Rock the [Cache] Box

Ok, yeah, I know it’s really “Rock the Casbah,” but as a kid, I was certain the song was saying “rock the cash box, rock the cash box.”  It wasn’t until I was in my 20s that my husband informed me of the real lyrics.  But what’s really important here is that every time I hear that song, I’m reminded of my childhood, days spent playing outside in my backyard or running around the neighborhood. 

I certainly wasn’t a tom-boy, and I had/have no skills in sports, yet playing outside was just what we did as kids.  Making goulash with a discarded pot and “ingredients” found in my backyard was one of my favorite pastimes, along with digging holes in the backyard and covering them with sticks and leaves to trap “intruders” I was sure were coming into my yard at night.  Even on days when it was raining, I’d put on my raingear and play in the rain, or my mom would back the car out of the carport and I’d roller skate.  As I got older, I’d ride my bike around the neighborhood. 

I can’t imagine my kids riding their bikes around our neighborhood.  The world and neighborhoods just aren’t the same as they were 30 years ago.  Even still, my husband and I have worked hard to provide an accommodating and entertaining backyard for our children:  a swimming pool, swing-set, Power-Wheels, bikes, basketball goal, river to fish in, woods to play in, and plenty of yard to run and kick/hit/catch a ball in.

But the other day when I came home from work, my three boys met me at the door whining, “Ms. Wendy made us go outside and play.” 

I’m sorry—what?!? 

Sadly, the great outdoors and all the amenities we’ve provided just can’t compete with the Xbox and Minecraft. 

I weighed my options.  I could go to the extreme and remove the glowing, hypnotic Xbox from the house, I could banish the kids against their will to the outdoors, or I could find another outlet for them.  And that’s when I came across Geocaching—my perfect solution.

James David's & Jacob's victory pose.

Geocaching has everything I was looking for—the outdoors, adventure, critical thinking, and fun; plus, it’s something we can do together as a family and it’s inexpensive. 

The activity itself doesn’t cost anything, except the price of gas and perhaps a trinket (if it’s a large cache with items and you want to take an item, you must leave an item in its place).  But you do need an app to locate the caches.  Though there are several cheaper options available, I went ahead and bought the official geocaching app for a whopping $10.00.  I figured if it worked out, then it’d be a great one-time investment.  And so far, it has been.

Our first geocache find! 

Any time I ask the kids if they want to go geocaching, they are always up for it.  For them, it’s a real-life treasure-hunt; for me, it’s memories in the making.