Since global capture the flag or freeze tag wouldn't necessarily be feasible, why not a universal scavenger hunt instead? Enter geocaching.
If you're like me and go in search of everyday wonders, you should definitely try it. Geocaching is essentially a GPS scavenger hunt in which participants go in seek of caches which anyone can hide anywhere in the world. These boxes are discoverable via latitude and longitude coordinates on various game websites. Essentially hide and seek of the tech age, geocaching has a huge following from all places and of all ages. There are estimated to be almost 2,000,000 caches hidden on all 7 continents with over 5 million active participants. Play as much or as little as you want, wherever or whenever the urge strikes, it's a great way to make your own city a playground.
The Game
Trinkets are hidden in various water proof containers and buried among shrubbery, urban landscapes or even in plain sight. Once you discover a cache, sign your name in its logbook and replace it with a new treasure of equal or lesser value (on the honor system here). You can track your progress on a virtual checklist of conquests on sites like geocaching.com.
The beauty of the game is that most of the hiding places or treasures have special meaning to the person that buried them so you're getting a secret glimpse into the lives of someone from across the world. You are vulnerable to a slice of someone else's life, and while you may not know what the significance of the place or object means, it will remain a special bond between the two of you.
If you want to leave a signature or calling card with your finds, you can leave a geocoin or "travel bug," which are collectable widgets and markers that can be moved from place to place by different geocachers documenting the conquests and adventures of participants. The objects are embedded with tracking ids so you can follow the item's journey online and marvel at how far it's traveled. From time to time, companies like Garmin sponsor contests hiding their own signature coins to be traded in for prizes.
So if you ever stumble upon a fake rock
with a secret compartment when you're out and about...you may have just
unknowingly entered the game. Happy searching!
