GPS Adventures with Children

Summer is often the time to do extra or new things with our children, grandchildren and others.  Here are several ideas of how to use your GPS Unit to teach and create lasting memories with the children in your life this summer and throughout the year.

Geocaching

This is a GPS game that started in 2000 that uses lat/long coordinates and clues to find a hidden cache.  Wikipedia describes geocaching as 'an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver (GPS) or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure", usually toys or trinkets of little monetary value.' (Wikipedia, geocaching, accessed on June 10, 2009)

Geocaching.com is the official web site where you can join for free and look up the coordinates for caches. Caches can be found in towns all over the world and out along or near hiking trails and in parks.  The variety of locations and levels of difficulty make it an excellent activity to do with your children of all ages.  When a cache is found, the player records their find in the cache's log book. Then depending on the cache, the player can trade “swag” (treasure).  This is where you take an item from the cache and replace it with a comparable item that you brought with you for the next player to find.  Here is an excellent article about protocol when Geocaching with Kids.

Create Your Own Treasure Hunt

With a little planning, you can easily create your own GPS treasure hunt for kids.    You can set up several waypoints around your own place (inside and out) where they find the coordinates and clue for the next waypoint, with the last clue leading to the prize.  You could change it up and make it into a scavenger hunt where they have to bring back a specific item from each waypoint.

Hiking

This doesn’t have to be a trip to the mountains.  It could be a local park or nature reserve.  Find a hike that you can do several times during the year.  Using your GPS, waypoint sites of interest, photograph them, and keep a journal of what you see, hear,  and smell on the hike.  You can give each child a job (photographer, GPS waypoint setter/verifier, journal writer, etc.) so that they are all actively participating.  Then on each hike, rotate the jobs so that they all get experience doing each one.  After each hike, compare how each of the waypoints has changed over the year by examining the photos and journal.  Also, be sure to identify the different flowers, birds, trees that were seen and photographed along the hike.

Trip Planning

When you take a trip, involve the children in the planning, locating points of interest, and geocaches you could find along the way, and activities at the destination.  You can do this for short trips, camping trips, and multiple day trips.  Along the way, let the children monitor the trip’s progress on the GPS.

Without realizing it, the kids will gain a greater knowledge of a GPS’ capabilities, the outdoors, and travel. Most importantly, they will have great memories of spending some quality time with you and you will have new activities to do with your children year-round.

If you are looking for a GPS for geocaching or hiking, check out the selection of Handheld GPS devices that we have at gpsworldpro.com.