December 23, 2014 / Eric Schudiske /

The 3 Things to Avoid While Geocaching with Kids

by Sonny and Sandy from PodCacher.com

Geocaching with kids can be an amazing experience…

They love the exploration, discovery, mystery, treasure and outdoor aspects of this fun hobby. As you plan your geocaching outing with kids, you’re probably thinking of the obvious things to take along like plenty of water, lots of snacks, extra changes of clothes, a first aid kit, etc. You are definitely a well-prepared geocacher.

Now, before you head out, here are 3 things to AVOID while geocaching with kids.

geocaching with kids 1 — Courtesy: Podcacher.com

1. Rushing

Kids love to take their time and explore. They aren’t in a hurry to get from point A to point B, especially when there is a lot to see, touch and experience between the points. We could learn a lot from them! Let the kids take the lead, and see what you can find to savor as you walk to the next geocache. Bring along a bag or bucket to gather nature “treasures” to take home. Take the time to jump from rock to rock (and don’t fall in the make-believe lava!). Don’t try to squeeze in too many caches. Take your cue from the kids regarding when it’s time to call it a day.

2. Micros

Some kids might love finding altoids tins under lamp-skirts or on guard rails, but they are in the minority. Kids love toys and swag. The smallest trinket can be the greatest treasure in the eyes of a young child. Don’t deprive them of the fun of swag by only going for the tiny containers. It may be a little more work to find an area to cache in that has larger containers, but if you’re going on an outing with kids, it’s definitely worth the extra effort. Be sure to encourage the kids to bring swag along to trade. You can all stop at the dollar store before heading out to geocache, or they can raid their toy bins at home. Take the time to teach them about “trading even or trading up”. It’s a great lesson to learn at a young age.

3. Controlling

Resist the urge to orchestrate every aspect of the experience for your kids. Hand over the GPS, or your smartphone (with a sturdy protective case) and let them learn from trial and error. Don’t be the one to find every geocache first. Give younger kids a “nudge” in the right direction so they can enjoy the fun of “finding” the geocache. Let go of your expectations of how the day “should” go, and just enjoy what happens. The kids might be excited to find even more geocaches than you expected OR they could be all done after just a couple. Be okay with heading to a playground to give everyone a break.

Help out new geocachers, share you advice for geocaching with kids in the comments below!

geocaching with kids 2 — Courtesy: Podcacher.com

December 18, 2014 / Derek H

Ahoy New Souvenir! — Pirates Bay – Corfu (GC1X5VF) — Geocache of the Week

Now this is my kind of place to geocache in. Photo by geocacher kubacom

Geocache Name:

Pirates Bay – Corfu (GC1X5VF)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

2.5/3.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

On December 22, we’ll be celebrating our love for geocaching around the world by releasing six new country souvenirs. One of those countries is Greece. This geocache will take you on a journey to a little-known cove, where you can relax, soak up some sun, and gaze at the awesome new souvenir you just earned.

Country souvenirs are virtual pieces of art that are displayed on your Geocaching profile page when you find a geocache in certain locations. Souvenirs that are currently available can be found here. You can view which ones you’ve already earned by checking out your Souvenirs on Geocaching.com.

What geocachers are saying:

“For a milestone, we tend to look for special and great caches. While on a holiday in Corfu, we wanted to make this one our 600th find.” –Anjer291

“The entire walk down the mountain graced us with beautiful views of the bay. We even met a snake on our way back, before arriving to the nice little beach.. it didn’t prevent us from swimming there by the way ! 🙂 Thank you very much for this cache and greetings from France!” – SuperMouffette

“We spent a wonderful one week holiday in Corfu and we found some nice caches there too. This multicache was the best. Thanks.” – washar

Photos:

Not a bad place to take a break, is it? Photo by geocacher CoKa

A closer look at the pirate's cove. Photo by geocacher malin.sedlacek — A closer look at the pirate’s cove. Photo by geocacher malin.sedlacek

Take a refreshing dip after making the find. Photo by geocacher pädeldreter

What’s your favorite way to celebrate a successful day of geocaching? Tell us and post photos in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, just fill out this form. Thanks!

December 16, 2014 / Janelle /

Three Cheers for Brazil, Geocaching’s Newest Country Souvenir!

Brazil Geocaching Souvenir will be officially released on Monday, December 22, 2014

Yes folks, the time has come: Brazil is getting its very own Geocaching Country Souvenir! You’ve seen Croatia, Italy, Mexico, Belgium, and now you get to see Brazil!

Souvenirs are virtual pieces of art that are displayed on your Geocaching profile page when you find a geocache in certain locations. This holiday season we’re releasing six beauties to decorate your profile!

Take a virtual vacation and tour of some of Brazil’s best geocaches. After all, Brazil is known as the Land of Happiness, so let’s get happy, and let’s get going!

1. First on our list is GC4KZEY Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) EarthCache in Rio de Janeiro. This EarthCache is located in a public area atop the Urca and Sugarloaf hills. The cable car leaves a ground station located at the base of the Babilônia hill to the Urca hill and then to the Pão de Açúcar. And if that isn’t exciting enough, you could always reenact that famous action scene from the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker (…just kidding, that’s much too dangerous!)

GC4KZEY - Pao de Acucar — GC4KZEY – Pao de Acucar

2. Next stop on the tour is also in Rio at GCX2R1 Na Padaria (RJ). Some geocachers wonder if this geocache is really a T3, or more of a T5. If you decide to see for yourself, make sure to hike with a friend, bring some water, and wear sturdy shoes. Geocachers have been known to see monkeys on these hills, submarines in the water, and unparalleled views of the world while on this trek.

3. Time for a visit to the exotic rainforests of Brazil. GC3AN8N Fig tree Traditional Cache is placed in one of the most important remnants of the Atlantic Rain Forest in Southern Brazil. The forest extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from the Rio Grande in the north to the Rio Grande in the south, and as far inland as Paraguay and Argentina. Countless types of species and plants can only be found within this Eden on earth.

4. The Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil. Legend has it that a deity planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In a rage, the deity sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

Take a day to visit the falls and the traditional geocache GC3FMPF Frederico Engel. The namesake of this geocache was a man of German heritage who fought against the privatization of the falls. Find him and shake his hands and post your photo!

5. No list of Brazilian geocaches would be complete without the ultimate of all geocache types, the rarest of all icons that can still be claimed, and one of the most famous geocaches in the world, GCC67 Mission 4: Southern Bowl Project A.P.E. Cache!

In 2001, fourteen geocaches were placed in conjunction with 20th Century Fox to support the movie Planet of the Apes. Each geocache represented a fictional story in which scientists revealed an Alternative Primate Evolution (A.P.E.). These geocaches were made using specially marked ammo containers and contained an original prop from the movie. This one is the only A.P.E. geocache left in the world.

After 13 years in the jungle, this elusive geocache has acquired over 300 logged visits, and only 1 DNF. The tagline for this movie was, “Rule the planet”…and you just might if you obtain this cache.

GCC67 - Mission 4: Southern Bowl Project A.P.E. Cache — GCC67 – Mission 4: Southern Bowl Project A.P.E. Cache

Ready to go bananas for Brazil? We will unveil the last of the six country Souvenirs on Thursday, December 18th, and then retroactively award them ALL on Monday, December 22, 2014 to anyone who’s ever geocached in these countries!

A list of of currently available Geocaching Souvenirs and even the ones you’ve already earned can be found on Geocaching.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or right here on our Blog to find out what’s next!

Have you dreamed of finding, or actually found Brazil’s A.P.E Cache? Tell us about your dream journey!