OK, I have four children who love letterboxing most of the time. They do complain when we start out, but by the time we get to the box, you'd think I was paying them big bucks to be the first one to find it and stamp into their logbooks. Since I have four children, this can get a bit chaotic. We have tried several different strategies for making this process a bit more orderly. However, I would like to hear some of your ideas.
BTW, we are also working on helping them all carve smaller stamps so we don't take up more than a page of a logbook. I am proud of them for carving their own stamps, but I'm sure some of you don't share a mother's sentiment!
dtandfambly

I would also be curious to hear some ideas. We have 5 boys (the youngest is only 22 months, so he isn't quite into it yet) and it is mad chaos when we go to find boxes. If we go and find a series of boxes we can pretty much designate who gets to find each one, but when there is only a box or 2 it gets tricky. I think they just get so excited (even if they won't admit it)and they ususally aren't that quiet or calm about any of it. So I would also like to hear how some of you with kids handle it all.

thanks,
LUNA crew

Anytime you stamp into a letterbox with more than one person things get pretty chaotic pretty quickly--add a HH to the mix and it's utterly INSANE. I'm usually out with two kids alone (5&8 now but we've been boxing since the youngest was 6 months old)--I stamp all of our stamps into the letterbox log to ensure we don't waste space and try to keep it all to one page or less including our writing. Our stamps are each about 1"x1.5" so even as a family of 4 we don't take up that much space. Some families have a 'family stamp' for small logbooks and then individual stamps for exchanges or thicker logbooks--so that's an idea.

Then when it comes to stamping the letterbox stamp into our logs--I stamp our family logbook but the oldest has taken to occasionally carrying a logbook of her own and she'll stamp that herself. The youngest occasionally just stamps his hand or forearm with the stamp and is as proud of that as if he had his own logbook--which he sometimes has but seems to forget more often than he remembers to bring it. The kids carry their own gear on hikes so that's usually what dictates whether they have their logbooks on them.

As for locating the boxes, I challenge the kids to try to find the box once we near where the clues suggest it should be but I'll usually retrieve it myself so we don't cause any damage or 'social trails' to the hiding spot and so I can see how it was supposed to be hidden once we're done with it. As for rehiding the boxes, I do that myself because I don't want our visit to be the one that caused the box to go missing because it wasn't well hidden. So, in a pretty large nutshell, that's how we do it.

We also have some other conventions to help not draw attention to what we're doing. We rarely say the words letterbox or letterboxing on the trail--although we might mention geocaching if folks ever wonder what we're doing (despite rarely having a GPS on us). Once we near the hiding spot, if we spot the box we'll say "Ding Dong" instead of "I found the letterbox". Then, we'll act as if we're taking a hiking break, drop the pack, act like we're retrieving snacks or water or a camera and pretend to be pretty interested in a tree, stump, a newt or whatever just to get people off the 'scent of the letterbox'. I also don't carry a large piece of paper clues out with us--it's usually folded to show only the important details of the clue and either tucked in my palm in my pocket or in a ziplock bag in my pocket. By the time we're out on the trail I usually have most of the clue memorized so I'll only refer to it occasionally if I've forgotten a critical detail in the clue along the way--so that makes it less apparent what we're doing on the trail. We can usually play it off that we're just out bird/animal watching and getting some exercise. The camera works wonders for this! It's hiding the stamp pads, ink and logbooks that becomes tricky when we're stamping in. We usually chalk that up to 'nature journals' for our homeschooling lessons. Nobody's ever really asked us why we've plopped down on a trail somewhere and are playing with stamps and inkpads--after over 1,000 finds. I guess folks just haven't been all that nosy over the years (or maybe they were just shy?). ;) Oh, another thing--we rarely stamp in really close to the true hiding spot of the letterbox. We'll usually walk further down the trail to a bench or a clearing or something so it's not so conspicuous where the hiding spot is--that way any folks who might get curious usually won't be able to find the box anywhere remotely close to where we were stamping in. So that seems to help, too.

