Young Geocachers

[+KickBassMama]

Hello! All, I just wondered when everyone else starts their kids geocaching. We take my 3 month old on Geocaches all the time (she is GeoColorado). I cant wait till she gets old enough to help us hunt for them!!

 

-Loriahn

[+lefty2448]

That would depend on the child. I take my eight year old and even tried a few difficult ones with her to see how she would hold up and surprises me by asking if we can do another one when we are done. She is a tough little one that rarely wants to stop.

[+Ed Rad]

I've been taking my little guy out since he was small. One of the best things I ever bought was a backpack carrier. makes it easier to hike a longer distance with them. It's really up to you to decide if you and your child can handle it

 

Me and Matt (1 year old)

 

 

Backpack carrier

 

Edited May 12, 2005 by Special Ed

[+The Chaotic Order]

We've only been caching a couple months, now, but the youngest member of The Order is 8, and not entirely what you'd call an "outdoorsy" type, but he loves it and he's always ready to go, and ready for the next one after each find!

[+mikeatnight]

We started caching about 4 months ago. My daughter will be 5 next week. She loves it. For her birthday she is getting her own GPS. I also got her a new computer game and a mmovie. I have hidden those in tupperware containers and marked them on her GPS so she will have to hunt for them. Im probably more excited about this than she is :-)

[+Jeep_Dog]

My son went on his first caching expedition (3 mile hike) when he was 17 days old. He's been on a few more. I pretty regularly cache with my two year old daughter, who began when she was 20 months old. She got good at spotting caches and reading the GPS by 21 months old.

[+The Chaotic Order]

"I have hidden those in tupperware containers and marked them on her GPS so she will have to hunt for them"

That's probably the coolest idea I've heard in while! My 8 year old will be turning 9 in a couple months, and I think you just decided for me how he'll get his presents!

Edited May 12, 2005 by The Chaotic Order

[+KickBassMama]

That is a really awesome Idea!! (the birthday one)!! I love it!! maybe Alex will get into it enough I'll do it for her birthday when she gets older!

[+mikeatnight]

A few weeks ago we went to Dairy Queen I marked it on my GPS and the next week I just hit GOTO and handed the GPS to her and told her I knew where we might find another treasure but she had to guide. We drove about 5 miles to go 1 mile from all the We need to got this way and that way when the pointer was at an angle. We finally made it to DQ and she was amazed that the GPS knew she wanted to go to DQ. She started telling me then she wanted her own GPS. She wanted a blue one like I used to have. Garmin Legend. I looked around and got her a Geko because it has the games.

[+StarBrand]

Our nearly 3 year old is great when, after the hike, you arrive on scene. He points out the cache nearly evertime. Seems to have a 6th sense about them.

[+RLNuts]

I took my 4-year-old son (Peanut) out caching for the first time last weekend and we had a great time. He loved it and we're planning to go again this weekend. We even nabbed our first TB though he doesn't really want to (or understand) why we have to put him in a different "treasure box."

 

I let him call the shots. When he says he wants to go home, we go home. I also picked out some "easy" caches to get us started and thankfully we went 3 for 3 on the day.

 

Mom also packed us a picnic lunch which was helpful, and I had plenty of snacks and water for both of us.

 

 

 

I'd cached before, under a different name (Zoboomafoo) but we changed our name to reflect a "team." I'm looking forward to this weekend, and we hope to place a cache, and start our on TB in the very near future.

 

Good luck,

Filbert

[+Ladycacher]

My two sons go with me all the time. My youngest is 3 and my oldest is 7. My three year old went on a cache with me that had him hiking for 3 miles. He loved it! Geocaching is my oldest sons favorite thing to do! He asks everyday if we are going or not. It really teaches them alot I believe.

[moonpup]

We started caching about 4 months ago. My daughter will be 5 next week. She loves it. For her birthday she is getting her own GPS. I also got her a new computer game and a mmovie. I have hidden those in tupperware containers and marked them on her GPS so she will have to hunt for them. Im probably more excited about this than she is :-)

Hey, you stole my idea

 

My daughter turns 5 later this summer and I was going to do the same thing!

[+geobc]

My son went on his first caching expedition (3 mile hike) when he was 17 days old. He's been on a few more. I pretty regularly cache with my two year old daughter, who began when she was 20 months old. She got good at spotting caches and reading the GPS by 21 months old.

Are you serious??? Your kid knew how to follow the GPS arrow at 21 mos. old?

 

I can't get my head around that but I will try letting my 20 mos. old look at the GPS more often. ;-) He's already interested in it but tends to think it's a cell phone.

