Let's play a game in the forest | Environment

While you are out and about this summer, your kids can hunt for clues and get a prize! The Colville National Forest service is holding a Geocaching game for this summer.

If you haven't heard of geocaching, it's similar to a scavenger hunt but you use a GPS. The "geocache" is a box with a piece of paper or an item placed by someone in the middle of a forest or natural area. The person who places the geocache posts the GPS location on a website and its the participants job to look up the coordinate, search the area and find the geocache. Sometimes the items are hidden and it takes some effort to find them. However, you can post your progress and even get rewards for finding them.

Starting July 1, the Colville forest service will post 11 easy to access geocaches located at recreation sites on the Colville National Forest near Kettle Falls, Republic and Colville, WA. The geocaches will have a card inside that will have an activity for the participants.

The service said the program is mostly geared to families with children ages 8 to 12 years old. Any child who collects all 11 cards and presents them at the Kettle Falls Information will be able to claim a prize.

If you want to play, go to the geocache coordinate website and search "Upper Columbia Children's Forest geocaches". The site will tell you all the coordinates for the program.

If you do not have a GPS unit, you may borrow one from the Kettle Falls Information Center located at 425 West 3rd, Kettle Falls, WA 99114.