Idea For A Signature Trade Item

[+Agent Okie]

Mrs. Okie and I were visiting tonight about a signature item that I could leave in caches that I visit. I have been leaving plastic edge sealed, small containers of Play-Dough. My girls love them, but this could get expensive. Mrs. Okie is an elementary teacher and makes her own playdough for her classroom.

 

There was a post a few days ago about waterproof containers (film canisters) that passed his test. I was thinking that we could make our homemade playdough and place individual servings of playdough in these containers with custom labels. I know my kids would love to find something like this and would like to leave them as well.

 

There is one small problem...I think. The playdough is made with kool-aide or generic version of the same. This causes the playdough to have a grape or strawberry (or other flavor) scent. Would this attrack animals or otherwise violate the no food rule? I think we might be able to make a version of playdough without the drink mix, and use food coloring, but it would still smell like dough?

 

Anyone already tried this idea or a variation of it?

 

Thanks!

[+Smitherington]

I have not tried what you are talking about but I certainly have reservations about something that has any food odor. I found a cache that was trashed once and the thing I remember was the container for playdough as part of the geotrash on that one.

[+Boot Group]

How about making a "recipie card" with your geocaching name on it, plus the recipie for the homemade play-do? Your kids could even "decorate" the card to make it even more personalized. Also, you could laminate the card to help it during "damp" weather. May be you could make the play-do when you attend your first geo-meet, and pass it out to other geocaching families, once some of the other geocachers in your area see your signature recipie card. Have fun and Happy Trails!

[FallenFaery]

you could also use food coloring instead of kool-aid.

[+Maliberry]

How about making a "recipie card" with your geocaching name on it, plus the recipie for the homemade play-do? Your kids could even "decorate" the card to make it even more personalized. Also, you could laminate the card to help it during "damp" weather. May be you could make the play-do when you attend your first geo-meet, and pass it out to other geocaching families, once some of the other geocachers in your area see your signature recipie card. Have fun and Happy Trails!

I think this is a wonderful idea. Also, the kids finding the recipe would probably have more fun making the playdough than finding the playdough itself.

[+Renegade Knight]

If I recall from when we did this with out kids the basic ingredients themselves before the cool aid would attract animals.

 

It's still a cool idea....Just not for general caches.

[+Agent Okie]

Thanks everyone for your input. I don't think I've heard of a problem with the pre-packaged playdough, but that was my concern with homemade. I really like the idea of the recipe card and think I will do something with that as well. Mrs. Okie and I are going to try to make a scent-free, but colored playdough and see how that works. Maybe I'll build a private cache with some in it and place it for a couple of weeks and see what happens with the critters.

 

Thanks again!

 

[+chstress53]

recipe great idea. Play dough in any form has a small. I have found two caches distroyed because of smeely things placed there. this to me would be a no no.

[+GEO.JOE]

Thanks everyone for your input. I don't think I've heard of a problem with the pre-packaged playdough, but that was my concern with homemade. I really like the idea of the recipe card and think I will do something with that as well. Mrs. Okie and I are going to try to make a scent-free, but colored playdough and see how that works. Maybe I'll build a private cache with some in it and place it for a couple of weeks and see what happens with the critters.

 

Thanks again!

 

I hope the scent-free dough works out. You could always do a combination of both the dough and the recipe cards. This way you could leave the "mostly" scent-free dough in ammo cans or other durable containers and you would have the recipe cards as a back up for smaller or less durable caches. If you make it out my way I would definitely run out to get some "Okie Doughkie"

 

GEO.JOE

[+Fergus]

The worst critters, for going after caches that smell like food, are bears. I heard of a bear ripping open a 5 gallon plastic bucket to get at the scented candle in it. I have found play-dough in caches, located in areas with bears, before and I have never though it was a problem. If you really want to be sure find some cachers who live in areas with lots of bears to place some test caches.

[+Blaidd-Drwg]

I believe what you are going to find here in the lovely state of Oklahoma is that Rats will eat up any cache with any type of food item in it. Now if, you only place your playdough in containers that are ratproof, such as ammo boxes or glass jars with metal tops, then it would be OK. But if the cache is in any type of plastic container (decon kit, coffee can, or others), the placement of playdough will just lead to more rapid gnawing of the container and result in a wet soggy mess. I'm sure that as you find more caches, you'll see examples of this gnawing. It usually doesn't even require food items in the cache to occur.

[+GeoMom]

As a mom that probably has homemade play-doh permanently imbedded under my fingernails, I don't think home made dough is a good idea.

 

In the warmer months (or in a warmer climate year-round) that dough is going to grow all kinds of science projects, since there are no preservatives in it. Flour dough will still have a scent to animals, although baking soda might not.

 

Go to the dollar store. They ususally have those mini cans in a package of 4 or so. It's easier and safer and still inexpensive.

[+bigredmed]

How about making a "recipie card" with your geocaching name on it, plus the recipie for the homemade play-do?  Your kids could even "decorate" the card to make it even more personalized.  Also, you could laminate the card to help it during "damp" weather.  May be you could make the play-do when you attend your first geo-meet, and pass it out to other geocaching families, once some of the other geocachers in your area see your signature recipie card. Have fun and Happy Trails!

I think this is a wonderful idea. Also, the kids finding the recipe would probably have more fun making the playdough than finding the playdough itself.

Recipe cards in general are cool trade items.

 

We have an International Geocache Exchange cache in Nebraska that came from Spain. One of the trade items was a recipe card for a tapas dish that is really easy to make (thus kid friendly) and interesting.

 

A cool recipe for playdough or some tasty dish would be a neat sig item.

[+ChicagoCanineCrew]

I believe what you are going to find here in the lovely state of Oklahoma is that Rats will eat up any cache with any type of food item in it. Now if, you only place your playdough in containers that are ratproof, such as ammo boxes or glass jars with metal tops, then it would be OK.

I think if a rat was really determined they might be able to chew through the metal top of a glass jar... And as you said ANYTHING made of any type of plastic is fair game for them.

[+Team Neos]

At one of the first few caches that I ever did, I left a small container of play-doh (the kind you get to use as party favors). Within a week other cachers reported finding the cache container open on the ground and the contents scattered.

The owner of the cache suspected children had found the cache. I suspected that critters had found it and felt responsible.

[+Agent Okie]

If you make it out my way I would definitely run out to get some "Okie Doughkie

 

I love that! I think I'll use that as the name for my first cache, even if I use only the recipe card. I was thinking such a cache could include Play-Dough toys and several versions of the playdough recipe.

 

Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[+GEO.JOE]

If you make it out my way I would definitely run out to get some "Okie Doughkie

 

I love that! I think I'll use that as the name for my first cache, even if I use only the recipe card. I was thinking such a cache could include Play-Dough toys and several versions of the playdough recipe.

 

Thanks for the inspiration!

 

Glad to be an inspiration.

The Play dough cache sounds like a great idea.

GEO.JOE