Great things happen when kids get outside. They can discover new skills, develop self-confidence, make new friends and, most of all, have fun.

Kids ages 10 to 15 are invited to the 31st annual Youth Field Day, organized by the Lancaster County Sportsmen For Youth. It will take place at the Milton Grove Sportsmen's Club, 731 Milton Grove Road North, Elizabethtown, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 6.

"We encourage kids and their parents to come to our Youth Field Day if they want to experience a day of outdoor activities," said Lynn Carruthers, a volunteer with the event. "The 10 stations they will get to experience for 35 minutes each may vary slightly year to year but are typically archery, canoeing, fishing, fly fishing, muzzle loading, trapping, 22 rifle, trap shooting, turkeys (and) wildlife education with the PA game commissioners and Raven Ridge Wildlife Rescue."

The event is free to attend, no gear is needed and participants will all receive a free lunch. Parents are encouraged to accompany their child, but it's not required.

While Youth Field Day is an opportunity for kids who don't have a background in outdoor activities to experience the fun, it's open to any youths in the age range, said Scott Deiter, who coordinates the canoeing.

"We can say that many kids that start at age 10 return each year for the next four or five years that they fall into the age range," he shared. "And now, as we are in our 31st year, we are experiencing parents that come and tell us that they went through Youth Field Day and now they are there with their child."

Carruthers noted that she learned about the event's history from a magazine article written in 1999 by Charlie Youtz.

"He wrote, 'The number of youth involved in outdoor activities has been declining for years,'" Carruthers said. "In 1991, the late Bob McWilliams, information and education specialist with the PA Game Commission, had an idea."

He and 25 other sportsmen held a meeting in the northwest regional office of the Game Commission and organized a free, one-day interactive event for youths. Since then, the concept spread across the state. In October of 1995, a group of 70 people formed what is now the Lancaster County Sportsmen For Youth, and the first local Youth Field Day was held in June 1996. Last year, there were 22 Youth Field Days held over the summer throughout Pennsylvania.

Carruthers emphasized that the day would not be possible without the support of volunteers.

"These are people that love the outdoors and love to teach the kids how to love it too," she said. "Many come from the sportsmen's clubs in Lancaster County and have been volunteering since the Lancaster County Field Day was first held in 1996."

Each year, the group also recruits new volunteers, including a participant now in his 20s who went through the program as a kid and now helps with either fly fishing or freshwater fishing. Certified instructors with the Canoe Club of Greater Harrisburg run the canoeing station, and game wardens operate the PA Game Commission station.

"And they have stories of kids who went through Youth Day and then became game wardens," Carruthers remarked. "Many of the volunteers have stories from the day, stories of seeing a young child come alive with excitement after they did something at the station. The volunteer shares with others, and we all keep saying, 'This is why we can keep coming every year and give it our all, just to see young ones show excitement for an outdoor sport.'"

She added that the Lancaster County Youth Field Day is always held on the first Saturday of June, but the host sportsmen's club is not announced until March of each year. The event is hosted by one of the four clubs that have a large pond.

The Youth Field Day is funded by donations from area sportsmen's clubs, outdoor sporting goods stores and some local food companies.

"Also, a donation is given for free printing of pamphlets from a local printing company," Carruthers said. "The companies and sportsmen's clubs are not asking for recognition. They are doing it to help keep this goal alive, to let kids experience and love the outdoors."

Along with a free lunch, kids will receive a goodie bag at the end of the day. Youth Field Day will be held rain or shine, so participants should dress for the weather. Early registration is encouraged. Registration will close on Friday, June 5. If people register early but then cannot attend, they should update their registration by removing their name to make room for other participants.

To register, visit http://www.register-ed.com/events/view/241923. For more information, see the group's Facebook page by searching for "Lancaster County Sportsmen For Youth."