Letterboxing Resources for Scouts and Groups

These resources were compiled by experienced letterboxers in order to give scouts and other groups of kids a fun, safe and successful letterboxing experience.  This website should only be the starting point for your own “online treasure hunt” as you discover more about this fascinating hobby before embarking on a real outing.

Brownie and Girl Scout troop leaders, Cub and Boy Scout den leaders, teachers and other adults are looking for ways to introduce letterboxing to their group and we are here to help!  We hope these tips will help you avoid some of the pitfalls that many groups and scout troops encounter along the way.

The Journey Is the Reward?

This is a great ideal to teach, but it is best if their first letterboxing experience is fun and successful. In other words, they need to find something cool and not get hurt in the process or come home with a rash!

Be Prepared

To ensure that your scouts have the best possible experience:

1) Leaders should find a few letterboxes on their own first so that they understand various aspects of the game.

2) Plan to find existing letterboxes that already have others' real signature stamps in there so the kids can see who has been there before them.  If you really want to make your own for them to find, have quality hand-carved stamps for them to find, as well as creative logbooks. There are important aspects to choosing a water/animalproof container, obtaining permits, etc. (see Planting Letterboxes).  Other letterboxers in the community would probably help you with this. 

3) Leaders should find the chosen letterboxes ahead of time to make sure they are still there and that the clues are not too difficult to follow.  Otherwise, the scouts may be very disappointed.  Carve a stamp yourself first as well!

4) Break your scouts into small groups. The fun of following the clues and finding the box will be diminished if you are in a large group. See Group Tips.

• Break your troop/pack into smaller groups of 4-5 kids with adult leaders.
• Let the scouts take turns leading the group and following one clue at a time.
• Do a hunt in a park/area with multiple letterboxes that do not have to be found sequentially. That way, your group can meet in one place at first but then go off seeking in various directions for different letterboxes.

5) Read the tutorial on Getting Started as well as the sections on Teaching Letterboxing and Teaching Stamp Carving for additional helpful tips for your group.

There are plenty of resources, such as tutorial and discussion boards, on AtlasQuest.com. Check out the GSA & BSA Letterboxing Discussion Board.