Definitely do the easy boxes first. However, make sure yo read the disclaimers and rules and ALWAYS spot the box first before letting the kids get it. It might be helpful to have each child with their own books/ stamps for logging in. And please, rehide the boxes better than you found them. We box with four little ones and they love it (even the really long hikes). But hey, we practically live in the woods anyway. Box on!

debfreecycle wrote: We're a family new to letterboxing but eager to get passionate about
the "sport."

Anyone with helpful tips for letterboxing with kids (two boys,
elementary school ages), please let me know...

Also in particular interested in any letterboxes that are good for
beginners searching in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, NYC, New
Jersey (Morristown and surrounding), and/or Philadelphia. The kids
will enjoy it much more if they are successful A LOT in the beginning
with more challenging letterboxes waiting until they've caught the bug.

Thanks in advance!





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Hi debfreecycle,

I started boxing with my son when he was 2, almost 3. He is five now.

Some things that help... gadgets! He has his own set of stuff... compass,
magnifying glass, bug catcher, .... oh, and masking TAPE! Wow, the
entertainment that has provided! Also, you can use walkie talkie to
entertain. And, let the kids FIND the box, actually uncover it... they will
have to take turns (that's what I do when I have my niece and nephew along
too)... Don't let the kids rehide it though, it's important that is done
well.

Keep them focused on the journey, stress that as the point of the trip, so
they won't be disapponted if you can't find a box.

Each should have his own log book and stamp. Again, to keep interest.

Camera....I take tons and tons of pictures, and when all attention span
fails, I hand it over to my son to keep him occupied.

Don't forget about wearing orange during hunting season.

RIFamily
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Bring a grocery bag for litter that may be on the journey. It helps to remind
the kids that they are stewards of the land.

Also my grandsons have brightly tie dyed tee shirts so I can find them
easily. The first time we went out they decided that camouflage would be good in the
woods. NOT!!!


Each child has a chance to be the leader and does the reading of the clues.

If you feel that it is important for them to find a box then check the last
date found. If it is recent then you can almost be sure it is there. The first
box we looked for was not there. It didn't seem to matter as looking for the
letterbox was as fun as finding the second one we looked for.


Bring a lunch! That is always a good motivation while doing the search.

Most of all have fun.

Diane/Connecticut

PS Check to see when HUNTING SEASON is. Especially this time of year.




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In a message dated 10/31/2007 8:46:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
randy@mapsurfer.com writes:

And also a leading cause of boxes going missing. Food odors get
on hands, food odors get on boxes.

LOL I know...we leave the lunch in the car for after!!!!




************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> Bring a lunch! That is always a good motivation while
> doing the search.

And also a leading cause of boxes going missing. Food odors get
on hands, food odors get on boxes.

Just a humble observation.

Cheers
Randy

"No lunch until we find the box!" Really, really good motivation. =)

Sheba

Randy Hall wrote:

> Bring a lunch! That is always a good motivation while
> doing the search.

And also a leading cause of boxes going missing. Food odors get
on hands, food odors get on boxes.

Just a humble observation.

Cheers
Randy

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--- debfreecycle wrote:

> Anyone with helpful tips for letterboxing with kids (two boys,
>
> elementary school ages), please let me know...
>

I can't help you with the location part, but one thing that has
really helped us is that the children each have their very own
log book! I found some fun foam kits at a JoAnn's or craft
store and they decorated their own books. Before this brilliant
bit of inspiration, our boxing adventures were punctuated with
arguments about who stamped which book, etc, etc, etc. Now they
all have their own books and the arguments have diminished
considerably!

MamaErica

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I recently came across some kids and their mom getting a letterbox. The oldest daughter grabbed the box and proceeded to pull hard on the bag to get the logbook out, tearing the side of the bag (which doesn't make for good waterproof material anymore). Then she roughly flipped through the book with exasperation.
Please supervise every step of the letterboxing experience with your kids until you know they always take things out of boxes with care, put things back into boxes correctly (usually a logbook has its own bag and the stamp has its own bag and both get put into another larger bag together) and put the box back well hidden in the same spot that is was found. If the clue says "hide under the bark and cover with the rock", then make sure the box is hidden under the bark and covered by the rock when you leave. Letterboxers spend lots of time making stamps, logbooks and finding good spots for plantings. Protect the contents and the location of the box.
I can't tell you how many times l've found boxes left out in the open, bags carelessly thrown into boxes and logbooks exposed to the elements.
Mas (mother of 2, grandmother of 3)




To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.comFrom: familyof6portland@yahoo.comDate: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:37:54 -0700Subject: Re: [LbNA] letterboxing for kids