Hope some of these ideas work for you,

daelphinus

Hmmm...I really like the nature journal idea. We could easily pass that one off. We also try to move away from the hiding spot.
Thanks. With all of the experience you have, your advice is invalueable.
One of our troubles is the time it takes to stamp the find into everyone's logbooks. They all love to look at those when we get home and remember the day when... I want them to have that treasure. Maybe I could have them hold their logbooks open and go down the line with the stamp? Anyone done that?

Standing in line is exacty what we do with not only my children, but whenever we box in a group. One person inks up the stamp, everyone else gets their log books out and open. They simply point to where they want it stamped and the stamper stamps away. Then we all ink up our sig stamps and pass the log book down the row as well. Whom ever finds, puts it back so we know it's put back the same way we found it.

Maiden

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Some families have a 'family stamp'

yup that's what we have. Although we also have individual stamps for the kids - they're usually just happy with the family stamp.

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Then when it comes to stamping the letterbox stamp into our logs.

While we started out with logs for all - we now just share the one family logbook. We can look throught together to remember our adventures.

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The youngest occasionally just stamps his hand or forearm with the stamp and is as proud of that as if he had his own logbook

Yup - that's my 5 year old!

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as for locating the boxes, I challenge the kids to try to find the box once we near where the clues suggest it should be but I'll usually retrieve it myself

I usually have the kids keeping an eye for the next large landmark (bridge, tree, stream) - but I always retreive AND replace.

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We rarely say the words letterbox or letterboxing on the trail

Our kids are so accustomed to this they are very careful about saying anything about boxing to anyone ever. They always check with us first.

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Then, we'll act as if we're taking a hiking break, drop the pack, act like we're retrieving snacks or water or a camera and pretend to be pretty interested in a tree, stump, a newt

Yup - been there done that a lot. Just having kids alone lets you get away with alot - people never question when you've stopped for a break with the kids!

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I also don't carry a large piece of paper clues out with us

Always! It's always tucked away in a pocket.

MM/123Family

The "line up and stamp" technique sounds like a good one for a group. We have not usually had much company when we are out boxing, but I find that most people have no interest in what we're are doing. People tend to be so wrapped up in their own activities that they hardly notice those around them. And even if my kids are shouting, "I found it!", no one seems to pay any attention, because they are kids and they might be shouting about anything. People-watching and simply noticing what is around you seem to be dissapearing forms of leisure. And one of the things I love about our hobby is that we are interacting with others by sharing creative works.

-Murray7

I have two kids but will sometimes go boxing with a friend who has two of her own. Ours range in age from 6 to 10, so you may need to do something different depending on your ages. Also, it makes a difference how many boxes you are looking for. We tend to go looking for series when we are all together, so there are often enough boxes to find so everyone gets a chance.

We will line them up in any order, so someone is the line leader, and so-and-so is behind him, and thus-and-such is behind her, etc. As we hike along we'll occasionally rotate line-leading duty if need be to be fair. The order of the line is the order of the finding, so that someone who is the line leader gets to find the first box. (Really what I mean is *retrieve* the first box, because sometimes one of the others will figure out the clues first. But in that case, the child must allow the honor of retrieval to go to the one whose turn it is.) Boxes are hidden by the same person that retrieved them, with adult supervision to make sure the box is well-hidden. Next box, next kid.

As for stamping, since we are two families, usually one family will stamp the box log while the other stamps their own logs, then we swap. But you could just sit everyone down and pass the stamp and log book around in the same "line order". If child A retrieved the box, child B could be the first to stamp in. Or if you wanted to, B could be first to use the box's stamp and C could be the first to stamp in the log. Next box, rotate down the list.

This all seems much more fair when you are out looking for several boxes at a time. I know this is not always possible, but it would be possible to keep track of who did what from one trip to the next... use a row of clips or pins on a backpack to keep track of order, or just make a list in your log book of who's turn it is to do what.

(Now I must confess most of this orderliness comes from my aforementioned friend, because as you would know if you boxed with me, when it is just my own 2 kids I am much less organized and pretty much whatever keeps them from screaming is good with me.)

