Family outings and vacations have looked a little different this year. Many of us have spent the past few months locked in our houses or only leaving for work and the essentials. When the COVID-19 outbreak started, we didn’t know how long life would be so different. At this point, we are all looking for new and creative ways to entertain ourselves and our families, while socially distancing and trying to keep everyone safe. Hiking and camping have been among the more popular activities, but there is another way to connect with people that requires almost no contact whatsoever. It’s called Geocaching, and you can do it in any car, vehicle, or on foot, with family members and friends of all ages.

What is Geocaching?

Veteran Geocachers aside, many people may have never heard of the term, or if they have, they probably don’t have a great understanding of what it is. Geocaching is a real-world scavenger hunt designed and maintained by active players all over the world. With a simple and free cellphone app, users can get connected and learn how to start playing pretty quickly.

Geocaching can be done anywhere in the world, from large cities to more rural towns, even in foreign countries. You don’t have to have a car to play or to get anywhere special, but sometimes the routes and hints can involves a little bit of off-roading and a lot of adventure. All you need is a phone with the application and some good friends or family that are willing to solve some real-world search-and-finds.

Why you should play

Geocaching has been popular for decades, and it isn’t anything new. The best part of this hidden-gem game is that the more people you have playing, the more fun it gets. As a player, you can participate in both finding the caches as well as hiding them for others to see. They come in different shapes and sizes, and some are even cleverly disguised to blend into their surroundings.

You can enjoy Geocaching no matter what kind of vehicle you have, because the game will go as far as you are willing to travel, and you don’t need any fancy equipment or 4×4 off-road-ready SUVs. Some of the caches simply contain a paper list of previous players who have found it, and some include small tokens that you can exchange with your own. My favorite find was a little Hot Wheels car I found in fake pinecone mounted to a tree branch.

Geocaching is a fun activity you can start today, even by just walking around. You might find some on your daily route to work or school worth the extra time to make the stop. The best part of the game is that it is free to play, and you can do it no matter what type of vehicle you drive.