Keeping kids' interest

[dlp8]

I started 'caching primarily as a way to get my three youngest sons (now 12, 9, and 8) into the outdoors and more physically active. It is getting harder to keep them excited when the quality of swag is dropping. We have a personal creed that the find is more important than the treasure; the hunt is more important than the find; the hike is more important than the hunt; and being together is more important than all of it. But when you find that ammo can after a two mile hike, an 8-year-old has a hard time getting excited about a couple of gum wrappers and a popsicle stick. (Although my 9-year-old is still pretty stoked about finding a plastic bag once ). I would be interested in hearing any strategies you caching parents employ to keep your kids interested in the sport.

 

By the way, I searched for similar topics and did not find any with this title, although I imagine some of the posts on some of the topics like "can't we ban micros," etc. probably address this issue to some degree.

 

Thanks for your feedback, and remember, Trade Up.

[+Suburban Hillbillies]

My 13 year old has lost interest, only interested in things with buttons that hook up to the TV, and girls.

[+StarBrand]

Filter out micros.

[dlp8]

My 13 year old has lost interest, only interested in things with buttons that hook up to the TV, and girls.

 

That's precisely what I'm dealing with. Let me know if you think of anything.

[+geos of the jungle]

When we started caching, almost 5 years ago, my son was 13. His interest peaked during that first year but began to fade as the novelty wore off. I quickly realized that neither my son nor my wife were as hooked as I was.

 

There are a few things I do now to keep him (and sometimes my wife) involved:

- When I go out for a cache that's in an interesting location and/or includes a nice hike I take my wife and son back there when we have some free time. That is, I do the recon and only take them to the ones I think they would be interested in.

- If I see a trading item that I think my son (or wife) might like I'll trade for it and bring it home to them. If they don't want it, it goes right back into my swag bag.

- My son is into puzzles, math, computers, etc. so when I find a puzzle cache that I think he may be interested in we work on it together. He'll sometimes insist on me waiting to do the final on a good puzzle cache simply because he enjoyed the puzzle and its solution.

- When I'm designing a new cache I always ask my wife and son for their opinions. They've both contributed quite a bit to the contents of my cache pages and puzzles.

- I talk "cache" at the dinner table some times. When I see my son and wife roll their eyes at each other I know it's time to change the subject.

[Mr.Yuck]

Filter out micros.

 

Crud! I didn't see the thread fast enough to make that comment.

 

My 9 yr. old still finds something, no matter how trashy the contents. I'm sure that will change soon though. So I guess the only advice I would have is to only take him to newer caches, where there will be a higher probability of good swag. The longer an ammo can sits in the woods, the more closely the value of it's contents approach zero.

[+whinger]

Mine are 11, and it can be trying...

 

• If they aren't having fun, then we stop - regardless of how much I still want to.

• I let them find it when possible, even if I've spotted it first. They love being smarter/better than me.

• I trade for anything they want (carry a lot of tradables in my backpack).

• I talk to them when they want to talk, I shut up wen they don't.

• I let them do it how the want to - sometimes they just want to sign logs (with hearts and smiley faces), sometimes they just want to look, sometimes they want to log it electronically on my phone.

• I try to only go to interesting places - sometimes this isn't feasible, but I try. I've learned that they are not interested in searching through rock piles.

• I also use them for special missions - if we're in public and the cache can't be retrieved - I'll tell her that her shoes are untied, and then she bend down and make the grab, etc. I make certain that they understand that it's because they're kids, they can get these, where people would wonder why I was climbing a tree, or rooting around in bushes at the park, etc.

 

It's still challenging at times, but more often than not, we have a lot of fun.

[knowschad]

I started 'caching primarily as a way to get my three youngest sons (now 12, 9, and 8) into the outdoors and more physically active. It is getting harder to keep them excited when the quality of swag is dropping. We have a personal creed that the find is more important than the treasure; the hunt is more important than the find; the hike is more important than the hunt; and being together is more important than all of it. But when you find that ammo can after a two mile hike, an 8-year-old has a hard time getting excited about a couple of gum wrappers and a popsicle stick. (Although my 9-year-old is still pretty stoked about finding a plastic bag once ). I would be interested in hearing any strategies you caching parents employ to keep your kids interested in the sport.

 

By the way, I searched for similar topics and did not find any with this title, although I imagine some of the posts on some of the topics like "can't we ban micros," etc. probably address this issue to some degree.

 

Thanks for your feedback, and remember, Trade Up.