MoonBunny

I syour friend a teacher? Soundfs like she is used to organizing large groups! But I am with you anything that keeps them from screaming...usually at each other with my 12 and 9 year olds...Catherine

We have the rule that whomever finds the box, has to rehide it.

rehiding isn't as much fun, so in order avoid doing it, the older lets the youngest find sometimes.

DEF

I should, however, point out that I always check the rehide, and make sure it is better than it was found.

My 10 year old is very good at rehiding, I haven't had to fix one of his for a long time. So my technique of supervising a rehide is paying off.

DEF

That's how we do it too. I do the inking to keep the mess to a minimum - then I give out pens and let the kids journal what they want about the hunt, the box, or the day. By the time they finish, I've set up for them to stamp into the log one at a time.

We did have someone walk by yesterday while we were out. We were seated some distance from the hiding place with our backpack open and the boxes open... so we talked about what snack we would have. I think I'll really bring a little baggie of goldfish and let them eat one or two if someone walks by. It's a good time for them to hydrate too, so it all looks legit. Hey, kids can give adults excuses to act out of the ordinary, so I'm betting that family groups have an advantage in this area.

We met Pyratemates today (they are "good people" as they say) and they told me that they bring a camera and use photos as an excuse for lingering if noxers are about. Great idea there!

I like the nature journal idea too, but as an addition to letterboxing. We already do trash detail while we are hiking/hunting. Adding nature to the journal would be cool. They could stamp in leaves that they find (fallen of course) and add small sticks or whatnot to the pages. Hmmmm the gears are 'aturnin!

We only have 2 kids, so it's a bit easier anyway, but what we do is give them one clue at a time and have them take turns doing that particular clue. In other words, he does step 1, she does step 2, he does step 3, etc. and then I try to make it even as to who gets to do the final clue. There aren't many boxes around here, so usually we would only find one in a day. This way, they both get to participate.

I took my 3 kids today, ages 5 and almost 3-year-old twins. My older son really gets into following the clues, and the little ones want to find the boxes, but they are not quite as quick mentally and physically as my kindergartener. So today, I had clues for 3 boxes, and while my older son spotted each box before anyone else, I made sure all 3 got a turn to "uncover" and bring out a box. Each child got to do the stamps for the box they found. Everyone seemed to be happy with that!

Welcome 5tigers! Did you hear about LB through the family fun magazine? We did and have been having fun with our 4 (+2 parents) bouncy tiggers that we refer to as our stars@!!!
six stars

I did learn about LB from Family Fun mag! I love taking them to parks and such for hikes, and this just gives us a little something extra to do when we are out there!

I honestly cannot believe that for years I have been out in the very same parks, hikes, woods and there have been letterboxes out there and I have not known about it!
Where are you guys from?
six stars

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I honestly cannot believe that for years I have been out in the very same parks, hikes, woods and there have been letterboxes out there and I have not known about it!
Where are you guys from?

I know that feeling! We are recently transplanted to the Jacksonville area from Arizona (by way of a couple of temporary places in between) and I keep looking at the boxes that are available in the areas we've recently been. Man, missed opportunities!

Jacksonville FL or VT?
that would be a coinsidence since my Dad grew up in J'ville VT!
Six Stars

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Jacksonville FL or VT?

Florida... VT would be toooooo cold. It's a beachy kind of day here today. Gotta love that.

Tee
<smashing hopes and dreams wherever she goes - lol j/k>

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I keep looking at the boxes that are available in the areas we've recently been. Man, missed opportunities!

I hear you on this one too! We've lived in 4 different states in the last 9 years but only discovered LBing after moving to where we live now. One of the first things I did was look up Boxes in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico and try my best not to cry over spilled milk. I consider it a good reason to try to go visit old friends!

K

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One of the first things I did was look up Boxes in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico and try my best not to cry over spilled milk. I consider it a good reason to try to go visit old friends!

Now that's an idea. We won't be getting back to Arizona any time soon... but if I get my friend into LBing, maybe she could show me the stamps she found when I do get out there.