Outdoor Adventures: Geocaching for Easter Eggs by Erin Uda

This weekend, try a slight variation on the standard Easter egg hunt by adding GPS coordinates.

Geocaching is an outdoor activity where you use GPS coordinates to find hidden treasure.  You can use a website or an app on your smartphone to find lists of geocache locations.  Once you have found the hidden treasure box, using a GPS unit or the app on your phone, you can sign your name and take a treat from the box.  Remember if you want to take something from the cache, be sure to bring something to leave behind.

If you don’t want to find other people’s hidden boxes, you can create your own Easter egg hunt by using GPS to track the location of each egg or treasure you hide. 

Happy Hunting!!

About the Apps:

The best way to go geocaching is with a GPS system or your smartphone, via a GPS app.

Geocaching.com offers an introductory app that allows you to find 3 caches close to your home.  But if you want the full version of the app, you’ll need to fork out about $10; well worth it if you and your kids love this activity.  And it’s cheaper than a movie.

There is a free app from Garmin that includes a map with geocache pins in your proximity, plus a compass.  We tried it out on our own geocache adventure this weekend and my boys loved it.  It isn’t as comprehensive as geocaching.com, but since we’re beginners, this worked well for us.