Kid friendly multi-cache ideas....

[+shw104]

Hi everyone...

 

I'd like to hide some very kid friendly cache's around a community picnic area and pond in my neighborhood.  Mainly to give some of the younger kids something to do outside and introduce them to the world of caching.  We have a ton of young families in our neighborhood.    I have (2) traditional cache's hidden off near by hiking trails and I'd like to make the closer to the pond area one the start of a 3 location multi-cache..  The new ones will be small micro-style with just a log book... they will be camo'd in plain site type of caches... 

 

This will be my first multi-cache.  

 

Looking for suggestions for beginner, kid friendly clues or ways to set up a multi-cache.  I could list the coordination for the 2nd cache at the location of the first but looking to make this more fun for kids.. (elementary age).. thoughts?  suggestions?  

 

Thanks!!!!

sw

[+Max and 99]

I hope you have a stash of replacement containers. 

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, shw104 said:

I'd like to hide some very kid friendly cache's around a community picnic area and pond in my neighborhood.

To expand on Max and 99's point, when I introduce kids to geocaching, I make a point of NOT taking them to local neighborhood caches. I take them to temporary caches that I've placed specifically for my geocaching class, or I take them on a hike at a park some distance from their local neighborhoods. Even if I trust the kids I'm with completely, I don't necessarily trust their friends and classmates who hear about hidden treasure boxes in the neighborhood.

 

2 hours ago, shw104 said:

Looking for suggestions for beginner, kid friendly clues or ways to set up a multi-cache. 

Keep the information at the non-final stage(s) simple and fun. Count the number of birds in the mural, or count the number of children wearing hats in the sculpture, and so on. It would be even better if the information isn't digits in GPS coordinates (which is a rather abstract concept for younger kids). Other alternatives could include counting steps while walking towards a landmark, or counting which fence post or bollard or whatever the cache is hidden near. The requirement for GPS use is fulfilled by navigating to the first stage. The final can use some other navigation technique.

[+msrubble]

In my (limited) experience, younger kids are not excited as much by finding something sneaky as by riffling through "treasure." On the other hand, once the local kids find out about the box of toys in the park, it's doomed.

Besides counting, you could use colors. Or multiple choice. "If the bench is green, keep going straight ahead. If it is brown, turn left."

You could put a simple jigsaw puzzle in the first or second stage. Put the puzzle together to see the coordinates. Or a photo of the final location.

Treasure map?

Maybe you could make it spy-themed. Talk about spy gadgets and tell them they are looking for something small that is a disguise, and what it can hold (the logbook).

Edited May 10, 2020 by msrubble

[+barefootjeff]

3 hours ago, msrubble said:

Besides counting, you could use colors. Or multiple choice. "If the bench is green, keep going straight ahead. If it is brown, turn left."

 

Just be aware that about 5% of the population are colour-blind.