I’m so honored and UBER excited to be with you today. I hale from a little corner of the blogosphere called For What Its Worth…or Not. Just a humble little nook where I talk about my life as a wife & preggo mama of a spunky 2 1/2 year old little girl. I like to do lots of crafty projects, and currently I am a little over involved in the TV show GLEE.
Today I want to use my “She” pedestal to tell you all about a little past time I stumbled upon this last fall: LETTERBOXING
It’s not a NEW hobby. I just had never heard about it before then, and come to find out, MANY people I have talked to haven’t either.
So, I want you all to consider:
10 “Why Not?!” Reasons to start Letterboxing today
1. It’s a Treasure Hunt! Letterboxing takes you on an adventure in parks, forests and cities. Following the clues you are given, you and your trail mates search to uncover the treasure at the end of each mission: a stamp! Many of these hidden stamps are works of art, as they are hand-carved by their placer. When you find your “treasure”, you use the letterbox stamp to record your find in your journal, and you get to “leave your mark” by stamping your signature stamp in the letterbox’s log book.
2. Family Time: This is an activity that the whole family can enjoy! It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Who doesn’t like a good walk in the park? I know my daughter likes to go outside ALL.THE.TIME…and sometimes it gets a little, what’s a good word for it…., BORING! pushing her on a swing for hours on end. Letterboxing keeps children & adults engaged in the fun!
3. WORLDWIDE Possibilities! Letterboxing is an international attraction. It started way back in the 1800’s in England (read the history here) and has since spread around the world. The birth of the Internet has made clues amazingly accessible. Our family uses 2 main websites to get clues:
Letterboxing North America and Atlas Quest I have favorite parts to both sites. The former seems to have MANY more clues for our area and is super simple and to the point as far as layout and usability. While the latter gives you clues to boxes world-wide, as well as forums, links to blogs, and TONS of information to settle any question you may have.
4. It’s Practically FREE! Now I got your attention….once you get the few supplies you need to start, it doesn’t cost a thing!
Here’s what you need: A Journal to record your Letterbox Finds, A Signature Stamp, a Stamp Pad, possibly a Compass, and Internet access to obtain clues.
5. You can be as Creative as You Want: One of the really special things about letterboxing is the stamps you collect. Most of the “planters” hand-carve their stamps so they are one-of-a-kind treasures. You can do this as well with your signature stamp. Or, if you’re not into crafty things like that, you can purchase a stamp that represents your family. Here are some great tutorials on how to make your own stamps: For Kids, Stamp Carving 101, Simple & Easy
Below is our Family Stamp…I made it out of a pink eraser using my husbands wood carving tools:
6. EXERCISE for your Body & your Brain! Depending on the Letterbox you chose to hunt for, you may get a real work-out. Many letterboxes are hidden along hiking trails, where you may have to walk miles, while others are merely steps away from your car. It’s a great idea to read your clues carefully before you head out on your hunt. Besides getting an idea of how long the hunt will take, there could be mathematical calculations or other information you need to find in order to locate your treasure!
7. The Journey is just as Rewarding as the Find! Almost every hunt we’ve done has taken us to a place out in nature that we never would have seen if we didn’t hear about it through our clues! Beautiful trails, lakes, rivers, parks, and monuments just waiting to be explored! This little gem is only 15 miles away from our house, and we never even knew it!
8. You can do it ALL YEAR Long! If you live in milder climates this is something that wouldn’t be an issue, but for those of you lucky enough to experience 4 seasons, like us, you might need to be a little more brave. We headed out to find a letterbox in the middle of a lake…in the dead cold of February….when you would normally need a boat to reach it, we just walked across the ice!
9. Great for Road Trips: Do you ever take long Car rides? Maybe for Vacations? Visiting Family Far Away? Break it up with a Letterbox hunt! Find Letterboxes that are located on your route, and get out to stretch your legs a bit. It’s a great way to take the kids’ minds off of the long ride. Plus, you can find letterboxes when you get to your destination too. (Ever need a break from the in-laws, anyone?)
10. Make & Record Memories for Years to Come: Not only are you collecting lots of beautiful stamp designs, you’re collecting memories with your family. This is where the journal adds to your letterboxing experience. Along side your stamp, you’ll record how you found it, what kind of day it was, and any other little story that was special on your outing. Here’s an example from our journal:
Okay, this seriously may be the coolest thing I have ever seen, and I had NO IDEA it existed! I recently posted on this site about my new journey to homeschool my 13 year old son, and I explained how much he loves exploring. WHAT A PERFECT activity for us to do together! Or maybe I could use this as a reward! I’ve already checked out some of the clues for stamps around us, and there’s one just 10 minutes away.
