The boys and I had our first marvelous adventure letterboxing last week! Exploring, treasure hunting, playing detective while running out in the woods... really, what could be more fun for kids?!The basics of letterboxing are that someone will leave a letterbox (waterproof container) somewhere (usually a remote or beautiful spot). Inside the letterbox are a logbook and stamp. As an explorer, you will carry your own passport/journal, stamp, inkpad and pen. You follow the clues on the map to find your treasure. I found our first map here . When you find the letterbox, stamp the logbook with your stamp and leave a note if you wish, and then use the stamp inside the letterbox to mark your own passport. We tried a very simple straightforward map for our first hunt. There are more involved maps that use Shakespearean quotes as clues!
Here are the photos from our adventure!
"hike down the trail about half a mile"
"cross the wooden bridge at the end of the lake"
"count the 9 Redwood trees"
"At the 9th tree, turn left and take 9 steps towards the lake and the treasure will be under the tree"
After finding the letterbox, we were excited to find a notebook and stamp inside the container!
...and the stamps of explorers before us
Matteo stamped his passport
...and our journey for the day had endedThere is so much fun to be had with letterboxing! The boys and I made their passports from old watercolors they had done. There are wonderful instructions on how kids can make their own stamps here.... and of course there is the thrill of adventure as my boys were able to play explorers that afternoon!
Happy Adventures to All!
Happy Adventures to All!
11 comments:
What fun! I've been wanting to try that with my kids...thanks for the reminder. Beautiful passport/journal too!
That sounds like such fun; and I especially like that you used homemade passports. Looking forward to the days when we'll try this! (Still a bit too young at 13 months...)
Oh Marina!
How fun!!! We loooooooooove to go Letterboxing! Its such a good way to get the little ones out and running about.
And the great thing is that there are SO many Letterboxes just in our area alone. :-)
Glad you guys had fun!
this is so cool - I bet they love it.
Oh, Marina, I love it! I love your photos, the adventure, the boys together, and I love knowing just exactly where this is.
Nicola
it's funny when the comment page opens and read what i was about to write already there under someone else's name. funny how we are often on the same wavelength. anywho, i, too, wanted to say thanks for the reminder! i wanted to start doing this with my kids this year, but had forgotten all about it. i like the idea of first making our own passports and stamps! ;)
I have never heard of this before, I thinkwe need to do this. Looks like so much fun. <3
What a great way to spend the day! I am vaguely familiar with letterboxing (is it anything like geocaching?). My kids would LOVE this! Thanks for sharing ;-)
ok, seriously, you need to take me along next time... (oh, and I suppose I would need to bring the children?) :)
I love this idea! What a fun way to explore the outdoors, combined with imaginative adventure seeking. How fun ~ we may have to begin something like that here.
what fun and what beautiful photos too :)
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