 

GeoBC

[+half-a-dozen]

Wow! I admire all you intrepid geo-cachers with your little kids. As I remember, activities/outings with toddlers and/or small children were always 'entertaining' and certainly rewarding.

I'd like to add that geo-caching is great for bigger kids too. We're brand new to all this, but the main appeal to geo-caching is it's something we can all do as a whole family. Our 4 kids range in ages from 9 to 17. They are all intrigued by the idea of a hunt, and of course the technology. We like to get out and about, and geo-caching looks like a great 'destination'. Sometimes, it's harder to find common interests as kids get older. I think geo-caching will really fit the bill. Starting when they're younger will give your family lots of years of fun together.

Any grandparents out there who take the 'next generation' seeking?

L.

[+Team Wampus]

The various answers in this thread are a perfect example of why I love geocaching...fun for the whole family! Our Team consists of myself (Dad), 8 year old son, and 5 year old daughter. Mom joined us for her first find yesterday. Anyone with kids knows how hard it is to find something to do that a pair of kids like this enjoy together. I just make sure I have plenty of water/juice boxes and baggies of pretzels or goldfish. When one of them has had enough, we stop...don't try to push farther than they're willing to go. They're going places and seeing things none of their friends have any idea about...unless they go caching with us! Oh, and one more piece of advice...when the 5 year old says "Gotta go potty", leave NOW!

[+irishcat]

Several folks have mentioned geocaching with little folks - I think this is the coolest ever and have even had a co-worker ask me to help her set up a "pirates" geocache birthday party since I have access to a set of 10 units. This is for an 8 year old and her friends because they want to know how she "treasue hunts" each weekend with her family.

 

Kids catch on to this so much faster than adults.

 

Family Geocaching - A treasure that's found and will last a lifetime!!!!

 

Irishcat

[+Team Benhamtroll]

I actually convinced my wife to let me buy a GPS by explaining that it would be a good way for our (then) 5-year old daughter and I to get out and do stuff together. Since then my wife has really gotten into it, and we all go together regularly. She's even let me buy a PDA and some other stuff to help out . . .

 

I love the idea of a cache party for a birthday. I may have to try that one out for her 7th next month!

[+C&C+COMPANY]

We took our Daughter out on a cache hunt at 2 months, mommy's first day out since birth

[+C&C+COMPANY]

Now shes out with us quite a bit

[+M-T-P]

Geo-Baby started caching at 19 months and loves travel bugs. This picture is of her putting Scooter the Skeeter TB in a cache we recently found and taking a dinosaur egg as a trade item.

[+Cheminer Will]

Two of my 3 children (oldest, 17, is not into it) have their own Geo.com accounts. Son even has his own Magellan Gold, purchased with his own money.

[+Rubiconlwb]

I just wanted to add my two cents worth on the idea of children geocaching. We do it all the time but our case is a little different than I have read in this thread. We geocache with our grand daughter and she loves it. She and I have placed 4 different caches and she calls them 'our' caches... she now has ownership as well. I am thinking of upgrading from my Garmin Vista to a Garmin 60C and the Vista may go to her. Her favorite caches are ones that have an associated hike, so much so that even the ones with no hikes, we have to take a walk anyway (it's good for overweight Papas!). We went to a cache once that had picnic tables and since we had a lunch along, we sat there and ate and looked through the cache for 'goodies'. She still thinks every cache, we have to find a picnic table and eat lunch. What memories I have and always will have!

[+CurmudgeonlyGal]

I've got em... and I cache with them.

 

My oldest was 10.5 when we started and is coming up on 18 (or 12.5, but if you have a daughter of a similar age, you know what I mean). My youngest had just turned 4 and will be 6 soon.

 

They're much more fun to cache with now, than they were then... Less complaining. Longer walks. A little MORE whining if the ultimate destination is NOT an ammo can.

 

The 12yo is happy to go on longer treks and I'll probably work her into some hiking this summer of longer lengths and maybe overnight. She did her first hike with me last year and was NOT impressed as we started those switchbacks right out of the chute. (read: it was freakin' steep!) However, once we got above the fog and clouds she was absolutely astounded at what one can find when seeking those higher elevations.

 

I have no idea what their numbers would look like as far as finds, but they have accompanied me on far more caching trips than anyone else has... and quite frankly, they're damnn good at finding those boxes!

 

-=-

michelle

...curmudgeonlygal... and the 4Trolls

[aragorn05]

I myself am 15. My bro Prestonbond is 10!

[+AMH209]

My daughter is four and she loves caching. I bought her a yellow eTrex. I've used it to help her learn right and left. We have a blast caching together!

