Toy Caches

[Patrick Virgin]

I will be on Hilton Head Island in a few weeks and was going to do my first GPS find. I am curious as to any cache that would be good for my 2 year old son to find (ie hotwheel, etc) and if anyone would recommend a good first search on that island that is not too difficult. I will be staying at the Marriotts Grande Ocean Resort. I hope to turn this into a long standing activity for my son and I and any info would be appreciated. (Any cache finds on the way to Hilton Head would be good also!!!)

[WH]

You will have better luck if you post this in the regional forums.

[+briansnat]

It's kind of hard to predict what will be in a cache, as the contents are in flux. One person might find a cache full of kid friendly items and two months later the cache might have none.

 

I'd say look for a newer, regular sized cache and there is a good chance you'll find some kid friendly items. The contents of older caches tend to be pretty sad in general but you might be surprised.

 

Just don't get your kid's hopes up too much. I recall the dejected look on my young nephew's face when we opened a cache full of trash. Because a previous cache was full of toys (you should have seen his wide open eyes on that one) he was expecting more of that and really disappointed.

 

I explained to him that some caches have treasures, but some people are "poor" and can't afford to leave nice things so not all caches have treasures.

Edited May 5, 2005 by briansnat

[WH]

Here's something I do with my kids.

 

When I bring them caching, I stop at the store and let them each pick out a few inexpensive trade items. When we find a cache, I give them the option of either trading for an item in the cache OR getting to keep one of the items bought at the store. This way they are guaranteed to get something they like at each cache.

[+Jeep_Dog]

I usually keep a "treasure" in one of my pockets that I know my two year old daughter would love. That way, if the cache contents are dissapointing to her, or she is fixated on an item that is not appropriate for her (or dangerous), then I slip in the "treasure." She goes for it every time, and is happy as anything. Mostly I've had good luck with each cache (other than micro) having somehting she likes, and have only applied this trick once due to the dissapointment factor... although numerous times for the diversion away from an item more appropriate for older children that she deemed really nifty.

[+hmarq]

My kids are older now (almost 8 and 10) ... I kid you not, they have more fun now leaving things ... we carry a bag of swag and they try to find the biggest thing that will fit in the container mostly (we find a log of smalls/micros) ... sometimes they'll trade, but mostly they like to leave stuff. Granted when we stumble upon an ammo can with actual stuff in it, they lapse into trade mode, but that's OK ... now if I could just convince them to go caching more often! ... but that's a different problem

[vfrpilot]

I hope to turn this into a long standing activity for my son and I

 

As do I; he's six & seems to love it as much as I do. I can't speak for a 2 year old...

But just as a kitten has more fun with the plastic bag the expensive "cat toy" came in;

my son finds excitement in "finding treasure", no matter what it is.

I'm relatively new... but I always try to have him find the cache.

 

Good luck