC, we've come across some very interesting and some not so interesting swag. In one cache we found, there was a personalized laminated business card like item that had the cachers username on it. I thought that was pretty neat. If I could make our own swag to leave, then other cachers could look us up and see how far the swag came from or a bit about us. I really like to place tradeables for the next cachers. So a run onto Pinterest, and a little creativity, I was able to make our own swag. Pictured above is my swag bag. I've got a nice collection of personalized stones, paracord dragonflys I make, collectible Lego minifigures (ones I have many of), pens from work and places I've been, military currency, Sonic coupons (I love these! They fit in almost every size container), and just some odds and ends. I downloaded a sticker making template into Microsoft. Then used Paint to draw, cut, paste my own personalized labels. Copied it over to the template. Printed out they are square, then I cut them to circles. Using Outdoor ModPodge, I glue them to clear stones I got from Hobby Lobby, and then after they dry I cover the paper again and just around the rim of the stone. I only do the bottom part because when I seen this similar thing done, they covered the entire rock. It made it shiny, but it looked fake, and tended to peel off when scratched against something. On several of the stones I also stuck magnets onto the backs of them. The printouts have a clever little info on them, then my username and my state. Even though I don't have many other geocache friends, I like to think that the person that picks up something that I made will remember me. I've also done the personalized printouts glued to the inside of pop bottle caps. I really like to use paracord in things around the house. I can now add paracord people to my swag creations. Here's a pic of the ones we do, but it's not my own. Do you make your own swag? Show them off. ;)
Discover nature while getting exercise together as a family. Here is how to start geocaching with your kids using the Ecokeepers free program.
Button Stamp How-To
Geocaching and letterboxing are modern day treasure hunts - instead of gold doubloons under an X in the sand, you'll discover fun trinkets, detailed artwork, and a side of the city you've never seen. A great family endeavor, too.
Printable Secret Decoder Wheel - Attention all secret agents! Your secret decoder wheel has arrived and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to send and receive secret messages to your friends without anyone being the wiser. No one will be able to decode your messages unless they have the secret key. This is a super
Geocaching For Kids ~ A wonderful Homeschool Activity
Geocaching printable labels
taking geocaching ot the next level. We hid *this* cache under water. Te he!
