A Geocaching Adventure

Posted on by Editor

So people reading the title of this post will fall into two camps those who know what I am talking about and those who say a geo-what?

So first of all a little explanation as to what Geocaching is – simply it is following a GPS signal to a set point to find a ‘cache’ (a hidden container). There are caches set up all over the UK (and world actually) by fellow Geocachers and it is very simple to get started with a basic (free) membership to the Geocaching website, a smartphone and a downloadable app before you jump in and upgrade to premium membership for added benefits and spend money on a proper GPS.

I first heard of Geocaching last summer and had a little go with my phone but the Littlesheeps concentration wasn’t that great, Mr Littlesheep wasn’t that keen and we had limited success plus there weren’t that many caches near our house. This year this has changed at 8 and 6 the older two are keen and some other local Geocachers have set up some circular series nearby so there are lots of routes with several opportunities to find a cache (which means it’s less dissapointing if you can’t find one because you can just move onto the next one).

So this week with our borrowed dog we have been on a Geocaching adventure and have more planned (and I’m sure we will continue even when we’ve given the dog back!). Mr Littlesheep is a bit sceptical about the concept – he describes it as “basically spending three times as long on a walk as you need to because you stop every 500m to look for someone’s overflowed tupperware collection to swap your party bag rubbish for someone elses” but the Littlesheeps are keen (and are already asking when they can go on another Geocaching walk) and I think it has it’s benefits that help children learn:

  1. When geocaching there is a lot less moaning about ‘how far the walk is’ – I took the three Littlesheeps out on a 5ish mile walk (which took all day) and the littlest (aged 4) only moaned about the last little bit when you could almost see our house!
  2. Geocaching gets children active – the walking, climbing styles, jumping puddles, squelching through mud are all great to develop gross motor skills as well as general fitness.
  3. Geocaching helps children learn about the countryside code, using footpaths appropropriately and reading maps.
  4. ‘Swapping’ your ‘treasures’ for someone elses is a great lesson in sharing and can help children start to comprehend money (you have to give something to get something back).
  5. Geocaching improves observation skills as once you have found your location you need to search out the camouflaged cache. These can be as tiny as a bolt on a gate or an old 35mm film canister or a small plastic container hidden in a camouflage bag or covered in camouflage tape.
  6. Geocaching teaches children to cope with the failure of a DNF (did not find) as well as the success of finding

50 Things to do before you’re 11¾

Posted on by Editor

Today the National Trust have published a list of 50 things that they think all children should have done before they reach their 12th birthday. The ‘50 Things To Do Before You’re 11¾’ initiative is in response to a report they commissioned which highlighted research that fewer than one in ten children regularly play in wild places compared to almost half a generation ago, a third have never climbed a tree, one in ten can’t ride a bike, and three times as many are taken to hospital after falling out of bed, as from falling out of a tree.

I’m quite pleased that the Littlesheeps have spent a fair amount of time outside and biggest Littlesheep (7¾) has already completed nearly half of them with several others on the list of things to do this year (and some I’m sure he’s done but he claims not to have tried). I’ve also linked to blog posts were relevant so that you can see what we did / find other similar ideas and see how participating in these activities can help your children learn.

  1. Climb a tree ü
  2. Roll down a really big hill ü
  3. Camp out in the wild
  4. Build a den ü
  5. Skim a stone ü
  6. Run around in the rain ü
  7. Fly a kite ü
  8. Catch a fish with a net
  9. Eat an apple straight from a tree
  10. Play conkers ü
  11. Throw some snow ü
  12. Hunt for treasure on the beach
  13. Make a mud pie ü
  14. Dam a stream
  15. Go sledging ü
  16. Bury someone in the sand ü
  17. Set up a snail race
  18. Balance on a fallen tree ü
  19. Swing on a rope swing ü
  20. Make a mud slide
  21. Eat blackberries growing in the wild ü
  22. Take a look inside a tree ü
  23. Visit an island
  24. Feel like you’re flying in the wind
  25. Make a grass trumpet
  26. Hunt for fossils and bones
  27. Watch the sun wake up ü
  28. Climb a huge hill ü
  29. Get behind a waterfall
  30. Feed a bird from your hand
  31. Hunt for bugs ü
  32. Find some frogspawn
  33. Catch a butterfly in a net
  34. Track wild animals
  35. Discover what’s in a pond ü
  36. Call an owl
  37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool
  38. Bring up a butterfly
  39. Catch a crab ü
  40. Go on a nature walk at night ü
  41. Plant it, grow it, eat it ü
  42. Go wild swimming
  43. Go rafting
  44. Light a fire without matches
  45. Find your way with a map and compass ü
  46. Try bouldering (ü inside)
  47. Cook on a campfire
  48. Try abseiling
  49. Find a geocache ü
  50. Canoe down a river

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

I’ve linked this post to Country Kids from Coombe Mill because I think it encompasses everything that Fiona’s linky stands for! I’m sure her children will have done all 50 by the time they are 11¾!