Geocaching and Letter-boxing

My boys are adventurers. So, when I tell them that we will be going on an adventure, they get involved whole heartedly. So, geocaching or letter-boxing seems like the perfect fit. But, I really have no clue where to begin. This requires research. This is what I found.

According to Wikioedia, "Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device^[2] and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world."
I think my boys would love this. After all, it includes mystery places and treasure. But how do we begin?

• Make and Takes has a cute and easy explanation of Geocaching for kids.
• The Outdoor Guy also has a wonderful description of this fun activity. So, I think that is a good start. 
• But, the official website for GPS locations and explanations is http://www.geocaching.com/.

Another similar activity is Letterboxing. Wikipedia describes this as, "Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art, and puzzle solving. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks)^[1] and distribute clues to finding the box in printed catalogs, on one of several web sites, or by word of mouth. Individual letterboxes usually contain a notebook and a rubber stamp.^[2] Finders make an imprint of the letterbox's stamp, either on their personal notebook or on a postcard, and leave an impression of their personal stamp on the letterbox's "visitors' book" or "logbook" — as proof of having found the box and letting other letterboxers know who has visited. Many letterboxers keep careful track of their "find count"."
Oooh, art and puzzles. What's not to love? I like that this uses riddles and clues instead of a GPS.

• Letterboxing North America has pretty much everything you need in order to start this fun hobby. I like the section on Getting Started. It is a very easy site to navigate.
• This post Letterboxing with Kids also offers some great information. I love the example that they posted as well. Very cute! 
• Atlas Quest has a ton of information, as well as clues on where to find letterboxes in your area. 
• And check out this super cute letter boxing kit (photo above).

So here's my plan. We are going to make our own "adventure kits" to use for both activities, since we are not sure which one we are going to like better. ( I will post our creations in a later post.) I think I will also get a big map of our state to post on the wall and we will pin where we find each cache. What a wonderful opportunity for us to learn geography!