As you know we are downsizing. Since I last posted about it I've filled three more bags. It feels so good to say "why is that here?" and put it in the "bye-bye-box". (That's Sage's name for the thrift donation box from when he was four.) But all this downsizing means that my former favorite treasure hunt (thrifting) is cancelled until further notice. Though I don't want the stuff I miss the hunt.
Yesterday, thanks to some of your suggestions and fine-tuning from a friend, we discovered Letterboxing. Letterboxing is a treasure hunt of a different sort. It's better than my former habit because 1) it is outside; 2) it requires use of your brain and body; and 3) it is free. The "treasure" is simply a rubber stamp imprint in a notebook, the hunt is finding the box.
The letterbox itself is a plastic box hidden in a public space that contains a notebook and a rubber stamp. Using clues from the internet and a compass, you tromp through woods and down trails until you find the treasure. When found you imprint the letterbox stamp in your notebook and leave your own stamp print in the notebook from the box.
Yesterday was our first find: "Uf Dah"! (My Norwegian grandma would be thrilled.) We found it after hiking some crazy steps to the top of a massive hill with a breath-taking view. Back at our car an hour later (our legs shaking for the hike up and back) the kids asked if we could do another one (or two) before dinner.
I think they're hooked. And me? It's my new favorite treasure hunt. Adios, Goodwill! You won't be missed.
For more info on getting started visit here or here. Then get out there!
oh my! your photos are stunning. this looks like so much FUN!! thank you for sharing, i’m definitely going to look into doing this.
Oh fun! I wonder if there are any in our area.
We’ve done letterboxing for a while. Our friends introduced us to it, and they’ve done it all across Europe and the US since then.
that sounds very intriguing 🙂
Sarah,
So very much fun! We cant wait for more.
Rachel
Lindsay,
Click here to enter your city and county to find out!
Rachel
Oh wow, this looks like so much fun! I’m going to have to check out our area.
Ya, there are letterboxes everywhere, all across the world. There isn’t one in Viroqua though. I was going to make one and hide it, but never got around to it…
Stacie,
Sage has one all ready to place in Viroqua somewhere. We are bringing the idea up at our homeschool group to hopefully hide several around town. Let me know if you ever place one. Well be sure to try to find it!
~ Rachel
Yay! We love letterboxing and geocaching. SO much fun, and we can find them pretty much anywhere we go! 🙂
I’ve never heard of this, but I’m so thrilled you wrote about it. I always liked the idea of geocaching, minus the fancy technology and box of stuff at the end. This removes both of those! I can’t wait to try once my kids are a smidge older!
I never dreamed this would be something available in my small town, but I looked and it is! I think this will be wonderful for my 4 yo boy, my husband and me. My son is always wanting to treasure hunt. This will be right up his alley. Thank you!
We love letterboxing!!! We have two hidden on the Greek Isles. It is so much fun!!!
So this is different than Geo Caching it sounds, but the same idea. I have some friends that are really into Geo Caching and it is fun to hear about their finds. I’ll have to look up Letter Boxing and see if it’s in my area.