Found my first one today!

[+DK Dogs]

I live in Iowa and it has just been a bad winter! Today was great.. 55 and sunny. I packed up my 3.5 yr old daughter and headed off. Went and tried one very close to my house. NO LUCK.. Looked and looked. After about an hour we gave up. I headed to another spot less than a half mile from my house. Walked right across the road and found it. Great way to end the day. It was just a log one but still fun and glad to know I was able figure out my GPS.

Thanks

Dave

 

 

[+StarBrand]

Welcome aboard!!!

 

A few Tips:

Look for caches with a difficulty of 2 or less for your fist few caches. Stick with regular sized caches for your first few. Stick to areas you are familar with. Look for anything out of place or unusual. Look for unusual piles of sticks, grass, leaves, rocks, sand, etc. Feel where you cannot look. Think vertical, not all caches are on the ground. Look up or at eye level. Look for traces of previous searches to zero in on the spot. Think like hider - where would you put a container? Look for things too new, too old, too perfect, not like the others. Be prepared to not find the cache more often then you think - log a DNF log - it will help future searchers and the Cache owner.

 

Most of all - have fun!!

[+succotash]

Thanks for sharing something positive, with your daughter and with us!

[+Headhardhat]

Welcome to the obsession!!!!

 

Fantastic about taking your daughter with you. She is going to love ammo boxes after she realizes what are usually in them - Toys!

 

Be safe out there and have fun. The moments shared together will be wonderous. Besides as you get older she will be finding them when you can't

 

-HHH

[+Chi-Town Cacher]

Welcome and congratulations on your find!!!! There's nothing better than geocaching with a younger person. You and your daughter are in for a lot of fun in the future!!! I wish I'd have discovered geocaching before my daughter grew up and moved out of state. It's a great family activity that you won't regret getting involved in. Cache on!!

[+crockett3663]

You've already gotten some great technical tips, so I won't bother repeating any of them, but I will tell you that (like you) the main reason I got into caching was to spend more time with my kids, specifically my 10 year old son. The times you spend with you daughter going out caching will most likely be some of your more memorable moments, so enjoy them NOW while she's young. She'll grow up so fast and most likely become more interested in clothes, make up and (yikes!!) boys, and you times with her will become more fleeting...again: enjoy it NOW.

 

BTW, she is absolutely adorable!!

[+crockett3663]

You've already gotten some great technical tips, so I won't bother repeating any of them, but I will tell you that (like you) the main reason I got into caching was to spend more time with my kids, specifically my 10 year old son. The times you spend with your daughter going out caching will most likely be some of your more memorable moments, so enjoy them NOW while she's young. She'll grow up so fast and most likely become more interested in clothes, make up and (yikes!!) boys, and your times with her will become more fleeting...again: enjoy it NOW.

 

BTW, she is absolutely adorable!!

Edited February 26, 2009 by crockett3663

[jessie50]

I can't decide who looks more proud, Dad or daughter.

[+Bubbles&Bonkers]

Hi Iowa!

Congrats on your first find! Fun, huh? I'm addicted! We take our 4 kids along sometimes, too. Same thing, sometimes they can find it if we can't and they love those toy filled ammo boxes! By the way, we almost moved to your area until my husband got laid off. Oh well!

[+DK Dogs]

We went back to the same one today. FOUND IT! She was so excited to pick somthing out and leave something. Found another one today as well. She helped me package one up and hide today. Sure beats putting them in front of the TV or playing video games.

Thanks again,

Dave

[IslandAdventure4]

Congrats on your first find. I have a 3 year old that is just starting to be involved with the hunt. We took him to the dollar store and picked out a bunch of stuff so that he can trade. He loves hunting for his Pirate Treasure.

[+OldBenC]

I take 2 of my sons out once in a while on hikes and look arounds - it is a great way to spend time and yes, much better than the tube.

[+Search1128]

When you take your kids out caching, be open to the fact that they are often the wiser when it comes to hiding and finding stuff.

Several years ago when we were first getting started caching we were looking for a particular tricky cache and my then 5 year old daughter said "hey daddy maybe it is inside the sprinkler!" Me being the more wise and ever smarter daddy said "Oh, no, they wouldn't put it inside a sprinkler, it would get all wet." Well we searched for about 15 more minutes and then gave up. Back at home I emailed the cache owner for a hint and then went back and promptly found it inside the sprinkler!

Moral of the story. Daddies are not always the wisest of the bunch. Trust your kids and let them "win" too. I have found it is much more fun to let them find it than for me to find it. The joy and happiness on their faces is a better treasure to me than the "treasure" in a tupperware. Happy Caching and always trust your kids wisdom at hide and seek.

 

Kirk out.