Official Kids Mag

By Karen Rice Official Kids Mag What Is geocaching? Geocaching (pronounced GEE- o-cash-ing) is a super fun way for the whole family to get outside and have fun. It uses a GPS-enabled device like a smartphone, and an app to find hidden "caches" in your neighborhood, at a park, on a hiking trail or even underwater! You don't need any special equipment, besides a smartphone. You'll want to wear sturdy shoes for hiking and bring along a pen, plus some water and snacks. You also might want a hiking stick or a flashlight to shine into dark spaces. Geocaches are containers of all shapes and sizes camouflaged to blend into their surroundings...everything from large Tupperware containers, to small pillboxes or even fake rocks with secret compartments. Inside the container, there will be a logbook to sign, and sometimes there will be some treasures or souvenirs inside like small toys or stickers. You can take an item from the cache if you like, as long as you leave something of equal or greater value in its place. When you are finished, put the cache back exactly as you found it, even if you think you see a better spot for it. how to do it? 1 ask your adult to go to www.geocaching.com and create a free account. The site will tell you how to download the app to your phone, and also has tutorials to show you to play the game. The site also lists the millions of active geocaches worldwide, so you should be able to find caches wherever you live. When we checked the www.geocaching.com site, we found that there were 894 geocaches around Bentonville. 2 choose a cache to find Open the app and use the map to find a cache to hunt for. Your current location on the map shows up as a blue dot and all the "basic level" caches in your area will show as green dots. If you want more information on the cache, just click on the dot and it will give you information on the difficulty, terrain, and size of the cache. Most of them also include a description of or story behind the cache. Some have clues/hints, if you want them. A "1 star" difficulty and terrain rating are just about right for kids. Regular size or larger caches often contain "treasure," so you might want to hunt for those! And, don't forget to bring along some treasure of your own, so that you can bring something of equal or higher value to trade for the treasure you find. 3 click start, and put on your treasure-hunting hat! Once you've chosen a cache to hunt for, click the green START arrow and the compass will guide you to your treasure! Red arrows will appear telling you which direction to move if you're too far off course. Once you get within 30 feet of the cache you'll get a warning on your phone that you're almost there. When your warning goes off, it's time to start looking around for good hiding places. A lot of geocaches are located just a little bit off the beaten path, which makes for a fun adventure. Here are some hints for successful hunting: • Look for places or objects that seem out of place (like weird piles of sticks, etc.). • Double-check the size of the cache on the app; there's also a hint feature if you need it. • Take your time and be patient. Caches may be hidden under trashcans, in old logs, hollowed-out tree trunks or between rocks. Remember that other creatures may be living there too, so look first or use a stick before reaching in! And remember to "Leave no Trace," and don't disturb the surroundings too much in your search. 4 Find the cache and check out what's inside! Yay! You found one! Nice cache! Now what? Look through the cache. There should be some sort of a logbook or sheet of paper where you can enter your name and date. Some will include a pencil, but it's a good idea to bring your own pen along just in case. Many geocaches will also have some fun trinkets, small toys, marbles or stickers inside. You can trade by taking an item and leaving an item, but if you don't want to trade, that's OK too. Carefully put everything back, reseal the container and hide it well in the exact same place as you found it. Now is a good time to practice a little CITO (Cache In, Trash Out). If there is any trash in the area, pick it up and take it out with you. 5 log your find Once you find the geocache, click on the big green button at the bottom of your screen that says "Log Geocache" and post a message about find to let the cache "owner" know you found it. Let them know the condition of the cache, your experience finding it and any trades you made. This message can be seen by anyone, so don't give away any hints or secrets about the location. This can be a fun creative-writing exercise too. That's it! What fun! Now on to the next cache… A high-tech treasure hunt 12 • May 2021 • www.officialKidsMag.com

• Cover