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Kids birthday geocache party


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I got the GPS for safety before going backpacking, then was "turned on" to geocaching before we left. My son and I had such a great time on the trip and since, that we've decided to make his 12th BD party geocaching-oriented.

 

The plan: The day or so before, I go to a local park and hide several containers, such as a multi-cache. Then, around dusk the next day, the party starts. My son and his pals hopefully will find the cache with coordinates to the next, and so on. It will soon get dark, which is the most fun for a 12-year old. I'll tag along to make it spookier and safer. icon_smile.gif

 

I am planning to hide chemical glow sticks in the first cache. The next ones will be smaller, and the finder will get a prize. The boys will all take turns with the GPS, and hopefully they can find all the caches before the park closes (about 1.5 hours after sunset).

 

We don't have loads of experience geocaching, so I am hoping to get suggestions on how to hide things from the public, but findable to smart kids at night. For example, perhaps I should stick a strip of reflective tape on or near the cache so that flashlights are more effective? Maybe I should use an Altoid tin stuck to the back of the "Emergency Phone" poles in the park? Maybe I should pre-load a hundred or so waypoints, and just say "Go on to Waypoint BD033" instead of asking them to enter in coordinates?

 

Ideas? Anyone done this? icon_smile.gif

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

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Sounds like a neat idea! And a way to hook a whole bunch of new geocachers ... for which all their parents will then curse you for having to buy GPSr units icon_smile.gif

 

I think you'd need to pick the age right ... my soon to be 8 year old loves to geocache with me, but I don't think I could take a group of 8 year olds that have never used a GPSr and get them to have fun with it in a couple hour span ... I'm sure you'd be fine with 12 year olds.

 

You'd also have to round up enough equipment if you were doing a team thing too.

 

Good idea though ... one I'll file away for future use/consideration!

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I met a brand new geocacher yesterday on the trail to a cache. In conversation, he indicated that he was going to set up a private cache hunt for one of his church groups.

 

I asked him how he heard about geocaching. He replied that he had read an article in the paper a week ago. (That article about geocaching featured me!)

 

He indicated that others in his church had read the same article and wanted to learn more about the sport.

 

Looks like our little game is expanding expotentially(sp?)

 

And personally I think that is good for geocaching although I do see logistical problems in store for the future. (like not enough GPSrs to go around icon_wink.gif )

 

Also, I have aleady been asked to host a geocaching program for a youth group at another local church.

 

============="If it feels good...do it."================

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quote:
Originally posted by Dave77459:

I am planning to hide chemical glow sticks in the first cache. The next ones will be smaller, and the finder will get a prize. The boys will all take turns with the GPS, and hopefully they can find all the caches before the park closes (about 1.5 hours after sunset).

 

...

 

Ideas? Anyone done this? icon_smile.gif


 

Cool idea! Here's a thought...

 

In each cache, put something you need to find the next cache. Like hide one cache underwater, and in the previous cache, put a length of cord with a hook or magnet tied onto it. They have to fish out the cache with the hook. Or maybe the next cache has only general coordinates (cache is within 50 feet of a waypoint. Then mark the cache with reflective tape and put a flashlight in the previous cache.

 

Don't tell them whaqt the objects in the cache are for. They have to figure it out.

 

The last cache is a locked footlocker, and the previous cache has the key. Inside the footlocker is the birthday presents and party favors (or even the cake!) This more valuable cache would have to be placed while the kids are off looking for the others, and would need to be guarded, though.

 

-- Robert

 

"I drank WHAT?!?" -- Socrates

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Yesterday was my 11 year old daughter, Megan's birthday. I had picked her up several little presents which I put in an ammo can and hid about 3 blocks away in my parents' yard. I marked the waypoint with the "Parking Lot" symbol (A "P" in a square) and called it "PRESENTS" and told her "Go get it." She came back about a half hour later pretty excited.

 

This Christmas I'm gonna put her presents under all the neighborhood pine trees. icon_wink.gif

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44

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quote:
Originally posted by gt40:

The last cache is a locked footlocker, and the previous cache has the key. Inside the footlocker is the birthday presents and party favors (or even the cake!) This more valuable cache would have to be placed while the kids are off looking for the others, and would need to be guarded, though.


 

This is a pretty great idea. But, I could put the locked thing back home to keep it safe. If the last cache has only a key, it can be really small (maybe the round Altoids?).

 

Thanks all for the great ideas and replies. I hope to get some more of them. I think my son (and his friends) will go wild!

 

Dave

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Thanks for all the ideas. We just had a party for my son. A small group, only 5 kids all 11 or 12. We hid 5 caches a few hours before the party(so each kid could use the GPS for a cache). We live near a bicycle trail and the elementary school is nearby. The total walk was about 2.5 miles We started the hunt just before dark. The first cache contained flashlights, and the others contained various prizes (glow in the dark superballs, flourescent mouthpieces, compasses, and of course candy, etc). We started to borrow a second GPS, but I'm glad we didnt't. In addition to the geocaching, the boys had a lot of fun walking around, acting goofy and just being boys. We let the boys take off and my husband and I just followed behind, so they were able to cuss and talk about other discusting guy stuff that they couldn't do in front of mom or in public.

 

Thanks for the great ideas!

Team Cache Dog

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This is a great idea... My daughter is about to turn 1 year old so I may have to hold off on using it for a couple of years still...

 

Who knows by then we may even be able to look for virtuals or locationless caches? icon_rolleyes.gif

 

---------------------------------------------------

Free your mind and the rest will follow action-smiley-076.gif

And may no Admin bricks 19490_2600.gif fly your way

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We were thinking of a similar type of birthday for my son as he will be 13 in November. We live on 2 acres, so I think we are planning on doing it here and me planting micros. I was thinking about having them do it with compasses so they can learn a little map reading and orienteering as well. My idea is to have prizes for each micro and then in each micro place a slip of what they won. I was also thinking of making a multi micro where the answers are in a couple different ones and then having something that they can split up on the end of that multi in case they work together on it.

 

Brian

www.woodsters.com

 

pumpkinlights.gif

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My son(4) and I did something like that for our 20th A. We were backpacking in the Sierras on the East Side(inside a wilderness area). We hid lexan champagne glasses in one spot and a split of Champagne (325 ml bottle) in the creek. Wife had a kick finding it and my son couldn't keep the secret very long and had to point out the hiding places.

 

Caching sounds like a good theme for a B'day party, but if you're doing it at night I'd suggest extra batteries; those backlights really eat up the batteries.

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This is a great idea....my 12 year old loves caching and her Birthday is this spring....plenty of time to plan. My only concern would be how to structure it so each kid has a chance to win or get a prize.....

 

:) :) :)

Shouldn't be a problem. I think you only need to be close by to accomplish that. If you see someone struggling you can give them the old "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" and get them closer to the cache. I hope you and the kids have a great time!

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My daughter is turning 9 next month and is CrAzY for geocaching. I would love to make a fabulous hunt for her and her friends. We are quite new to this awesome activity and would appreciate any help in constructing it. We live in a very wooded area near the mountains and have a great deal of space (if needed). I don't want it to be too hard as some of the girls only read French and some English (so the clues can't be too wordy (?)

I liked the idea of the pinata treasure chest at the end. Unable to find one tho. Checked all the stores. Any other suggestions? :blink:

Thanks,

4toes

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