I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, when I returned to my camp counselor job at the Jewish community center this summer, I got assigned the job of outdoor exploration specialist.
Which is funny, if you know me, because I’m not particularly outdoorsy.
I hike occasionally with friends, sure, but I hated my earth science in middle school and I’ve avoided it since. Let’s just say, my campers–ages 4 to 9–knew far more about animals’ traits and identifying trees than I did.
But I had something they didn’t: technology.
After a few days of (frankly boring) suburban “nature walks,” it was time to step up my camp counselor game.
I downloaded the free Geocaching app to my phone and made an account, discovering that there were a handful of caches surrounding the JCC. Giving the kids an end goal–finding the cache–turned our nature walks into veritable scavenger hunts.
The app provides a GPS location (only accurate within 30 or so feet, so when you arrive at a spot you have to look for the cache yourself) and clues from cache’s owner and other geocachers who found it previously. When my campers started getting discouraged, I’d read them hints from the app to help them find the cache.
It was a great way to keep them engaged, even for longer walks. The first geocache we found was about .75 miles down the road–not terribly far for an adult, but 6-year-old legs (and attention spans) are not as long.
I really enjoyed my first geocaching experience, and so did my campers. It’s a great activity for adults and kids alike–and hey, it’s free!
For more of my Firsts series, check out First Gay Wedding and First Research Study.
Victim to Charm 
Never tried it myself but I would definitely like to give it a try. I am relatively outdoorsy compared to most, I used to live near two of England’s finest National Parks (Exmoor and Dartmoor) and they are prime geocaching areas and I am nerd for maps and landscapes (yes, it’s a thing ;) ).
Great to get the perspective of a newbie, I’m seriously tempted.
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It’s totally a thing!! And I’d recommend trying it a few times at least.
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This sounds cool!
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It is!!
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I have always wanted to try geocaching with my kids. But they are older (16 and 13) and think it’s “lame”! I think it’s fun to have a purpose and a little excitement when you are out hiking :-) good job, counselor!
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It isn’t lame! My almost 13-year-old cousin LOVES geocaching.
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I agree – maybe I’ll spring it on them one of these days and they will have no choice :-)
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I have to give this a go! Muddy Mum seems to have a lot of fun doing this.
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It’s a blast, and easily adaptable for kids of all ages!
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I haven’t tried it. My sister has and I have a niece that has done it quite a bit with her children. I will probably end up doing it with Anderson and Spencer somewhat soon. It sounds like a lot of fun!
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They’re getting to the age where it’s definitely a possibility!
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They both love leaving love rocks to be found by others. I’m sure they would be even more excited to find something. I’ll have to work on it. Can’t find the app except for the German one.
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Hmm, should just be “Geocaching” in the app store, has a green logo.
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Whoa you don’t like outdoors? You travel so much. Is it same thing or I have confused the two?
What’s a geocache?
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It’s not that I don’t like BEING outdoors, I’m just not into like…the woods. Traveling in cities is different.
A geocache is a hidden item that people have to find.
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