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Multi-cache W/ Youth Group A Success!


jkibbe

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I just got back from my church youth group's annual fall retreat. Each year, we have big game on Saturday afternoon, and since I recently got interested in geocaching, I figured I'd give it a try.

 

I went to the site in advance with my two kids and scoped out the place. We drove and ran around, marking 8 different waypoints with a borrowed yellow eTrex.

 

Yesterday, at the retreat, the youth were divided into 6 different teams, with 4 or 5 each (I was planning on 7, but the numbers worked out better with 6 teams...). I modified a PowerPoint presentation I found in the "GPS in Education" forum to share the instructions and rules with the kids. I gave the event an "Amazing Race" theme.

 

Then we broke into teams, entered a practice waypoint, and walked to where we thought it was. I managed to borrow 19 classic Magellan GPS315 units from a local college, though we only used 12 of them, 2 per group. Surprisingly, all of the teams arrived at the same place, about 100 yards away.

 

Each team was then given an encoded message (standard ROT13, like on GC.com) and there first set of coordinates. Each group was sent to a different waypoint to start. At each wapoint, groups had to decode a clue to get the next set of coordinates. Here are the different locations and challenges the teams encountered:

 

1. Playground - Ziploc bag with a laminated puzzle of the next

coordinates hidden under slide.

2. Hillside - Money box with combination lock. Encoded clue provided

combination and coordinates inside.

3. Village (of cabins) - Box of various small items / office supplies.

Coordinates were written on a rubber band that needed to be stretched.

4. Lodge - Box of plastic Easter eggs. Clue revealed the color of egg that contained correct coordinates.

5. Cave - Coordinates in cave. Flashlight provided.

6. Bridge - Clue led teams to Bible verse which had coordinates written on

page.

7. Wetland - Groups canoe to small island (about 100 yards away) to find film canister with coordinates.

8. Finish - Semi-cold sodas waiting!

 

Since the groups were staggered for the start, each waypoint had an alternate clue that led the respective team to the 8th and final waypoint. I thought that one group would grab the wrong clue or sabotage something, but everything went great.

 

I asked the kids for their honest opinion, and they all has positive things to say--nothing negative. Teams naturally developed different roles, like leader, decoder, GPS operators, and 'finders'.

 

I wanted to share how things went for two reasons:

1. I'm excited that things went so well! I actually had a dream last week that I forgot all the supplies at home, and only figured it out after the teams started the race.!

2. I want to encourage other youth group leaders (Boy Scouts, and others, too!) to try having a similar event. We've already started discussing how we can do something similar in the future!

 

Thanks for listening (reading...!)!

 

-Jason :D

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I just got back from my church youth group's annual fall retreat.  Each year, we have big game on Saturday afternoon, and since I recently got interested in geocaching, I figured I'd give it a try.

I wonder if the kids realize all the effort it took for you to set this up. Very commendable. Glad to hear it came off so well.

 

How long did it take for the groups to reach the last cache? Do you think the number of caches and level of the puzzles was too much, too little, or about right?

 

Edit: typo (I HAVE to start taking my mittens off before I type!)

Edited by Sputnik 57
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Nice job -

 

I like the idea of sending them to different waypoints too - everyone is doing something different - not in each other's way - and mostly one team is not stuck waiting for the one in front of them and get a free pass on finding it.

 

I also like the way you set up the stages. If you have a decent size area it means that they don't even see other groups and they think they are all alone out there.

 

half warm sodas? What you forgot the ice? after all that they woulda been ready for the hot dogs too!

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I wonder if the kids realize all the effort it took for you to set this up. Very commendable. Glad to hear it came off so well.

 

How long did it take for the groups to reach the last cache? Do you think the number of caches and level of the puzzles was too much, too little, or about right?

 

The kids were very appreciative (surprisingly!), and said it was better than many of the games we did in the past.

 

It took about 2 hours for the first group to finish the 'race,' and about 2.5 hours for the last group. The caches ranged from about .2 to .5 miles apart. I think the number of waypoints was just about right, and the puzzles game them time to catch their breath.

 

I like the idea of sending them to different waypoints too - everyone is doing something different - not in each other's way - and mostly one team is not stuck waiting for the one in front of them and get a free pass on finding it.

 

I also like the way you set up the stages.  If you have a decent size area it means that they don't even see other groups and they think they are all alone out there.

 

half warm sodas?  What you forgot the ice?  after all that they woulda been ready for the hot dogs too!

 

The course setup worked well, as there are some trails through the woods that kept the groups isolated and out of each other's sight, even though they may not have been that far apart. We had a very large area to work with, fortunately. I only heard of one group that caught up with another as they were leaving the waypoint.

 

About the sodas... The prize was the only thing that wasn't my responsibility. We planned on having CD's for the winning team, but that didn't work out. We should have put more effort into the cooler & ice idea (though I don't know how readily available they were once we were there). I ended up just placing the sodas at the 8th waypoint at the beginning of the race, which means they warmed up somewhat over the 2 hours. Kind of a bummer, but no one complained since the sodas were wet! :unsure:

 

Now I just need to figure out how to modify it so I can do it again in a year or two. I used up most of the 'cool' locations already!

 

-Jason

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