Making geography class fun isn’t hard to do, learning about the world is exciting! I think that too often as homeschool moms that we forget that geography is in our own backyards, just as much as it is across the ocean. Our children need to discover the geography of where they live as well as the countries around the world and geocaching can make it more fun!
One of our favorite ways to explore the geography around us, specifically in our hometown and state, is through geocaching. We have had so much fun learning about our local geography by heading out on an adventure to discover geocaches. If you’ve never heard of geocaching, getting started is easy and it provides endless fun for the whole family!
5 Reasons to Add Geocaching to Your Homeschool
Map Skills
Before you can use the GPS powered device for geocaching, you have to get to the starting location on the directions. Unless the geocache is your backyard, that will require travel and you can easily incorporate map skills into this fun geography activity. If the geocache is in your local area, try having your students draw a map from your home to the starting location for the geocache. Should you be on vacation exploring geocaches out of your area, you can have your students use a local map to help direct you to the starting location as you drive.
Adventures for the Whole Family
Geography class doesn’t always involve everyone in the family, but geocaching can! Everyone will enjoy heading out on an adventure to discover the hidden geocaches in your area. Geocaching is a scavenger hunt that is fun for the whole family! You’ll have a great time making memories together as you explore and learn about the geography of the world around you.
GPS Skills
Since you use a GPS powered device your children will learn how to use a GPS and how coordinates work as they search for the geocaches. This is a skill that children need to learn as part of their geography class since GPS is used frequently in traveling.
Nature Study
When you’re headed out to find geocaches often you’ll find yourself in the middle of nature. You can use this time to study the trees, fauna, wildlife and other types of nature as well! Bring along your nature notebooking pages and have your children draw a quick sketch or take a few notes about things they’ve never seen to study when you get home.
Physical Education
Heading out on a geocaching adventure will require physical activity such as walking, (though my kids typically run), and hiking, so this is an fun and easy way to track your children’s physical education for your homeschooling!
I’m sure that as you begin your own geocaching adventures that you’ll discover many more reasons why geocaching is a benefit to your homeschool. What began as a fun filled family adventure became part of our homeschooling journey when I realized how much my children were learning about geography while we were out geocaching.
I truly believe that the more fun, hands-on activities that we provide our children throughout their homeschooling journeys will help encourage them to become lifelong learners! Geocaching is just one of the amazing ways that we can bring learning to life for our children!
What are your favorite reasons to add geocaching to your homeschool?
