Geocaching for Kids

1
Geocaching for Kids

• Operation Military Kids
• UW Parkside
• 4/14/07

2
What is Geocaching?

• A high tech treasure hunt?
• Hide and Seek with GPSs?
• Using a multibillion dollar satellite system to
  find tupperware in the woods?

3
What is Geocaching?

• An adventure game using a GPS
• Containers (caches) are hidden around the world
  by geocachers
• The coordinates are posted on the internet
• Other geocachers try to find the hidden
  containers using the coordinates
• Those finding the cache post a log of their
  experiences on the internet

4
Where are caches located

• You can search online by zip code, state, or
  other criteria
• 258 active caches within 5 miles of here
• 5690 in Wisconsin
• 382,000 Caches Worldwide
• More are added daily

5
How does it work?

• Step 1 Get the coordinates and put them into
  the GPS.
• Step 2 Find the cache.
• Step 3 Sign the log
• Step 4 Trade swag (optional)
• Step 5 Record your experience online

6
Any Other Rules?

• Rehide the cache as you found it
• Dont leave food, liquids, knives, or dangerous
  stuff in a cache
• Have fun! (This one is mandatory!)

7
What does a geocache look like

• Ammo Box (Regular)
• Tupperware (All Sizes)
• Film Canisters (Micro)
• Magnetic Key holders (Micro)
• Pill Bottles
• 5 Gallon buckets (Large)
• Nano containers
• Just about anything

8
Types of Caches

• Traditional
• Multi
• Puzzle/Mystery Caches
• Virtual
• Earthcaches
• Events

9
Getting a Geocaching Account

• Go to www.geocaching.com
• Click on login near the top
• Click on Create a new account
• You have to provide your Name, Email address,
  Geocaching Handle, and Password
• Submit it and wait for the confirmation email

10
Geocaching Handles

• Permanent
• Unique to you
• How the Geocaching community will know you
• Something that reflects your name, personality,
  or something about you
• Examples Team Deejay, Blue Squirtles,
  Speedydeedee

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Activity Pick a Handle
12
Travel Bugs

• Special items with a tracking number
• Travel from cache to cache, not to be kept by
  finders
• Sometimes they have goals, such as getting to a
  specific place or having a picture taken at
  various places
• Geocoins A special type of travel bug in the
  form of a coin

13
Activity Make a Travel Bug
14
GPS

• Stands for Global Positioning System
• Created by the US Department of Defense for
  military navigation
• Works by getting signals from 24 satellites
• Location is provided in Latitude and Longitude

15
Latitude and Longitude

• Latitude is a measure of how far North and South
  you are.
• The equator is 0, the North Pole is 90N and the
  South Pole is 90S.
• Longitude is a measure of how far East and West
  you are
• 0 is in Greenwich, England and 180 is in the
  middle of the Pacific Ocean
• We are roughly at N42.6 Latitude, and
  W87.9Longitude

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Rules for the hunt!

• Organize in to teams of 2-3 kids with one
  facilitator and any parents
• No logbooks today, Stamp your sheets with the
  stamps found in each container
• Stay with your group. If you somehow get lost,
  start yelling. We will find you.
• The field to the north of the woods and east of
  the building is very wet. Dont go through there
  unless you like wet feet!
• Get back to the building by 215 PM