With dozens of booths and fun activities galore, families and friends of all ages had the opportunity to get outside, get active and have fun together — as a community.

“It’s the best day ever,” said Phyllis Baker, community engagement/fund development director for the Blair Regional YMCA.

Healthy Kids Day is an initiative of the national YMCA, aimed to pull kids and adults from their electronic devices and instead get out and get active. The day’s activities, all free, included a petting zoo, hay ride, a state police helicopter, games, face painting, snacks and more. There were also local vendors and community partner booths, set up inside and outside the Y.

One area — in the grass and on the basketball court — that garnered a lot of interest Saturday featured Penn State Altoona kinesiology students encouraging active play.

Scarlett, 4, and Amelia, 2, with their parents Troy and Taylor Benton, of Altoona, stopped to make some music with Amanda Selvenis at the Altoona Symphony Orchestra booth Saturday at the Blair Regional YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day. Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

Eli Peteuil, 21, of Altoona volunteered for the event and helped plan the activities. He and his fellow student volunteers, Abu Kenneh, 22, of Philadelphia and Timothy Troutman, 28, of Altoona, found out pretty quickly that young kids don’t necessarily like structured play time.

“It’s a fun experience,” Kenneh said. “I didn’t expect it to be this busy,” he added, as children ran across the grass to the petting zoo, bounced on inflatable animals, spun around on seat scooters and darted under a colorful parachute.

The trio were joined at their site by assistant professor of kinesiology Irene Muir, who said the equipment, such as the parachute and scooters, are all items they use in their classes as they learn how and why the body moves and the importance of moving.

Peteuil, who is used to working with kids through his church, said Muir wanted the students to plan out the activities, as planning aligns with their coursework.

They initially came up with a relay race idea that included several stations, such as hula hoop, jump rope and scooters.

Felilx Morris, 6, enjoys a bouncy leopard at the Blair Regional YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day on Saturday. Felix’s dad, Matt Morris, currently living in Baltimore, came back to the county to visit family and stopped to enjoy the fun at the YMCA. Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

That didn’t necessarily pan out and the PSU students learned to adapt to the situation, Muir said.

“We learned to go with the flow,” Peteuil said. “I know this age group. … They like to run around and play.”

That was perfectly fine, the group said, as in the end, the goal to get kids active was accomplished.

Peteuil, who plans to pursue a career in physical therapy, volunteered at last year’s Healthy Kids Day and said Saturday’s turnout was much better thanks to the warm weather.

Wendy Whitlock, manning the Soar for Life booth, said Saturday was the first the counseling center had a booth at Kids Day, but they’ve attended various community events in the past.

Brody Mills, 3, peers out of the state police helicopter Saturday during the Blair Regional YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day. Brody was joined in checking out the chopper by his twin Brooks and older brother Maddox, 7, and parents Brandon and Kristen. The Duncansville family were enjoying the many activities available for kids of all ages. Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

The day started off a bit slow when it opened at 10 a.m., but as the day progressed, so did the number of visitors. Kids stopping by the booth could pick two matching ducks for a prize and get their face or arm painted.

A lot of people came out for the day, hundreds, she said.

“Now it’s a blur, but in a good way,” Whitlock said with a laugh shortly after noon.

Healthy Kids Day “is something that has consistently grown every year,” said Laura Deely-Marshall inside the YMCA, where visitors could roam the facility to see a variety of booths, grab a free hot dog and visit the pool and gym areas.

Outside at the Altoona Symphony booth, Scarlett, 4, and Amelia, 2, and their parents Troy and Taylor Benton, of Altoona, stopped to try out the xylophone, triangle and other music-makers.

Eli Peteuil, 21, of Altoona, a student studying kinesiology at Penn State Altoona, holds his end of a parachute while encouraging kids to play during the Blair Regional YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day on Saturday. Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

Amanda Selvenis, executive director of the ASO, introduced the family to the instruments and explained how sound can be amplified using a simple, curved piece of PVC pipe.

The Bentons said this was the first year they attended Kids Day and their children became obsessed with the animals at the petting zoo and enjoyed visiting all the booths.

“Now they love the music,” Taylor Benton said with a laugh.

“Every child is a percussionist,” Selvenis said, pointing out that percussion simply means to hit things and make a sound.

Selvenis encouraged the family, and everyone she met, to attend the symphony’s upcoming free concerts — June 20 at Peoples Natural Gas Field, otherwise known as the Curve stadium, and the other on Aug. 15 at Canal Basin Park in Hollidaysburg.

The June 20 concert, Star Spangled Symphony celebrating America250, is set for 7:30 p.m., with gates opening at 6:30 p.m.

What’s great about these free concerts, Selvenis said, is that people can see that the symphony is for everyone, of all ages and all walks of life.

A plus for parents of younger children is that they can stay for a song or two then leave if the children become restless.

“There are still people who don’t know we have a symphony,” Selvenis said, and among other tasks, her job is to spread the word.

That’s why events, such as the Healthy Kids Day, are important to so many organizations.

For the symphony, they’re looking to get kids introduced to music, while police and fire departments seek to show kids that they’re people they can trust in an emergency. Other organizations can showcase services that are available to those in need and businesses step up to show they are a vested part of the community.

For the YMCA, the day allows the nonprofit to show that it’s not just a “swim-n-gym,” Baker said.

Bringing the community together, encouraging activity and providing information on resources are the hallmarks of Healthy Kids Day, and that was accomplished in spades on Saturday.

“Next year will be even bigger,” Baker said.