This is a sponsored post on behalf of Let’s Play, but all opinions are my own.
This year, I’m working with Let’s Play, an initiative by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to provide kids and families with the tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority. As a Play Ambassador, I’m offering up my favorite tips to help inspire active play in families nationwide, so I wanted to share one of our family’s new favorite activities: geocaching with kids.
Geocaching with kids is not always about the prize. While it’s fun to treasure hunt – and find/swap tiny trinkets – there are also many family legacy building opportunities to be had if you approach the experience with the right mindset.
Not familiar with Geocaching? It’s super fun and, although anyone can do it, geocaching with kids is even more rewarding. Why? Check out these 5 reasons you should be geocaching with kids over at LetsPlay.com.
5 Tips for Geocaching with Kids
Apart from the fact that geocaching can actually be really hard (for kids and adults!), valuable lessons abound. For starters, family treasure hunting provides the opportunity to work together, persevere through difficult challenges and reinforce your family values.
Here are 5 ways that geocaching with kids allows parents to build family legacy while engaging in fun, summer family activities.
1. Find the perfect cache: before starting your family treasure hunt, do research to ensure the proposed geocache is suitable for the ages of your children. My oldest is 5 years old, and although she feels like a big girl, her patience proves otherwise. The difficulties of each cache are listed in its description, as well as the type of terrain you’ll cover to retrieve it, so check out that information beforehand.
2. Promote teamwork: Before you set out on the hunt, take the opportunity to promote values that really matter to your family, like: togetherness and teamwork. Before we start geocaching with kids, we pool our hands together and say our family chant. It’s just a silly “Go team!” type phrase, but my kids love it! In fact, before and after any obstacle we overcome together this chant is recited. The kids love the physical act of stacking hands, too. It takes about 1 minute of your time, but really sets the tone of adventure to come.
3. Go prepared: Geocaching with kids requires a few supplies. Always keep a pen or pencil handy and have as many small trinkets to share as you do kids.
4. Encourage spontaneity: There are caches anywhere. Literally everywhere! If you have a few spare moments between errands, open the app and see what you could find. Geocaching with kids doesn’t have to be a planned event and encourages a spontaneous, quality time.
5. Focus on the adventure, not the prize: It happens sometimes; caches aren’t always found. Make sure you approach geocaching with kids as an experience that is valued as the actual treasure. If you end up walking away with a few trinkets, even better.
If your family decides to try out geocaching with kids this summer, record your minutes as part of the Let’s Play Pledge. Also, don’t forget to head on over to LetsPlay.com for tips and inspiration for summer family activities that the whole family will cherish! You can also check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
