In Letterboxing, boxes containing a log book and rubber stamp are hidden in the outdoors and clues to finding them are posted on the Web. When you find a letterbox, you take out the log book, and stamp it with your own stamp. You can write a little note, or write where you are from, or the date you found it. It is fun to see how many people have already found the box, and where they were from. Then, you take the stamp in the box, and stamp your own book, to keep track of the boxes you've found.
What kid doesn't love a good hunt? The best part is that they are getting out in nature and getting exercise, and so are you!
Here is what it says on the Letterboxing site... "After finding it, try to be DISCREET when stamping up and re-hiding it, as if you were hiding your own box for the first time... so as not to give away its location to any passerby's..."
Keep that in mind as I tell you about our first Letterboxing experience...
I found an easy one, and printed out the clues. We went to Michael's weeks ago to pick out a stamp. That was hard enough! Jim wanted to stand for an hour, looking and contemplating each and every stinkin' stamp in the store. Dylan wanted to grab the first stamp he saw - "This is good! Let's get this one! Can we go now?" I wanted to beat my head with a very large stamp and ponder why I ever shop with those two - especially at the same time.
Yesterday, we went to dinner first, where Dylan ate very little but consumed two huge glasses of milk. Then, we went to the park. Dylan was excited, and screaming, "OKAY! WHAT DO WE DO FIRST?! WHAT IS THE FIRST CLUE?!" After Jim or I read the clue, he would repeat us... at a much louder, more excited volume. "FIND THE SIGN THAT SAYS "BRADDOCK TRAIL"!!!"
Yea... discreet, right? There was also the fact that we were holding a paper with the clues, and I was carrying my camera and snapping pictures.
The trail was making me nervous. Basically if Dylan were to take two steps to his right, he would fall down a cliff! So, I was nervously keeping my eyes on the cliff and trying to keep Dylan from racing too far ahead of us in his excitement.
We found the "double tree" we were looking for, and I told both of my guys to put their back to the tree, and take 20 paces into the woods. We were oh, so discreet, shouting "ONE! TWO! THREE!", as we marched into the woods. We looked behind two trees, and didn't see anything, when I noticed that Dylan was walking funny. "Dylan, do you have to go potty?!" "Yea!", he said, as I looked behind another tree and said, "Look! I found it! I turned to see Dylan's pants half on, half off, pee running down his legs. Yep, he peed his pants, just as I found our first letterbox.
So, we filled out the log book, and stamped our book, as Dylan stood there awkwardly in his peed in pants, just feet from the path. Suddenly some people walked by, and Dylan shouted out, "Hi! Hi, people! Look! There's some people walking by!" Discreet. Oh well, we'll work on that next time. And, we'll make sure we go potty BEFORE we go.
Luckily, we had a change of clothes in the car, because we were getting ice cream to celebrate our first letterboxing adventure. With kids, everything is an adventure, right?
6 comments:
SOLD! I have heard of Geocaching, but not Letterboxing, but after reading this post and looking at the website, this is something we are going to do! What a great family activity (minus the shopping, of course, which is also an 'issue' at our house.) And we will definitely go to the bathroom before setting out . . . although when you get really excited, it is hard to hold it in!
You would have fun Geocaching, too--we used to do that when the kids were little sometimes. Treasure hunts are so much fun--and great for birthday parties, too.
I can just imagine the loud counting off of steps!
You did it!!! Is he addicted? We did our first ever this weekend and my neice was like "Can we do another can we do another can we do another??" for the next two hours. My 7 girls and 6 adults weren't discreet either :)
Is that the trail I would have walked home on, back in the day?
My brother is addicted to Geocaching, which is similar.
So fun that you did this adventure with Dylan. Loved the story. And, pants down...well, yes, that happens around here, too.
Haven't done the letterboxing yet. Hmmm...will have to think about seeing if we have something like that here. It would be a way to keep my kid busy at night. Of course, that pee thing is nothing...I'll have to send you a private email later and tell you what happened in my front yard the other night -- much to my humiliation and Jonathan's surprise.
Sounds fun! Yes I have heard of geocaching but not letter boxing! My kids would love it.... Like hunting for treasure!!
Ps. I resorted to my iPad to comment. My pc is acting up!
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