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Caching with my son'd kindergarten class


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I've been asked to take my son's kindergarten class on a geocaching adventure. Due to transportation logistics, we'll be visiting a geocache that happens to be hidden within a very short walking distance of his school. I'd like to know if anyone has done any caching with a group of young children (there will be around 15 of them). Any advice? Ideas of how to explain what a GPS is and how it works? I thought of going into the fact that satellites are orbiting the earth, and this little device can figure out exactly where it is based on the signal it receives from each of those satellites. Perhaps that's too much information? Any similar experiences you can share would be helpful!

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Don't use a "real" cache - hide one specially for the outing. That will keep the real one safer.

 

Keep the explanations short and simple - introduce yourself as a "Treasure Hunter" for modern times. Do a basic explanation of what the GPS is doing. Put emphasis on CITO work, trading, geo-ethics.

 

Most of all - Have patience!!!! You will get a lot of questions.

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I'd ask the teacher about setting up a cache or two on the school ground to make sure that 1) you know they'll find some cool giveaways to take (which you stock of course) and 2) there's no risk of them showing someone else where the box is in the woods and having it go missing. Plus, more kids would get the chance to watch the GPSr and search for the cache.

 

For explaining the concept, you could give the quick, there are things in space talking to your receiver and then give them a tangible example.

 

Have 5 or 6 kids form a circle (they get to be the "satellites") and get another kid to stand in the middle of the circle (he/she is the "GPS receiver"). Explain that the real satellites send out a signal all the time like a radio and the GPSr listens for the signals. Have the GPS student close their eyes. Walk around the circle and ask a satellite to say something (pick a silly saying). When the GPS hears the "signal", they point in the direction. Maybe have 2 "satellites" talk at the same time.

 

No need to explain triangulation, but just say that when the GPSr "hears" enough signals, it can figure out where it is based on what the satellites are saying.

 

I wouldn't spend more than 5 minutes on the demonstration, BTW...kids want to M-O-V-E!

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I've been asked to take my son's kindergarten class on a geocaching adventure. Due to transportation logistics, we'll be visiting a geocache that happens to be hidden within a very short walking distance of his school. I'd like to know if anyone has done any caching with a group of young children (there will be around 15 of them). Any advice? Ideas of how to explain what a GPS is and how it works? I thought of going into the fact that satellites are orbiting the earth, and this little device can figure out exactly where it is based on the signal it receives from each of those satellites. Perhaps that's too much information? Any similar experiences you can share would be helpful!

 

I would salt the school property with different un-official cache types and have trade items for the children to keep. Doing it that way would not compromise a official Geocache. Worked fine when I did it. Everyone had fun. I then removed the caches.

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All excellent suggestions!! I will follow them: arrive early and set out various cache containers (which I've received permission to do), and stock some of them with some trade items. (I plan to give each student a trade item to take with them and remind them that they have to "trade" something in.) I've found some decent illustrations online, so I'm planning to print them out to help with the brief explanation. Thanks again for the tips - they've been very helpful.

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