Definitely do the easy boxes first. However, make sure yo read the disclaimers and rules and ALWAYS spot the box first before letting the kids get it. It might be helpful to have each child with their own books/ stamps for logging in. And please, rehide the boxes better than you found them. We box with four little ones and they love it (even the really long hikes). But hey, we practically live in the woods anyway. Box on!debfreecycle wrote: We're a family new to letterboxing but eager to get passionate about the "sport."Anyone with helpful tips for letterboxing with kids (two boys, elementary school ages), please let me know...Also in particular interested in any letterboxes that are good for beginners searching in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, NYC, New Jersey (Morristown and surrounding), and/or Philadelphia. The kids will enjoy it much more if they are successful A LOT in the beginning with more challenging letterboxes waiting until they've caught the bug.Thanks in advance!__________________________________________________Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






_________________________________________________________________
Boo!Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare!
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I recently came across some kids and their mom getting a letterbox. The oldest daughter grabbed the box and proceeded to pull hard on the bag to get the logbook out, tearing the side of the bag (which doesn't make for good waterproof material anymore). Then she roughly flipped through the book with exasperation.
Please supervise every step of the letterboxing experience with your kids until you know they always take things out of boxes with care, put things back into boxes correctly (usually a logbook has its own bag and the stamp has its own bag and both get put into another larger bag together) and put the box back well hidden in the same spot that is was found. If the clue says "hide under the bark and cover with the rock", then make sure the box is hidden under the bark and covered by the rock when you leave. Letterboxers spend lots of time making stamps, logbooks and finding good spots for plantings. Protect the contents and the location of the box.
I can't tell you how many times l've found boxes left out in the open, bags carelessly thrown into boxes and logbooks exposed to the elements.
Mas (mother of 2, grandmother of 3)




To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.comFrom: familyof6portland@yahoo.comDate: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:37:54 -0700Subject: Re: [LbNA] letterboxing for kids





Definitely do the easy boxes first. However, make sure yo read the disclaimers and rules and ALWAYS spot the box first before letting the kids get it. It might be helpful to have each child with their own books/ stamps for logging in. And please, rehide the boxes better than you found them. We box with four little ones and they love it (even the really long hikes). But hey, we practically live in the woods anyway. Box on!debfreecycle wrote: We're a family new to letterboxing but eager to get passionate about the "sport."Anyone with helpful tips for letterboxing with kids (two boys, elementary school ages), please let me know...Also in particular interested in any letterboxes that are good for beginners searching in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, NYC, New Jersey (Morristown and surrounding), and/or Philadelphia. The kids will enjoy it much more if they are successful A LOT in the beginning with more challenging letterboxes waiting until they've caught the bug.Thanks in advance!__________________________________________________Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






_________________________________________________________________
Peek-a-boo FREE Tricks & Treats for You!
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I like to eat a peanut butter sandwich on the way to a box. It
increases my chances of getting some good wildlife photos.

Gerania

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Suzanne Coe wrote:
>
> "No lunch until we find the box!" Really, really good motivation. =)
>
> Sheba
>
> Randy Hall wrote:
>
> > Bring a lunch! That is always a good motivation while
> > doing the search.
>
> And also a leading cause of boxes going missing. Food odors get
> on hands, food odors get on boxes.
>
> Just a humble observation.
>
> Cheers
> Randy
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

And BTW--if it was Randy's box, who'd know the difference? Including him?? =)

gerania93 wrote: I like to eat a peanut butter sandwich on the way to a box. It
increases my chances of getting some good wildlife photos.

Gerania

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Suzanne Coe wrote:
>
> "No lunch until we find the box!" Really, really good motivation. =)
>
> Sheba
>
> Randy Hall wrote:
>
> > Bring a lunch! That is always a good motivation while
> > doing the search.
>
> And also a leading cause of boxes going missing. Food odors get
> on hands, food odors get on boxes.
>
> Just a humble observation.
>
> Cheers
> Randy
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>





Yahoo! Groups Links





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Along these same lines...please also supervise the stamping in process. Try
to keep all the family stamps on one logbook page, if possible, or two if
absolutely necessary. This teaches respect for the artistic aspect of
logbooks as well as conservation of paper. It also makes for a more visually
pleasing logbook to peruse.

My children are younger than yours (5 &6), but here are some things we've
done (some borrowed, some invented, some learned with experience):

1) Each child has his/her own backpack with logbook, stamp, Crayola markers,
water, snack, & flashlight. I have paper towels and water so we can clean
the stamp and then they can color the stamp with their markers to make it
colorful. Clean the stamp well after they are done to remove any excess ink.
Younger children may like to have the stamp stamped on the back of their
hands. If you carve your own stamps, you can have your children carve theirs
as well. Depending on their ages, they may need VERY close supervision. My
children have both carved stamps. My 5-year-old did the
remove-the-eraser-from-a-pencil-and-squeeze-the-end technique. Very crude
carving tool, but safe. Best with MasterCarve. My 6-year-old has used my
carving tools, but only with my 100% focused supervision (she occasionally
needs to be reminded to move her hand so she is not pushing the knife toward
it...all I have to do is say, "Ah" and she fixes her position). They are
both very proud of their homemade stamps & enjoy stamping them into box
logbooks.

