11 Reasons Why You Should Try Letterboxing

A guest post by my friend, Marta Toran.

Marta is probably one of the smartest people I know and she would blush if she heard me say that and completely deny it. She is hilarious, kind, wonderful and one of the best mamas around. In her Twitter blurb she describes herself as “Science teacher, crafter, mom, bla, bla, bla.” (The “bla, bla, bla” is from her, not me.) This doesn’t begin to cover it. Here is part two of a three part series she has put together for me on letterboxing. She rocks.

What makes letterboxing such a great activity for kids?

It’s free. While I don’t mind paying the occasional $8 for them to jump at a bounce house place or $12 for entrance to a science museum, it’s nice to have an activity that you can do anytime, anywhere and for free.
You can really do it any time, with rain or shine and no opening or holiday hours to worry about.
It’s an outdoor activity… Though there are some boxes hidden in libraries and other public buildings which are fun for a cold or rainy day, most are hidden outside in parks, trails around town monuments, cemeteries, etc. so you can enjoy some fresh air and outdoor adventures.
Practice map reading and directions (such as north, south, left, straight ahead, etc.).
Practice reading, writing (e.g. younger kids can write the date for log book entries and the box number or location that kind of thing, while older ones can write up a journal-style type entry of their adventure) and counting (e.g. steps) skills.
Learn something new about an area or the people who visit it. Many letterbox directions include historical anecdotes or tidbits related to the stamp. It’s also fun to look through the log books in the boxes, people write down where they are from and sometimes leave messages.
Accommodates all group sizes and ages (so your 5 year old will be entertained and so will your pre-teen– just look for the challenging boxes for these guys, maybe requiring compasses or clues to solve).
Takes up as little or as much time as you want/ need it to.
It’s creative. (Letterboxers often design and make their own personal stamps and the stamps they hide, you can get really fancy with coloring using brush tip markers to color in stamp’s prints) (NOTE from Ellie: Or create your own stamp! Check out my Letterboxing pinterest board for DIY stamp tutorials for every age.)
It’s fun and there are always stories to tell afterwards.
Great activity for a trip to visit the grandparents! (Or if they can handle the excitement, bring them along on your adventure)

Hope that got you excited about this fun hobby or at least a bit more curious about it! For more resources, be sure to check out Ellie’s Letterboxing Pinterest board.

In case you missed “Letterboxing 101: What is Letterboxing?” from Marta, click here to check it out!