savagecachers Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 I am hoping to use "treasure hunts" as a way to get my kids (ages 5 & 7) out hiking this summer. If we stick to the easier caches, does this seem reasonable or are they too young to get it - will the caches seem anti-climatic to them? Also, I am trying to figure out what GPSr to buy - I am considering either a Garmin Etrex or a Magellan 315 paired with a good compass (so they each have something to do) or a Garmin Summit (which includes a compass). Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment
+Wander Lost Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 My 5 year old loves 'treasure' hunting. Most caches we hunt for are the easy 1/1 type. Those are generally filled with McToys and as far as he is concerned that's just fine with him. We let him hold the GPSr and even if we see the cache first we'll let him find it. Most 1/1's I've seen are urban caches and are generally right near the trail and pretty close to the parking area. Not too much actual hiking is necessary. After you get them hooked on the Treasure hunting aspect of the game then you can start moving up to the harder terrain caches. Pay close attention to the description of the cache location and if you have a topo map that will also give you a pretty good idea of the terrain. Hope that helps. As far as the GPSr goes, I like your idea of a basic unit with the compass to give each child something to do. As you get more involved with geocaching you may want to upgrade your GPSr and then you can move up to a more advanced unit and keep the original one for the kids to use. If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people?? [This message was edited by Wander Lost on May 14, 2002 at 03:29 PM.] Quote Link to comment
+M-D-M Explorations Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 And don't forget the opportunity to add a little historice lesson now and then when a cache is hidden near any specific spot. Many virtual caches can have a historical significance as well. Quote Link to comment
+RAD Dad Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 I take my three year old and 18 month old. I say, who wants to go treasure hunting? And the three year old starts hollering "me me me!" and my 18 month old is going "yeah yeah!" They love it. ummmm....not sure what to say here....so ummm, well errrr, uhhhh, well I guess that's it. Quote Link to comment
Night Tracker Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 Fun part is deciding which GPSR to buy. Go see both units and buy either one, ask to function test both units if you can and choose from what you think works best in your hands. I have a Mag.315 and had the latest (v 3.15) installed at the store before i left for no extra charge. I'm very satisfied with it. My brother has the Garmin Venture, he's happy with his. It all depends on you. The Summit with the built in compass does not impress me. I like using my own compass. The extras cost you in less battery life. Get either one and a good compass and you'll be on your way to having good wholesome family fun..... Quote Link to comment
Night Tracker Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 Fun part is deciding which GPSR to buy. Go see both units and buy either one, ask to function test both units if you can and choose from what you think works best in your hands. I have a Mag.315 and had the latest (v 3.15) installed at the store before i left for no extra charge. I'm very satisfied with it. My brother has the Garmin Venture, he's happy with his. It all depends on you. The Summit with the built in compass does not impress me. I like using my own compass. The extras cost you in less battery life. Get either one and a good compass and you'll be on your way to having good wholesome family fun..... Quote Link to comment
+The Cheeseheads Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 My two-year-old loves it! Some of the brush we encounter that I stuggle to push through, she just walks through without a problem. Once we find the cache, I always let her pick out the "treasure" she wants. Just be sure to check the kids for ticks when you're done... Quote Link to comment
+Markwell Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I completely agree with all of the above. Check out our Team Roster. The two-year-old has a lot of fun on the cache hunts and the six-year-old is learning an awful lot. And - we spend time together! Markwell My Geocaching Page Quote Link to comment
cesturgeon Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I took my kids (4 and 7) on their first hunt (my second) yesterday evening along with their cousins (4 and 7) and we had a great time. We walked over a mile finding 1 cache and part 1 of a second cache. They loved finding all the toys and swapping. My kids now know what poison ivy looks like and learned how to skip rocks off the creek. It was a great way to spend time with them and give my wife a break. They can't wait until we go again and mom has bought them camo pants (like mine) for the next adventure. I just bought my GPS unit from Best Buy, a Garmin Etrex Venture. I am happy with it. And with the software to download the caches from the web site and then upload to the unit...that is saving alot of time. My friend has the base Garmin model. I'm glad my friend introduced me to this. we will now have things to do when visiting grandparents or going camping. My kids are also planning their own caches. Quote Link to comment
cesturgeon Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I took my kids (4 and 7) on their first hunt (my second) yesterday evening along with their cousins (4 and 7) and we had a great time. We walked over a mile finding 1 cache and part 1 of a second cache. They loved finding all the toys and swapping. My kids now know what poison ivy looks like and learned how to skip rocks off the creek. It was a great way to spend time with them and give my wife a break. They can't wait until we go again and mom has bought them camo pants (like mine) for the next adventure. I just bought my GPS unit from Best Buy, a Garmin Etrex Venture. I am happy with it. And with the software to download the caches from the web site and then upload to the unit...that is saving alot of time. My friend has the base Garmin model. I'm glad my friend introduced me to this. we will now have things to do when visiting grandparents or going camping. My kids are also planning their own caches. Quote Link to comment
Team PL Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 My five year old has more fun hunting caches than my 11 year old. Be prepared to always swap for something from a cache you find; my youngest can't leave a cache without a treasure. Quote Link to comment
savagecachers Posted May 15, 2002 Author Share Posted May 15, 2002 What kind of things do you bring to swap? Quote Link to comment
Night Tracker Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 A little of everything. Have your kids go through their toy box, take the small stuff they want to trade like, Poke´mon´cards, Spare batteries (new) is always nice. You can bring music cds, or small items you got from other caches. As you travel from cache to cache you'll get the idea. Get a small day pack to store all your geocache items. Quote Link to comment
glynnfam Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 The little Glynns are 3 & 5 and have been caching nearly a year. 20 finds, some virtual and multi. Nothing harder than a 3/3 though. They usually bring a toy of their own to trade and often spot the cache first, being lower to the ground. For LONG hikes, I still bring along the Trek Transit hiker - good for tired kidlets and also toting a small cooler of juice boxes! The 5 yr old often carries the GPS or compass. All in all, a GREAT family activity. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment
+TheGertridgeExplorers Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 My boys are 5 & 8. Whenever we said "Let's go for a walk" We heard "Awwwwwww". Now we hear "Let's go geocaching!" And they certainly "get it". When we are shopping the 5 yo picks out Hot Wheels to trade. The 8 year old is the champ at finding the containers. They are not greedy when it comes to trading trinkets. The youngest's favorite trade item is a marble, and he has started a key chain collection. Caching is keeping the oldest in tennis balls for road hockey. Also important, our dog is thrilled with the longer walks. We will be incorporating this into our camping trips this summer too! I hope your family will have as much fun geocaching as we are having! -Donna G - "The Home of Our Hearts" [This message was edited by DonnaG on May 17, 2002 at 12:31 PM.] Quote Link to comment
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