Geocaching for Brownies?

[Hellsb19]

Hiya,

 

I'm pretty new to this exciting Geocaching world - only found 2 caches so far, but am amazed at how many are around! Anyway I am also a Brownie leader, and I'm planning a walk for them, and walked the journey today, and came across a cache, on the route, and wondered if it would be a good idea to introduce the Brownies to it?

 

Has anyone else had introduced their Brownies, or other guiding friends to the world of Geocaching??

 

Thanks

[+The Blorenges]

Hi, welcome to the forum

 

I would ask you to be a bit cautious about showing your Brownies the location of any geocache in their home area, especially if it's in a local park, or somewhere they will pass frequently. I'm sure they're a lovely group but it's likely that the idea of a "hidden treasure box" will be fascinating for them - They'll probably want to tell their brothers and sisters about it, maybe their school friends... who'll tell their friends...

 

After a while it'll get to the attention of someone not so lovely and it may get muggled.

 

Many groups introduce geocaching to youngsters, which is great, but I think it's better done away from home when attending a camp.

 

If you want to show them the fun of geocaching it might be better to set up a few temporary caches yourself and let they hunt them down. That way you can set them up specifically with children in mind and in closer proximity than "real" geocaches so there's more fun in a smaller area.

 

MrsB

[+Mallah]

I'm about to introduce my Scouts to geocaching. We're fortunate to be on the edge of the Peak District so I am able to set up a set of temporary caches around our local area for the same reason MrsB has pointed out. I've got hold of three old eTrex legends that I intend to programme up with all the caches I have set out and give them a card with the caches they need to find (it won't be all of them) and whenever they get to a certain time they will have to stop what they are doing and look for the cache named 'Home' which will bring them back to where their parents will pick them up.

Going to split it over two weeks to make the groups smaller, with the other half doing something else.

[+Lime Candy]

I've done this with Cubs while at camp. We had groups of 5 sharing one GPSr, having turns of 1/10 of a mile each. We devised a walk which took in 2 existing caches, and we placed another 3 temporary ones (not listed on the geocaching site, just big ice-cream tubs full of loot set up for the day). The Cubs really enjoyed it, they liked the swapping of loot best of all though.

[+Pharisee]

I have a series of caches starting in the village of Wallington, Hertfordshire. Each year since it was set, the 'Baloo' of the local Templars Cub Pack has taken the new cubs out for a treasure hunt / murder mystery and each year they leave me a certificate in the final ammo box. How nice is that !!

 

[+SaltercreaseRangers]

 

VERY COOL !

[+burtsbodgers]

Hi

I have set a series aimed at Scouts/Guides see link:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=0e160aa2-a616-4c4c-8d79-4f430ad896f8

 

But this is around our District head quarters and away from where the groups normally meet.

As Mrs B said, it is best not to cache locally as it can be very tempting for the young people to show off to others.

 

I do also have a small series around our districts Scout huts, but have asked that the local leaders do not point them out to their own groups.

 

It is also a good camp activity, and i have a set of containers set aside for temporary caches while on camp.

 

And for a change the series is not a million miles away from you, we also have a few GPSrs that our group hires out to youth groups, along with maps of the caches.

Edited March 7, 2011 by burtsbodgers

[+JUSTHEJOB]

I also have a few cache set for scouts/Brownies etc called the Woggle series N Wales

[+Mallah]

Those of you who have scout related caches might want to add them to this site http://www.geocachingscouts.org.uk/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=4

 

contact scouts@5thprittlewellscouts.org

[+pendragon9321]

When we were on holiday in Cumbria we did some fun caches set by the 1st Wetherall Brownies, they might be the people to contact for more info.....

 

We even managed FTF on one which we were well chuffed with given on hol and little internet access at the house we were staying at!!!!

[+*mouse*]

Some of our local guide groups like to use night caches as it's easier for every girl to find a torch than it is to get hold of enough gps units to go around - mind you, Brownies might not feel as confident out in the dark than older girls do.

