Wanted: Creative help w/9 year olds' birthday cache

[cmargo810]

Hi everyone, I have an idea I'd like help or input with and this seemed like the most appropriate category to place it in. I am super excited because I just ordered the Geo Mate Jr. and update cord for My grandson's 9th birthday. After reading reviews, watching You tube demos and reading a 400 plus thread in the GPS category about Geo Mate, and looking into my very skinny wallet, the decision to get him this model was easy. I also have on order a nice kit with lots of caches hiding essentials, a new TB, a couple trackable items, a FTF micro coin and a dedicated caching pack to hold everything and carry along. Basically everything he needs to find and hide caches in his own pack without using "Grandmas stuff".

So here is where I'd like input. I'd like to work it out where I hide a cache (unknown to him, unpublished), We "find" it, and it ends up being some sort of Birthday/ multi / he's the first to find and gets everything sort of adventure. Get the picture? Has anyone done this sort of thing before or have any suggestions? I am already using my smart phone for geo caching and it doesnt navigate toward a cache the way the Geo Mate will and he trusts me when I lead him along towards GZ with it, so tricking him by "finding" an unpublished cache will be no problem. I

I appreciate and suggestions and love long winded, detailed replies. Thanks so much everyone.

[+SoldierKraft]

A cool idea would be to tell him that someone hid a cache that nobody ever found because the geocachers didn't understand one of the clues. You would explain to him how geocaches are "archived" when they're lost or not maintained. A missed clue could be about a local landmark which is why it was overlooked. Anyways, the point of this cache is to find another cache that the finder could claim and publish as their own.

 

So, you have found the listing for the archived cache, and you think you know that you two can find it. It could be a puzzle cache that might appear easy to solve, but perhaps everyone missed something obvious, or perhaps you would have to go to the library to find the one missing clue. (Definitely go to the library, find an old book/encylopedia, and figure out your clue ahead of time.)

 

You could even make the clues about a subject that would come naturally to a 9-year old. You could even make a clue be about a local landmark which is why few people recognized and understood the clue. So you would start the whole thing by taking him to the landmark to solve the puzzle.

 

Another idea, going away from making him believe it's a real geocache, would be to have a mysterious trunk or box (secured with a key lock) appear on the doorstep, with clues on how to find the key hidden in a small geocache. the box has a note for him telling him that this is all about him proving he's a worthy geocacher. From this point you could make it as long and involved as you like with multiple caches and puzzles to solve. It could be part scavenger hunt and part multicache.

 

I hope this is helpful!

[cmargo810]

A cool idea would be to tell him that someone hid a cache that nobody ever found because the geocachers didn't understand one of the clues. You would explain to him how geocaches are "archived" when they're lost or not maintained. A missed clue could be about a local landmark which is why it was overlooked. Anyways, the point of this cache is to find another cache that the finder could claim and publish as their own.

 

So, you have found the listing for the archived cache, and you think you know that you two can find it. It could be a puzzle cache that might appear easy to solve, but perhaps everyone missed something obvious, or perhaps you would have to go to the library to find the one missing clue. (Definitely go to the library, find an old book/encylopedia, and figure out your clue ahead of time.)

 

You could even make the clues about a subject that would come naturally to a 9-year old. You could even make a clue be about a local landmark which is why few people recognized and understood the clue. So you would start the whole thing by taking him to the landmark to solve the puzzle.

 

Another idea, going away from making him believe it's a real geocache, would be to have a mysterious trunk or box (secured with a key lock) appear on the doorstep, with clues on how to find the key hidden in a small geocache. the box has a note for him telling him that this is all about him proving he's a worthy geocacher. From this point you could make it as long and involved as you like with multiple caches and puzzles to solve. It could be part scavenger hunt and part multicache.

 

Soldierkraft, I love both you're ideas. The second idea in particular is so brilliant. Have a locked box appear on the doorstep, with further instructions. It solves multiple problems. It clearly marks the beginning of the adventure and the end. The more expensive goodies (Geo Mate Jr) will be inside the locked box and opened last, preventing accidental muggleism). I'll make it a multi, which we've never done yet and he's been champing at the bit for. He'll know it's a birthday Geo adventure for him and therefore not get tired and think we can come back next weekend and finish solving the "archived" cache in your first scenario--he'll just want to keep going. Along the way of him finding his Birthday caches, I can tell him, "Hmm, what do you know? There is a brand new cache (that I have planted)around here, lets see if we can find that also", and there will be a FTF coin in it. (later I'll publish that one for real, but he'll get the coin-genius). Finally, what 9 year old doesn't want a cool locked box all there own? This is really a great idea Soldier, I wish I could take credit for it! Thank you, I'm really excited now.

 

Now that I have a blueprint for the logistics, I need to work out the running puzzle theme. Some things he likes:

Codes, Nature, Birds, the t.v. show "The Event" , the idea of E.T.s, U.F.O.s and Big Foot. Any ideas on that are welcome from anyone.

 

Happy caching. Maggie

[+SoldierKraft]

I don't know how much time you have before the birthday, but I'd be glad to help.

 

I had bought my son a paperback book on cyphers and codes (I think it was titled "Top Secret") which shows famous codes and cyphers going back through history and talks about techniques for writing and breaking codes and cyphers. Best of all, it was written for kids, so it's entertaining and educational. I'd be glad to share some ideas with you if you like. (I bet the book is still available and somewhat cheap; might make a good item to either leave in the box or have it be found at the first cache of the birthday multicache.