“It smells disgusting!” yelled 7-year-old Elijah Shon.

“Yeah! It smells like gasoline!” another youngster shouted.

The kids were describing a scent that trailed behind miniature rockets they had just launched into the sunny sky at 60 Acres Park in Redmond last Friday as part of the Champions® Science Adventures® summer camp grand finale.

The rocket launch was the highlight of many campers’ week.

“At first, I thought the camp would be boring, but it’s actually really fun,” said 6-year-old Bobby Avery.

Why?

“Because I get to launch rockets. I get to build a Mars rover, and stuff like that.”

Bobby’s mom, Jean Avery, came to the park with his 2-year-old sister, Mary Rose.

“It’s a long summer,” Avery said. “I wanted him blowing things up at someone else’s house, not mine.”

But Carol Smyth, the area manager for Champions Science Adventures, said the day camp offered more than just day care.

“It’s hands-on science,” said Smyth. “Everything they’re supposed to be learning in school is reinforced here at camp.”

Smyth added that most of the campers enjoy the week, in spite of its educational focus.

“We have some that have been coming here for seven years,” she said.

Science Adventures revamps its curriculum every year so that returning students can keep learning new things.

Seven-year-old Fox McCoy echoed other kids’ opinions when he said that the science camp experience has been “really fun and interesting.”

But some of the campers’ siblings, who came to watch the rocket launch, didn’t have as much fun. “It’s kind of boring,” said 4-year-old Toby Black.

About half of the campers’ parents came, although the rockets were launched during regular work hours. Smyth said this was a typical turnout.

The rocket launch at 60 Acres was the final activity for the first of 12 Science Adventure Camps in the greater Seattle area this summer.

Science projects—like the rocket launch—are an important part of each day at camp. Campers typically work on two projects in the morning and two in the afternoon. But to keep things fun, there’s a snack and game time between each project.

“We know that the brain works best and learns best if they can learn through the projects,” said Smyth, “It’s so much fun, they don’t even know they’re learning.

Parents can sign their kids up for camp online at www.scienceadventures.com or by calling 888-458-1812.

The week-long camp costs between $170 and $180 for a half-day or $230 to $300 for a full day. During the school year, Science Adventures also has an after-school program.

Kaitlin Strohschein is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.