Letterboxing

We recently found out about a very fun hobby. Letterboxing. It involves following clues and/or a map to find a stamp hidden by the maker of the letterbox you are searching for. You, the "Treasure Hunter",  as Rainbow Girl calls it,  have your own "signature stamp" which can be store bought or homemade- just something that you like or that describes you. You also have your own stamp collecting journal. Also included in your letterboxing kit should be an ink pad, pen, compass and your list of clues and/or map to the letterbox. After locating and opening the box, you will find a stamp and a journal- a guestbook of sorts of who has located the box. You stamp the guestbook with your signature stamp, and you stamp your journal with the special stamp located in the letterbox.

Wee Folk Art, who's Preschool/Kindergarden curriculum we used last year, posted about this topic and we researched it further, going to a few different websites that list active letterboxes in your area. Low and behold- there was one listed at one of our favorite parks right down the road from us!

For excellent lists of local letterboxes, go to either of these two sites.
http://www.letterboxing.org/
http://www.atlasquest.com/
We not only have a huge list of letterboxes to find in our area, but also made a list of boxes in the Outer Banks to find while we are there.

Well, once Rainbow Girl heard about this, off we went to Michaels to get stamps! After we had stamps for each of us and got together some journals- off to Osbourne Boat Landing! This box was located right off the path- but in the woods.

Here are our signature stamps in the guestbook.

Stamping Sugar Bear's Journal.

So, of course, that was loads of fun and we NEEDED to go on another "treasure hunt"!! So off we went- about an hour further down the road to Lewis Park.

The last hurricane did a lor of damage here. There was A LOT of things to climb over to follow the clues.

Rainbow Girl examining the bark as I continue to attempt to put my back to a tree that has fallen, with the river to my back and 7 steps to the west.

 

We sadly did not find the letterbox this time. The hurricane did a number on this beautiful place. Rainbow Girl reassured me, "Don't worry mama, sometimes things change. We will find the next one." <3

 

"Maybe the treasure is down there!"