When my daughter was 6, all she wanted for her birthday was a treasure hunt. She didn't care what was at the end of it; she just wanted to follow a series of clues leading to a mystery solved far from where she started. Being part of the first generation of video game addicts, I understood this completely. The idea of puzzling my way through a maze of clues that had nothing at the end but the end, kept me cooped up indoors on many a summer day. This would inevitably cause my Mom to utter that quintessential mothering phrase, "Go outside and do something!" If you've got kids who love puzzles but spend too much time in front of the TV, the fix is in, and it's called Letterboxing. It's a hobby/game/addiction that requires almost no equipment other than a keen eye and a knack for solving clues.

Here's How It Works:

Hidden around North America are over 5,000 small waterproof boxes called Letterboxes. (There are seven in Old Town Sacramento alone!) Inside each box you will find a notepad and a rubber stamp. The notepads work like passports: you stamp your pad with their stamp—just to prove to the letterboxing world that you were there—then put your own stamp on that letterboxer’s pad. When you finish, you’ll seal the box back up, just as you found it plus your stamp, secret it back into its hiding spot, and get cracking on the next one.

To locate a letterbox, you’ll need to go online (to sites like letterboxing.org) and collect clues. Different sets of clues will lead you to different letterbox locations. Clues range from simple landmark-based instructions to difficult riddles that require the use of a compass.

In addition to the clues, you will also need a notepad, an inkpad and your own personal rubber stamp. The rubber stamp can be store bought, but carving your own signature stamp is a great art project for older kids, and it's always more satisfying to have something original that you made yourself.

When you discover the location of a letterbox, it's time to go into secret spy mode. Your mission: to remove the box without letting any passers-by know what's going on. This will help keep the box a secret, thus ensuring that other letterboxers can enjoy it in the future. Of course, our first Letterbox is not so secret, since you’ll find clues to it right here on this page. Still, you don’t want to spoil it for fellow letterboxers solving the clues or risk non-letterboxers mistaking our treasure for trash.

Tips for Successful Letterboxing:

• Always take clues for several letterboxes. Boxes occasionally go missing, so it’s good to have a back-up. The websites are usually pretty good about keeping up to date on the status of the boxes, but they need your help to do so. If you find one is missing, be sure to report it. Besides, once you feel the excitement and satisfaction of finding that first one, you’ll want to follow it up with several more!
• Read what others have written. Many people will stamp the notepad and write interesting notes, funny little anecdotes or personal musings about the weather, the area or their hunt that day. Don't be afraid to write something yourself.
• Make your own stamp. This will not only make your stamp as unique as you, but it’s fun and easy to do. Stamps can be carved from erasers- either white vinyl or the pink rubber variety. The white are easier to carve while the pink ones are better for more detailed work. As for cutting tools, lino cutters are the most kid-friendly and can be found at most craft stores.
• Stay off of Private Property. Keeping safe is the most important thing. Never trespass when looking for letterboxes.
• Enjoy the trip. Remember that the real reward of letterboxing isn’t solving the clues or collecting the most stamps; it’s getting your family out of the house and on the road, off the beaten path, and in each other’s company. So, sing and car dance on the drive out, team up to solve clues, compliment each other’s spy skills on the drive back, and remember: the hunt itself is the real treasure.

Last year we created a Sacramento Parent letterbox to get locals started close to home. This year we’ve placed more letterboxes in the Greater Sacramento Area for families in search of summer fun.

You’ll find clues for the first box on page 58 in our May issue, and you can find the rest of them here at SacramentoParent.com or at Letterboxing.org.

Please remember to carefully replace any boxes you find, to keep the letterbox going. In the event that one goes missing (it happens), please let us know. (You can email info@sacramentoparent.com.) Enjoy!

Click on CLUES to get started