 

Perhaps the answer (to all except the 12 year old... hormones always win!) maybe the answer is to make it less materialistic. I think that its more the parents drilling "oh, look at all the cool stuff!" into their heads instead of "oooh, look at the cool woods! That flower over there is a trillium." that gets them to expect good swag.

[+Team Geofrog]

My kids don't want to go anymore. However when I do drag them along they do seem to enjoy it a little. Basically I let them do what they want because they aren't really interested and are just doing it to keep me happy. They're 5 and 7. My wife, however, loves it. She never wanted to go hiking and now that I (we) cache, she wants to hike. Major plus and surprise there!

 

My kids obviously like the boxes better than micros, but my son (7) likes to get the urban ones with muggles because it's kind of like being a spy.

[+jcar]

--This helped for awhile with my nine year old. Set up her own account and had her write her own logs. Of course once the account was set up she wanted to hide her own caches, I think she just likes getting the emails. Like I said this helped for a few months before she started getting bored with it again.

 

--Go caching with another family with kids in a similar age group. Sometimes they will not walk 500 feet with me, or if we are even on a short hike(1 mile or less) they start saying it is too hot, my feet are sore, etc. But bring along some other kids that they can talk to and hike around with and we have gone miles, without a word of complaint.

[sdarken]

My son was 8 and my daughter was 11 when I first started caching. Once my son figured out there wasn't any real treasure he lost interest. Dragging him along on long, hot hikes didn't help. My daughter was never that interested in the swag.

 

These days, even if I drive up to a cache, my son wont bother even getting out of the car while my daughter still seems to enjoy the challenge of actually locating the cache.

 

The suggestion of taking a friend along sounds like a good one but it's likely to be a very temporary solution unless the friend gets caught by this obsession.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I have a five year old son and he's only marginally interested in geocaching. At best, he mostly just tolerates finding a couple of caches at a time. Awhile back we had a family hike in the woods where there were 5 caches in a series along a nice trail. After the second cache he was ready to head back to the car. Last weekend we were down in Lancaster, PA for the weekend and I was spending the day with him wile my wife was at a conference. I stopped and found a cache that had a rubber snake attached to a film container under a rock. The container only contained a log book. A little while later he said, "You know those teeny, tiny geocaches... I don't like them....they're boring." I looked for a larger cache in the area that might have some swag in it and found one that had just a couple of items that I traded for but he didn't want to stop and find another one. Actually, there was one cache that he really enjoyed last weekend. It was an earthcache located in a cave.

[+Knight2000]

While only 32, I'm old school. I don't want my kids to be zombies. They don't watch a lot of tv. I finally broke down and got a Wii although I will admit it was in hopes that my wife would take a break and enjoy herself. (It didn't work.)

 

They use both, but not often. My daughter hasn't played the Wii in about a week and even then she only played a bit.

 

My 11yo son insists that "everyone" has a cell phone. Kid, you aren't getting one- ever. Unless it is a take along for in the car I see no need for you to ever have a cell phone.

 

I saw a spot on TV this morning where 4 or 5 high school kids stopped using their computers, ipods, cell phones, and something else that I forgot, for 10 days. The kids reported that they spent more time actually talking to people (like their family), involved in recreation and they started getting their homework done. What the heck does a kid need to text or sext about?

 

Our kids don't like it as much as they used to, but it is mostly because they ruin our caching days by fighting and I get an aneurysm and then we end up going home.

 

Anyway- buy a whip. If they don't like caching maybe they will like mowing the lawn or pulling weeds at home. That works with my kids.

[+PhxChem]

Keeping kids' interest, any successful strategies?

 

Yes, do something they want to do. Find something that interests them.

 

Oh, you mean geocaching... Truth is, it's probably a losing battle. Kids like what they like.

 

I don't assume that my kids will be interested in everything I am (they are only 3 and 1.5...they love geocaching now) But I cannot even remember being interested in anything that my parent were interested in. Fighting a battle just to keep your kids interested in geocaching may not be worth the effort.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I started 'caching primarily as a way to get my three youngest sons (now 12, 9, and 8) into the outdoors and more physically active. It is getting harder to keep them excited when the quality of swag is dropping. We have a personal creed that the find is more important than the treasure; the hunt is more important than the find; the hike is more important than the hunt; and being together is more important than all of it. But when you find that ammo can after a two mile hike, an 8-year-old has a hard time getting excited about a couple of gum wrappers and a popsicle stick. (Although my 9-year-old is still pretty stoked about finding a plastic bag once ). I would be interested in hearing any strategies you caching parents employ to keep your kids interested in the sport.

