An amazing constant in children is their ability to find treasures wherever they are and at whatever age.
On a beach, it is seashells and body parts of sea creatures.
In the woods it is bird feathers, stones, and leaves.
In the backyard it is pebbles, flowers, and sticks.
As we begin summer, I am always on the lookout for activities that taps into my kids inner-self.
Something that is simple, creative, gets them moving, and is outdoors.
This year, a host family told me about geocaching.
I have heard of it, but didn’t know the details. The host family explained how much fun they have with their daughter and I thought I would look into it.
As a part of our AuPairCare family, you get to share in what I discovered.
Maybe it will be a new adventure for your children, au pair, and you.
According to dictionary.com, geocaching is the
outdoor sport or game of searching for hidden objects by using Global
Positioning System (GPS) coordinates posted on the internet. In simple
terms; someone hides a cache of trinkets, posts
the coordinates online, you find it, swap a trinket with a trinket,
then re-hide the cache for another geocacher to find. The video on
YouTube is a good summary that explains it well.
Because it uses GPS (which most smart phones have),
the internet, and the outdoors, the game is fun for every personality
in your group. At
Human Kinetics, you can learn all the advantages of geocaching which include physical, social, and educational benefits.
Curiously, I entered my zipcode on the most popular site for geocaching,
www.geocaching.com and found 12 caches in a park near my house.
There are over a million caches hidden all over the world just waiting
to be found, so this activity can be shared on vacation or at home.
Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia,
Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport
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