Can you solve all 12 puzzles and open all 12 caches?
This series is based off of an activity from one of my large summer science camps. Groups rotate through 24 hands-on STEAM activities, including a math scavenger hunt. For this year’s scavenger hunt, campers knew exactly where the final prize box was, but they had to answer science related questions and perform calculations to figure out the combination to the lock on their group’s box.
We’ve placed the 12 boxes as geocaches in regional parks so everyone can enjoy the activity. Beware, the combination lock is still in place! Instead of a scavenger hunt, you’ll need to solve the puzzles to determine the combination in order to claim a find. You’ll also need to know how to open a combination lock. (Please let the youngest cachers try the lock first)
The parks may have an entrance fee depending on when you go, and are generally closed after sunset. The in-state entrance fee is $7, out of state is $9. Data connections are spotty here. I recommend solving the puzzles and saving the caches offline before you head out. Please stay on the trail until you're within 25ft of the cache and obey all posted park rules.
Why puzzles? Because science is just a big puzzle that involves looking for patterns and figuring out relations between seemingly different quantities. Many of the puzzles in this series are mathematical in nature as well.
BONUS: Inside of each lid in the series is a letter or symbol. Put in order, they reveal a secret message. Cachers who sign all 12 logs can send me the secret message to earn a piece of swag.
The cache actually IS at the posted location, but you’ll need to solve the puzzles below to obtain the combination to open the cache.
The number that replaces the question mark is the first in the combination
The square root of the answer to the next puzzle is the 2nd number in the combination
Double the answer below for the last number in the combination
You can validate your puzzle solution (written as A-B-C) with certitude.