When your kids are not in school do they sit inside and stare at a screen all day?  Here’s the perfect family OUTDOOR activity that will put a smile on the kid’s face and earn Mom and Dad some cool points too. Take your offspring Geocaching (Technically, they will be staring at a screen, but it will be much smaller and could be the key to finding REAL treasure, family bonding).

Here’s how to Geocache with your kids:

Plan your exciting adventure with the following in mind:

1.  The key word before starting out on your journey is PLAN. Decide where to go, what to bring, what to leave, how long the expedition will be, bring plenty of water, and then of course, know where the bathrooms are.

2.  Decide where to go.  Design your time with your youngsters around your family.  If your kids love to see animals, take them to caches near a duck pond, or petting zoo, or butterfly sanctuary.  If your tykes are more into the cool urban scene, then plot your course to see the colorful, outdoor sculptures sprinkled around the downtown area (Some cities have horses, cows, pigs, dogs, tires, diamond rings, zebras, and of course, unicorns).

3.  What to bring?  As little as possible.  Carry only the essentials needed for your family.  The point is to take time to listen to each other and not have distractions.  The Geocaching will act as a catalyst to get things started and soon you will discover the magic of your family dynamics.  If you plan a picnic lunch make it light and manageable.  Don’t get bogged down with bringing a different flavored juice for every member of the family.  Remember, take it easy.  NOTE:  Do not forget to bring things to exchange with the trinkets you find in the caches.  The couple bucks you spend on plastic spiders or bead bracelets will be the wisest investment in your portfolio.  Also, trash bags for your trash and for practicing CITO (Cache In Trash Out).

4.  Know when is when, before it arrives.  Prevent your kids from melting down because they’ve been in the heat for hours, or have been walking on a path with nothing to see or do.  Keep them interested.  If they show signs of boredom, that might be your first clue that the end is near or you need to do something different next time.  As parents or grandparents, we need to understand that attention span has nothing to do with the task at hand.  Tailor your time for the member of the family with the least tolerance and everyone will thank you for it.

5.  Let THEM “find” the Geocache.  Give them the smartphone or GPSr and let them guide you.  Keep them on track when needed and you will see huge smiles when your child lifts that ginormous cache container over their head and they shout “I found it, I found it”.  Ensure that they know that they must leave something in order to take something.  After the required transactions occur from each child, sign the log and tuck the cache back where it was.  Teach your kids to look for trash around Ground Zero and dispose of it properly.  Geocaching is much more than finding physical things.  We find our sense of loyalty to our planet and pride in contributing to the betterment of the community.

6. Keep them wanting more.  Don’t “cache-out” a power trail with your munchkins because you will put an end to any future outings.  Make sure you choose Geocaches that are low in difficulty and terrain ratings, as well as small to regular in size.  Regular caches are usually ammo cans with plenty of SWAG for the little ones.

Geocaching can give you purpose to your PLANNED outdoor event.  Your family will look forward to the next time you lead them down that path, and your children will have memories for a lifetime.  Their discovery of hidden plunder will fuel their natural curiosities and you might just find your kids planning the next excursion for you.