Goodie bags filled with fun outdoor activities and information will be handed out Saturday, Aug. 15, beginning at 9 a.m., as part of the Pheasants Forever Youth Field Day. The event will be held at the Knox Soil & Water Conservation District office, 160 Columbus Road.
MOUNT VERNON — No Child Left Indoors.
The Pheasants Forever belief has been challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic and the governor’s stay-at-home order.
But, Althea Dye and the local organization may have figured out a way to keep the youths of Knox County creating and doing things outdoors. Their annual Youth Field Day normally included shooting sports, making a birdhouse and fishing, among the many activities at Campbell’s Outdoor Range.
The non-profit organization will be hosting things in a little different manner this year with a grab-bag of goodies, including outdoor crafts and literature.
“It’s not our traditional day where we have 50 or 60 projects. But, hopefully, it’ll help them keep an interest and awareness on outdoor activities.”
The goodie bags will be available Saturday, Aug. 15, beginning at 9 a.m., at the Knox Soil & Water Conservation District office, 160 Columbus Road. Youths aged 3-17 can have a family member drive them to the office and pick up the bag full of crafts, projects and other outdoor activities thanks to the Knox Soil and Water Conservation District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Knox Public Health, OSU Extension-Knox County, Knox Litter & Recycling, the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Koko’s Kids Club of Knox Community Hospital.
Dye said there will be 300 bags available for the first-come, first-served event. There will be kits to make fly fishing streamers, birdhouses, school boxes and pine cone bird feeders, as well as for instructions on making home-made ice cream or wild bird suet cakes.
“Those things are great activities that involve math and measuring. Then, if something is left over, you can freeze it for later,” Dye said.
There will also be pamphlets and booklets on bird watching and other wildlife adventures. Children will also get Kool-Aid with instructions on how to make bubble art or sno-cone syrup with it. There’s also an opportunity to recycle tin cans into wildlife art.
Parents will need to be involved for some of the activities and will have to supply a few items, but Dye said it will be well worth it for both child and parent.
“We all have children who ask how, why and where. Hopefully, we’ll all be up to the challenge,” she said.
The group hopes to have its normal youth day on April 10, 2021.