2) We make sure they wear long pants, socks, good walking shoes, and long
sleeves if not too hot. This protects against poison ivy, tics, mosquitoes,
and thorns--all things kids aren't crazy about.

3) Our kids are motivated on longer hikes by things like boardwalks or rocks
they can jump from one to the other on or water they can toss sticks or
stones into.

4) We like to choose two or three things to teach them while hiking. For
example, when we started we taught them about trail blazes and how they help
you stay on the path. This was a boon, b/c the search for the next trail
blaze is sometimes just as exhilarating as the search for the box. It's easy
to pick things from the clues. What's a two-trunked tree (remember, my kids
are younger )? Can you find a three trunked tree? What does a birch
tree look like? Pick up a maple leaf, oak leaf, and beech leaf & point out
the differences & have them search for them. Things like that. We then will
reinforce this learning...and add more hunting to the hunt...by asking these
same questions on a subsequent hike. Can you find an acorn? What kind of
tree does an acorn come from? Now can you find an oak leaf? Teaching map
reading and compass use are also fun.

Can you tell that I REALLY agree with RIFamily? Focus on the
journey--highlight the intrigue of what they can find and see and hear and
smell (mmm...pine forest...) and touch and learn in the place they are
walking. That definitely makes the disappointment of a missed box muted.
When we first started boxing, I had occasion to go out with just my then
5-year-old to look for a box. We had 1-1/2 hours before we had to leave to
go somewhere, and I figured this was more than enough time. What I hadn't
counted on was that near the beginning of our walk we walked into a field of
milkweed ready to send off their seeds. Now, if you've ever played with
milkweed at this glorious time you'll know that it is wonderful! Break open
a pod, pull out the bundles of seeds that are among the softest things ever,
then release them into the wind and watch them fly. Riveting. Five minutes.
Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. Twenty minutes. I struggled. I loved that she
was enjoying herself, and I did not want to disrupt that, but (here's my
mistake) I thought she would be dreadfully disappointed if we didn't find
the box. I coaxed her along--she would have stayed longer--but I coaxed her
along. Guess what? The box was missing!! And guess what else? She was
indifferent--she just wanted to know if we still had time to go back to play
with the milkweed again! LOL!! Parenting lesson number twelve billion. The
point is, make the outing about the whole outing, not just about finding the
box.

5) We absolutely have them take turns finding the box. If given a choice, we
always choose a letterbox hunt with an even number of boxes so there are no
issues about this. (We've actually had them hold hands to uncover the box if
there is any hint of conflict about this when there is an odd number of
boxes.)

6) We think it is very important to teach our children how to re-hide boxes.
Exactly the same place (as long at it was correct when we found it),
excellent coverage, examine from all angles, etc. They are actually really
good at it now! But, without question, one of us ALWAYS checks their work
when they are done and makes any necessary fixes.

We visited Fairfield and went boxing once. Birdcraft is a great starter
letterbox. Short, easy walk. Boardwalk, lovely pond, and a built in nature
mystery at the location.
http://letterboxing.org/BoxView.asp?boxnum=12387&boxname=Birdcraft
We also did Earthplace in Westport. It was a nice walk with lots of
interesting learning--they have lots of different kinds of rescued birds.
When we did this, the boxes were not in great shape--wet logbooks as I
recall, not sure what else--but they were all there and they were easy for
the kids to find:
http://letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=13553&boxname=Earthplace
Finally, we did the Art Deco letterbox in Fairfield. This was a really neat
place to hike--the kids enjoyed the terrain. We couldn't find the second
box, but had no trouble finding the first box.
http://letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=9035&boxname=Art_Deco_Letterboxes
These are the only ones we've done down there.

Enjoy!!!

~zess~

PS: Sorry for all my rambling...I've got a rambling disorder--can't help
myself! :-)

On 10/31/07, Debra Moore wrote:
>
>
>
> I recently came across some kids and their mom getting a letterbox. The
> oldest daughter grabbed the box and proceeded to pull hard on the bag to get
> the logbook out, tearing the side of the bag (which doesn't make for good
> waterproof material anymore). Then she roughly flipped through the book with
> exasperation.
> Please supervise every step of the letterboxing experience with your kids
> until you know they always take things out of boxes with care, put things
> back into boxes correctly (usually a logbook has its own bag and the stamp
> has its own bag and both get put into another larger bag together) and put
> the box back well hidden in the same spot that is was found. If the clue
> says "hide under the bark and cover with the rock", then make sure the box
> is hidden under the bark and covered by the rock when you leave.
> Letterboxers spend lots of time making stamps, logbooks and finding good
> spots for plantings. Protect the contents and the location of the box.
> I can't tell you how many times l've found boxes left out in the open,
> bags carelessly thrown into boxes and logbooks exposed to the elements.
> Mas (mother of 2, grandmother of 3)
>
>
--
"..... The Bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began ....."
http://groups.google.com/group/the-grateful-letterboxers?hl=en


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]