Geocaching can be a great theme for a birthday party, classroom project or simply a nice afternoon for families. Its well-rounded fun provides exercise and can cross all curriculums in school – implementing any subject teachers or parents wish. Games can be as simple or as complicated as you make them.

WHAT YOU NEED

At least two (preferably three or more) teams or people

GPS units for each team (many cell phones have GPS capabilities)

Extra batteries

Pen and paper

Plastic containers with lids (mark lids with the word cache)

Inexpensive prizes to put inside each container (participants can bring small items to trade)

Slips of paper with written or typed clues placed inside envelopes

STEPS

1) Find places to leave your containers. Make sure the points are far enough away from each other so that is a challenge to find them – at least 200 yards apart because somebody might find the wrong cache and mistake it for the other one.

2) Write clues and place within containers. These will assist players in finding the actual location. You can also leave a trivia question that players must answer prior to moving forward.

3) Walk to each location and set the waypoint on your GPS unit. It’s easy. All you have to do it turn the unit on, go to the location that you want to set up a waypoint. If the GPS is on, it’s going to tell you the latitude and longitude already. Then to mark a waypoint, select the waypoint function and it will pop up. Then you can name that waypoint anything you wish.

4) Leave your container. Containers should include small prizes and the clue and/or questions to your next waypoint.

5) Get out and play. It’s important to remind players to first find the waypoint and then answer the clue given at the last

location. The GPS should get you within 20 feet or so of the clue. Never rely on the clue to get you to the waypoint.

RULES

• Don’t ever bury a geocache. That could harm the environment.

• Don’t leave food or items that smell.

• Don’t move someone else’s cache.

• If you take something from a container, replace it with something else of equal or greater value.

• Get experience finding geocaches before hiding one.

• Make sure you have permission to leave a permanent cache.

• Get permission to geocache if in a public area.

For more information read Cache in on Adventure: Thrill of geocaching – a GPS-guided treasure hunt

Sources: Oliver Sendall, CCPRC and Jen Sonstelie, Groundspeak