Guide: Geocaching in Edmonton with Kids

Geocaching is one of those easy, and free, activities you can do with the kids in Edmonton. Essentially, you’re searching for a treasure. A treasure that has been hidden by someone else, based on coordinates you can find online, or through the geocaching app. It’s not as easy it sounds, it took us four caches before we found our first one. They’re hidden and you’ve got to look hard.

Where do you Start? 

First, download the app. It’s going to replace a GPS system, using your phone and allow you to track the caches that you find, while having convenient features like finding caches that are close to you. Whether you’re at home or on vacation, there are tons of caches to find in Edmonton so you can have nearly unlimited weekend adventures.

What you need: The geocaching app (unlock the full app for the best experience), a sharpie pen that won’t fade, small trinkets to replace the ones you find, if you decide to take the trinkets from the cache you find.

Look at the difficulty level of the cache, and the size. For beginners, it’s going to be easiest to start the search with larger sized caches. Especially for little kids. Using the app, you can gauge the difficulty level of the cache.

When you’ve found the geocache, sign the log with your name, check-in through the app, and check it off as found. That’s one of the reasons we love the app, is because of the easy ability to track all of the caches that you’ve found, and the ranking system that comes with it. When you’re finished, hide it back exactly where you found it.

Hints are available through the app, to allow you to find the caches a little easier. These hints, and tips like “we found it” or “we weren’t able to find it” can be left as notes through the app to make geocaching for first-timers, easier.

The app does come with a fee of $11.99 – but we’ve used the app for almost two years, for free fun a few times a month. We’ve even done geocaching nights with only adults or groups of friends in our neighbourhood, giving the adults a reason to get outside.

When you download the Geocaching app, you’re a basic member. For $29.99 annually, you can upgrade to a premium membership where you have access to premium caches, and support the community.

Start in your own neighbourhood. Download the app, or check the website for a free listing of nearby geocaches that you can track with a GPS, without downloading the app and see if you can find a nearby cache – chances are, there are hundreds of treasures that you don’t even know about.

Hide your Own Geocache 

Using the app, you can even submit your own Geocaches. Use small trinkets from around the house, small toys, and find a water tight container that’s going to be easily hidden at the location you’ve got in mind.

Visit the location, and the Geocache app will prompt you through the steps required to hide your own. It’s a fun way to get started. It’s interesting for the kids to track how many people have found the geocache.