[+MTGeoPirates]

 

Tomorrow is our first Geo event. We are doing this as a family outing. There are five of us, mom, dad, and three girls. An almost 5 yr old, an almost 2 yr old, and an almost 1 yr old. We are all very excited to be doing this and can't wait to see what the future holds!! We loved the birthday idea also. Our oldest turns five this month and if she enjoys the "treasure hunt" tomorrow then we might do that!!

 

We have taken our children all out on "expeditions" since they were born. Whether it be hiking, caving, searching for sunstones in OR, or just out and about. Having a backpack and/or a wrap is a major have to have. Our oldest loves to go caving!! Just give her a flashlight and she is off and running looking for Benny the Bat on the ceiling!! If you know anything about Bear in the Big Blue House I am sure you know who I am talking about.

 

Can't wait to write again and tell how it went!!

The MTGeoPirates

[+1BuzyMom]

I started caching in January of this year. I usually cache with my 3 and 5 year old. If schools out my 7 year old goes too. My 16 year olds is not interested. They always want to know if it is 1) a trading cache -ammo box traditional or 2)a clue one-regular size multi or 3)"just a clue"- micro no trades. They like the hikes as long as I go slow and let them enjoy their surroundings which really is the main thing right now for them. Oh..and don't tell them it is a hike. No it is just a walk. It does get a little frustrating sometime when it takes an hour to go 3 tenths of a mile . and then someone needs to go to the bathroom and doesn't want to go outside. We do also have some fighting over who gets to trade first (that is decided before we reach the cache now.) And when we first started you should have seen the dust fly when I opened the cache container.

[+LandRover]

We've taken tha grand daughters a couple of times, 5 years & 6 months. Although I rarely do any trading I make sure that I have plenty of swag when they go with. The 5 year old usually wants to leave the stuff in the cache alone and take something out of my bag-o-swag.

[vfrpilot]

I too cache with my little ones - generally, it would my wife , daughter (3 next week), my son (6) and I.

I can't say enough good things about the sport. I've been an avid outdoorsman for the past 20 years - pioneering outdoor programs for children from 9 to 18 ranging from day hikes to time capsule burials, to white water rafting to extending 12+mile sleep-overs.

I only wish GPS was as it is NOW when I buried so many capsules 15 years ago.

 

Lately, its just been my son & I. I can not [express fully] tell you the joy I experience.

 

As of late with a family, bigger house & land, new job and "babies" as I call them.

I have NO time to get outdoors - Geocaching has afforded me (us) the opportunity to re-connect with the outdoors beyond a picnic. My son & I will sometimes drive out for a after dinner hunt - he loves it, I love it & I love that he loves it - and I love that he loves doing it with me.

 

Now I can't atest to those who have the 12 to 21 month children out there.. but that is a matter of preference which only the "parent" is able to decide. I'm sure those who partake in such young introduction know what they are doing & I will not pass judgement...

But all in all, with my short time in this sport - I believe I will geocache for the rest of my life as will my kids. I am documenting their experiences digitally and can't wait for the day when they find a cache they found with me 20 years prior - it will be magic!

[nobby.nobbs]

often take my 6 year old daughter. she's only really into traditional caches, bit young to appreciate nice views etc. for her it's atreasure hunt. makes my weekends with her great fun.

[two+2]

We just started geocaching and are really enjoying it so far. We take our 4 year old and our 1 1/2 year old with us.

[4x4van]

My son was 10 and my youngest daughter was 8 (oldest is 16, she's not into "hiking") when we started geocaching, and they love it. My son is almost 13 now, and has his own GPS. Both like the caches that require at least a bit of a hike. In fact, last Spetember, my son & I hiked to a virtual on top of Mt San Jacinto; nearly 12 miles total, up to almost 11,000ft elevation.

Edited May 16, 2005 by 4x4van

[+The Chaotic Order]

I myself am 15. My bro Prestonbond is 10!

...yeah, but how old are your kids?

[+halffast]

I take my 3 year old grandson caching with me.He is my caching partner.When we get close to the cache site I send him in the direction I think it is and he searches until he finds it.Nothing like the exitment of a 3 year old.Its truly amazing what he picks for himself.In one cache he took a set of screw drivers so he can help me fix things.In another he took fishing bobbers so we could go fishing.I placed 12 caches aroun the area I live and he helped in filling the containers and helped me hide them.I picked up a rubber stamp for him so he gets to stamp the logbook like grandpa does.I dont know of anyone Id rather have caching with me.

[+BlackHelicoptersInc]

Actually, part of how I got into this sport was with the family, it basically seems like the perfect way to get out with your kids. they love a good treasure hunt, and they like the technology. My kids are 6.5 and 1.5, so I put the toddler in a backpack and my older ones does the detail hunting!