 

Lots of guide and scouting groups also hide caches and so it may be worth finding out if any other local groups own one so that you can find theirs (and later if you hide one of your own they can find yours).

[+Jake Bullit]

Waddow Hall brownie/guide camp near Clitheroe Lancs has some private ones set up.The cache setters name is PrincessEmili.It might be worth contacting her for ideas.

[+Indy Alex]

We take our Rangers out at least once a term caching and they now insist that we have holidays in new places so they can go geocaching as an activity (yes, we have got them addicted and are even planning to do a hard night cache in the area with them in the next couple of weeks). I've also taken our Guides to some proper geocaches in the area when on a walk and have set up temporary ones when we've been away too and they all seem to enjoy it especially if they are big and have things in (although the Rangers are just as keen on the cunning hides that look like rocks and leaves!). Currently we are planning an outing with 2 other Ranger units to take them caching in the area and we have 2 Guide units also want a go (as well as most the division's leaders after spotting my sis in Guiding mag talking about it a few issues ago. lol)!

I've not tried caching with little yellow people but I suspect you'd need to make sure you could get hold of a few GPS units or let them have a go in small groups or it might get a tad frustrating for them. I'd def say if you can get hold of GPS units it would be a great activity for when you are away (and if you ever take them to London there is a cache at Pax Lodge!)

[+susiemerlin1]

My daughter asked us to introduce geocaching to her brownies when thet went to camp.

I set out serveral dummy caches for them over the weekend, explained all the ins & outs and they loved it.

We arranged for them to do my mini series (4)one evening and it was explained to them that if they tell people where they are they might go missing, so it wont be fair on the next set of cachers to find that they have gone missing, that was 9 months ago and we have had no problems with the caches.

They have there own account and have put out there own cache which is local so as they can do all the maintenance on it. They also have two TB's out in the wild which they are tracking on a map one in France and the other in Austria, so learning comes into it as well (even if they dont realise it)

They really enjoy it.

So I would ay go for it.

[+granite basher 99]

I,(Mrs.GB99), had a little caching evening for our local Scouts group last summer.

The Scouts meet in the senior school, so I arrived early and set out some small boxes with sweets in (one box per Scout so they each had a turn) around the school playing field and gardens and recorded the co-ords (obviously ).

I gave a 10 minute talk about the GPS unit and geocaching and then we were off!

Having them within the relative safety of the school grounds made it stress free.

They thoroughly enjoyed it.

[+SXParx]

we regularily take schools/Scouts and other youth groups caching our country parks (Essex Country Parks)- we have access to 40 gps units and taylor make each session for each group..... we use temporary caches so as not to give away the location of our permanent caches. Most we have had in one session is 150 that was an interesting session

[+Grizzly Pair]

I am a Brownie Guider in Ashby de la Zouch. As our Division is celebrating 90 years this year we have a Division Challenge. Of of the challenges is to go out geocaching. Our Division Commissioner was new to caching and contacted me to find out all about it, so she joined up with her husband and has done some caches, her first few were my caches with me joining them on a walk. The division has now purchased 3 Etrex machines to loan out to units. The DC had set up a geocaching pack with help cards and several dummy caches. When a unit wants to have a go she will go into the unit andd explain how to use the GPS and also how to geocache. The girls will then be given the co-ordiantes of the dummy caches hidden for the evening in school grounds, locl park or campsite. They will get a good idea of how it is done with out compromising local caches. The girls who are keen will then be encouraged to find out more by looking at the geocaching site.

 

This method f caching allows us to cache with all the girls from rainbows to Young Leaders, we can just tailor it to their age and ability.

[+T199er]

Thanks for the advice as I've been asked to introduce the local school children to geocaching.

Found this looking for help as I was sure someone else would have asked the question.

Tempory caches sound great & thanks.

T199er.

[+SXParx]

Only limitation of doing it for school groups is getting hold of a large number of GPS units (all the same model). Caching is abit boring with a large group all tagging along with only a few GPS's between them.