Using Geocaching to Teach?

[+kennedy.craig]

From our blog. I was wondering what lessons everyone has used to teach their children during geocaching?

Craig

 

http://craigandbeth.typepad.com/geocaching...g-to-teach.html

[+cachensfun]

How would you like it from a kids view. Its fun, you get to go out in the woods, you learn stuff about Geography, math, science and alot of other subjects. We are home schooled and our Mom has terned alot of geocaching stuff it to school. It helps you learn when its something you like.

 

Cachensfun

[grub54891]

How would you like it from a kids view. Its fun, you get to go out in the woods, you learn stuff about Geography, math, science and alot of other subjects. We are home schooled and our Mom has terned alot of geocaching stuff it to school. It helps you learn when its something you like.

 

Cachensfun

There's one in our area that's in the school forest.there are several sign's telling the student's about the tree's and different thing's in the forest.Not only can the student's learn something but so can the adult's when they pass through.

[+murph6531]

I was thinking the same thing last night at our Cub Scout meeting. I'm planning a hunt for our den and along the way I can teach them about GPS, land navigation etc.

[+krasota]

After finding a couple benchmarks, my toddler has added one more level to his toddler-environment-obsession. It's not enough to inspect every crack in the sidewalk, possible bug, or leaf. We now have to observe and identify any shapes he spies.

 

As he gets older, I'm sure we'll integrate a lot of science, history, and geometry into our hunts. And who knows what else--that's the nice thing about this type of immersion/integrative learning--it can really branch out a long way. Right now, it's all about the simple things. We name trees and flowers and animals and tracks. And stars, when we're out at night. We talk about how things work, how things grow. We talk about picking up litter and why we don't toss our own down. He's only two--he has a lifetime to pick his interests. For now, we just keep up a running dialogue.

[+thecaswellfamily]

Our kids love the entire experience. I gave our oldest my engineering compass and the youngest got Daddy's cool army one. They take turns leading us down the trails with the GPSr. We stop and observe anything interesting, ducks on the pond (added binoculars and a feild guide to our pack), weather patterns, observation of others (are those people by GZ just hanging out or are they cachers too?), rocks. I keep plastic shopping bags in my pack for hauling out any trash we see (CITO) and they've gotten really into that one... today my 6 year old wanted me to wade out into knee deep freezing lakewater to retrieve some careless person's beer can (I'm still cold, but how can you say no to that?)! Tailor the lessons to the age of your child and any interests that spark on the journey. We've been known to spend 30 minutes tossing branches into a stream from one side of a bridge just to run over and watch them float under... hmmmm, lesson on water currents anyone? And history! Just today we did a great little multi that taught us about the original schoolhouse in our town... the possibilities are endless!