How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

Submitted by Dr. Jessie Voigts on Wed, 07/13/2016 - 23:09

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The latest craze to hit the world is Pokemon Go. This augmented reality game utilizes your smart phone via GPS and camera to find pokemon in the real world. Once you start, you can't stop - it's so much fun to explore and play and catch pokemon.

How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

It's free to play, and - handled right - can get your kids moving and exploring. Note: there are in-app purchases to enhance the game. Studying abroad? What better way to learn your new town? For you or your teens, it'll be a nice way to revisit your Pokemon past (we've had Pokemon cards in our house since the game began in 1995). Those pokemon are back in your life - and better than ever!

How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

What does this mean for travel? Well, it's a great way to get your kids (well, your whole family) interacting with an environment - anywhere in the world. Instead of complaining about tired feet, your kids will be running around excitedly, looking for pokemon. Instead of being castled or cathedraled out, your family will explore wherever they are. Your introverted child will be planning outings. You'll gain a sense of teamwork - and camaraderie. It's one of the best technological things to happen to family travelers who want to truly hang out and play together.

How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

Here's how:

1. Research places at your destination that you might want to explore.
Pokemon can be found anywhere via this app - even in your house. But let's get the brain going and map skills involved! Give your kids a map, or explore google maps and city maps. Find a huge park? You'll find woodsy pokemon there! Love the beach? You'll find water types there. You're already learning about the destination before you even go. Getting familiar with a destination before you go is a smart way to start playing. Once you're there, find the local library to ask for landmarks and other popular areas you might miss without insider knowledge.

How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

2. Plan for Break time!
Have your teens hop on yelp and search for coffeeshops and cafes where you'll be pokemon hunting. You'll definitely need a break and to hydrate and fuel up - and who knows, there might be a pokemon perched on that barista's shoulder! Breaks are important for many reasons, including decompressing and being restful before charging after pokemon again. Another reason to plan for break time? The servers are extremely overwhelmed right now, and can crash. Instead of having squirrely kids that are stressed about restarting, a cool drink and a snack will refresh, while you're waiting for the server to refresh.

How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

Conveniently parked outside of Water Street Coffee Joint, one of our local coffeeshops - catching Krabby!

3. Pokestops & Gyms
Pokestops - where you can gather more pokeballs and other rewards - are often located at interesting buildings and community landmarks, such as libraries and parks. After you obtain your rewards, take a bit of time to explore where you're at - marveling at the architecture, learning about the history, or a bit of anthropology...people watching to see who uses this building (and why!).

How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

4. Explore places you would normally not see
You might want to visit more parks, trails, and both indoor and outdoor locations during your travels than you normally would. This is a great way to learn more about a destination than the usual tourist attractions/back to the hotel route. Pokemon habitats vary - so will the locations you can explore.
How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

5. Teamwork!
Before this, could you imagine a time when every member of your family was involved and interested and intent on doing something together? You'll find that your family is gaining new skills as a team - and in exploring a place together. You can also play while you're driving (not the driver, obviously). Road trips are more fun now!

6. Try it out at home
Before hitting the road with Pokemon Go, try playing it at home. Find pokemon in the yard, at your library, at your normal parks, coffeeshops, playgrounds, lakes. By familiarizing yourself with the game, you won't be stressed when you're in a new and different location.
How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

7. Be safe
We've seen stories of people injuring themselves by not paying attention to curbs, traffic, other impediments - as well as robbery. Teach your kids the basics of being a safe traveler (as well as a safe pokemon hunter): awareness of others, location, structural features of the environment, and yourself. Don't get so involved in the smartphone that you don't constantly look around and assess. Don't get hit by a car, wander away from your family, or get so into in the game that you yourself get lost.
How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

8. Smarties
Work in some history, architecture, language, and cultural information wherever you are - so that your kids will remember finding each pokemon in a certain spot - and some cool things about those locations! Maybe it's a water pokemon in the historic fountain in the middle of town, or a grass pokemon in a field that was a Civil War battlefield. You might have to do some quick googling to find interesting facts, but it'll be worth it to gain knowledge of a location that you may never have found - or known.

How and Why to Include Pokemon Go In Your Travels

9. Make new friends all around the world
We've seen, already, families meeting each other in parks, and searching for pokemon together. Practice common sense, while being open to meeting new people. Also, as you can see on this reddit, you can trade with other travelers for pokemon found in different parts of the world. This is a great way to show your kids about global communications and trade. Head to pokemon or anime conventions and meet others passionate about Pokemon Go. The world is your cloyster!

10. Travel planning continues...
Once your kids see that pokemon vary the world over, they will want to research and help with outings and travel planning - after all, a pokemon located near a volcano means you need to go to a volcano! Electric types can be found near transforming stations. Bug and grass types can be found in green landscapes. Fire types can be found at gas stations (fill 'em up!). If your favorite pokemon is located elsewhere, you will need to go visit - such hardship! Your kids might be more intent on day trips or weekend trips that previously shown - anything to get out and explore (and find pokemon). The longer journeys will yield more pokemon - and of a greater variety - but any time spent exploring and being in the world is a good thing.