 

By the way, I searched for similar topics and did not find any with this title, although I imagine some of the posts on some of the topics like "can't we ban micros," etc. probably address this issue to some degree.

 

Thanks for your feedback, and remember, Trade Up.

Well, maybe according to your creed(which I suspect was created by you, and not them) maybe it s time to step down to the more important levels. If they no longer enjoy the treasues, and therefore no longer enjoy the hunt, and therefore no longer enjoy the hike, maybe it's time to find another way to spend the time together. Have you plaved any MiniGolf lately??

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

My 13 year old has lost interest, only interested in things with buttons that hook up to the TV, and girls.

 

That's precisely what I'm dealing with. Let me know if you think of anything.

Learn to play video games, and join them??

[dlp8]

Thank you all for your good suggestions (or at least your commiseration). We found a couple of excellent caches yesterday afternoon. Even though it was in the '90's in our neck of the woods, the boys had a great time. Often, the outing becomes "funner" when they are off the trail and reporting back to mom.

[+Crid]

Learn to play video games, and join them??

 

How to beat your children at videogames

[+JakeInPA]

I've been taking my 8yo step-daughter with me since March. I had been looking for awhile for an activity we could both share an interest in. Now, we only have 30some finds since then, because life is busy and we have a 5month old at home too, but she's always stoked to go out.

 

Now...we've also done most of our caching when there was little to no vegetation growth. I'm not sure how she'll like it when plants and bugs are abound.

 

All that being said, I did a lot of research before starting. She started out knowing it wasn't going to be about "the treasure". She's been amazed at the stuff she's seen. We have seen two dam's in the Susquehanna. We've learned how the fish lifts work there. We've seen a bald eagle flying over one of our finds. She's hiked to places she didn't think she could get to and she seems to have a genuine appreciation for all of it. I don't know if I'm lucky or if it's just that it hasn't worn off and she's at a good age yet.

 

We also try to take one of my cousins each time we go. One being 8, the other being 15. Each of us tries to find stuff in the woods or wherever we are that we haven't seen before. "What kind of tree is this?" or "what kind of flower is that?" are the kinds of things we do along the way. I try to plan out "geocaching days" or afternoons for now anyway so that we can learn along the way.

 

Just my 2 cents. I'm hoping that she sticks with it with me, but if not, I have my son to teach in a few years as well Just wish I could get my wife into it...

[+JonInNH1]

Not that I like to do this but... whenever real cash is involved as in .25 per find etc... ears seem to perk up. My kids 7,10 don't get an allowance yet so I don't mind the "pay out" if it allows me to have fun and the kids to be motivated. They almost always seem to have fun once underway in the woods so everyone wins.

[+ngrrfan]

Although this solution isn't necessarily aimed at caching, it does work.

 

I was having "problems" getting my step kids motivated to do things with me, errands, shopping, anything, so I decided to make unscheduled Starbucks stops. Once the step daughter found out that hanging with step-dad might mean a stop for a frap, or float, or shake.... she was more than ready to go.

 

The stepson, on the other hand, has super glue on his butt and hands! He won't leave the video game unless the house is burning down around him.

[+Kit Fox]

 

Perhaps the answer (to all except the 12 year old... hormones always win!) maybe the answer is to make it less materialistic. I think that its more the parents drilling "oh, look at all the cool stuff!" into their heads instead of "oooh, look at the cool woods! That flower over there is a trillium." that gets them to expect good swag.

 

I show my kids the treasures found in nature. They actively enjoy the outdoors, and the swag is always secondary.

[+Castle Mischief]

The majority of the caches that I (we) hunt are in areas that we were already visiting for some other reason. We hike- when there's a cache there I (we) look for the cache. The 13-year-old sees it as a chance to one-up Dad. The 11-year-old and the 9-year-old join in for either the same reason or because it's just something that we do. I don't have to drag them into it and I don't push the cache hunting on them. We're out in the woods hiking and- oh there's a cache over here let's go find it.

 

They also spend plenty of time in front of Gameboys and their computers playing games- but so do I. I've played multi-player games with all three of them in some fashion or another since they could mouse. Again, it's just what we do.

 

Maybe my kids are just freaking exceptional. Maybe it's because we homeschool them.

[dlp8]

Learn to play video games, and join them??

 

How to beat your children at videogames

 

Hillarious. As a friend once told me, "Age and treachery always beat youth and skill."