What's orienteering? Imagine a treasure hunt using a map and compass — only instead of a treasure chest, participants try to find various control stations. Each control station has a unique hole punch, which participants use to mark a course card before moving on to the next one. Control stations are positioned both on and off trail but are always located on a distinct feature like a large boulder, the top of a knoll or near a stream.

Organized orienteering meets involve a race to cross the finish line in the least amount of time. (In addition to hoofing it, some events are organized for mountain bikers or skiers as well.) At Pineland Farms, you can enjoy the activity whenever you have the time and at whatever pace your family sets. With kids, this luxury of time is key.

Indeed, if we were racing the day my family visited Pineland Farms' course, we wouldn't have placed well; my kids found so many distractions on the trail, from animal habitats to boulders, that it took us about two hours to complete the course. (A less distracted family could complete the course in about 45 minutes.) As the kids get older and their map-reading proficiency increases, they might want to clock our time. For now, though, finding control stations, punching holes in their course cards, running and climbing on boulders are what the kids say is the best part of orienteering.

To begin, you'll need to stop by the Pineland Farms Visitor's Center, which has a master map with the control stations plotted (the stations change each month). There is a $2 fee per person for a blank copy of the map, on which you'll need to plot the control stations. It will take a few minutes to do, and the kids might not find it very exciting, but don't worry about them getting bored. Between the large scale map of the farm grounds and the honey bees in the Visitor's Center, the kids will be entertained while you work. The large map's buttons and lights never fail to fascinate my daughters at every visit.

Pineland Farms' fall course isn't very long and the control stations are visible from the marked trails and easy to find. After we found each control station, I had one of the kids orientate the map and lead the family to the next one. Both of my daughters enjoy being the leader and telling the group what to do — and it's a real confidence-booster when they locate a station on their own. My 6-year old found a control station that wasn't on the map (probably from a meet), and made the extra punch on the course card regardless. Since we weren't participating in a meet, we were following our own rules.

Orienteering is not only a fun way to teach children to read maps and orientate themselves to their environment; it's also a great way for the family to have some fun outdoors.

While on the course, my daughters saw sheep and barns beyond a locked gate in the distance and wanted to get a closer look. We inquired about the area at Visitor's Center and a staff member told us they gave public tours of the working farm area. Reservations were required, so we reserved our space and returned the following weekend.

My children absolutely loved the farm. The highlight of the two-hour tour was milking a dairy cow. They also learned a lot about sheep, chickens, horses and the Holstein cows that reside on the farm. Our guides were knowledgeable and gracious in answering all our questions and gave the tour an insider feel.

If you visit Pineland Farms, whether to try orienteering, tour of the working farm area or attend one of the many events hosted there, plan to stay a while. The beauty of Pineland Farms is that it's a place where kids can be kids. And sometimes being a kid takes a little extra time.