I’ve never heard of this, but it sounds really fun! I checked out a few clues and they’re right by our house. I did notice that some of them were placed a long time ago, like 2003. Have you ever gone to find a letterbox and it wasn’t there anymore?
Lindsay, we actually went on a hunt yesterday…a VERY LONG hike, and we didn’t find any of the 3 letterboxes that were supposed to be there. 🙁 But it was still LOTS of fun with our friends, and BEAUTIFUL!
we’ve done the geocaching thing for a few years – but I totally want to try letterboxing – I think my kids would gladly give up the silly prizes for a book of memories 🙂
First of all, BJ_Mama is the bomb diggety … that may seem like just my humble opinion, but it’s fact.
Secondly, I have BJ_Mama to thank for introducing my family to letterboxing – even before this delightful list-o-10, I was on board. We’ve been on two LB Adventures thus far, and we’re having a blast!
Lastly, now I have BJ_Mama to thank for pointing me toward this awesome blog … think I’ll stay awhile and catch up on a few archives!
I actually learned about letterboxing through geocaching. You might want to check that out. I LOVE it! There are so many fun things you can do with geocaching. You will need a handheld gps or you can use the gps feature that come with a lot of the phones now…but most of our husbands are more than happy to have a gadget like that. Geocaching.com is free for a basic membership. There is a cute little video on the homepage.
my jaw has dropped with joy!i have wanted to get involved in geocashing but have no way of doing it. THIS is even cooler! I can’t wait to start! YAY thanks for sharing!
Okay, this seriously may be the coolest thing I have ever seen, and I had NO IDEA it existed! I recently posted on this site about my new journey to homeschool my 13 year old son, and I explained how much he loves exploring. WHAT A PERFECT activity for us to do together! Or maybe I could use this as a reward! I’ve already checked out some of the clues for stamps around us, and there’s one just 10 minutes away.
I am so excited to get started with him!
Thanks for the post!
Nicole,
I’m so happy I could share it with you too! Your son is going to LOVE it! (and so will you!)
You just made MY day!
yep, we’re definitely going to give this a try!! <3
Yea, super fun! It sounds similar to geocaching…but, without having to buy the expensive gps units. Perfect! Thanks for the post 🙂
You were nominated for a Sunshine Reward! Check it out here. 🙂
http://heartsparrow.com/?p=305
Happy Blogging!
Priscilla
I LOVE this idea! I was just trying to think of fun things to do this summer that are inexpensive-you rock!
I’ve never heard of this, but it sounds really fun! I checked out a few clues and they’re right by our house. I did notice that some of them were placed a long time ago, like 2003. Have you ever gone to find a letterbox and it wasn’t there anymore?
Lindsay, we actually went on a hunt yesterday…a VERY LONG hike, and we didn’t find any of the 3 letterboxes that were supposed to be there. 🙁 But it was still LOTS of fun with our friends, and BEAUTIFUL!
I like it – sounds similar to geocasching that I have heard about.
You’ve convinced me. I’m totally going to go try this!
Oh that sounds like so much fun and a great family outing!!!!
we’ve done the geocaching thing for a few years – but I totally want to try letterboxing – I think my kids would gladly give up the silly prizes for a book of memories 🙂
First of all, BJ_Mama is the bomb diggety … that may seem like just my humble opinion, but it’s fact.
Secondly, I have BJ_Mama to thank for introducing my family to letterboxing – even before this delightful list-o-10, I was on board. We’ve been on two LB Adventures thus far, and we’re having a blast!
Lastly, now I have BJ_Mama to thank for pointing me toward this awesome blog … think I’ll stay awhile and catch up on a few archives!
I actually learned about letterboxing through geocaching. You might want to check that out. I LOVE it! There are so many fun things you can do with geocaching. You will need a handheld gps or you can use the gps feature that come with a lot of the phones now…but most of our husbands are more than happy to have a gadget like that. Geocaching.com is free for a basic membership. There is a cute little video on the homepage.
my jaw has dropped with joy!i have wanted to get involved in geocashing but have no way of doing it. THIS is even cooler! I can’t wait to start! YAY thanks for sharing!