Most children would say they'd rather spend summer days playing outside than learning.

But for the more than 250 third and fourth graders who spent two weeks on campus for Kid's College, they say braving the classroom in the summer was worth it.

Sitting next to a structure made of wooden dowels pegged into a board with string to hold up action figures, 10-year-old Jessie Marshall-Reeve learned about structures, gravity and architecture. She said the camp is better than school because she gets to learn both outside and inside.

"It's cool," she said. "At school you get 25 minutes for recess and play, then you go inside and learn and just sit."

Students attend nine learning sessions geared toward water, air, gravity, the human body and architectural structures. The camp is taught by Ingham County Intermediate School District teachers who can give kids something more than they get out of their normal science class.

"We really try to push a little more challenging stuff," said Mark Enfield, Kids College program coordinator. "These kids get more then what they get in school."

The camp costs $250, and goes from 8:30-11:30 a.m. This year's summer camp ends today.

There are many activities students are able to do, including building structures, hovercrafts, hot air balloons, running with parachutes, playing twister and measuring soccer ball speeds with radar guns.

Students meet with a home base teacher each morning before class starts to monitor how they feel about the program.

Webberville teacher Elieen Slider taught her class how to build a hovercraft out of small electric motors, Styrofoam plates, cups and tape. When she asked students questions about torque they instantly responded.

"We keep a similar vocabulary through out all the classes," Slider said. "These kids are very focused."

Upon activating the motors, some of the children seem surprised to feel the air sucked underneath their hands. After completing scientific charts about what makes their hovercraft work more efficiently, they took rides around the classroom on a three-foot round hovercraft.

"I enjoy watching kids get their epiphany," Slider said. "A lot of these labs are equipment intensive and not practical in a classroom of 30 children."

Eleven-year-old Kacie Miller asked two other girls in her group how they're going to use the air resistance to pilot their hovercraft. It's her first time at camp, and she decided to join after hearing about it from friends.

"The most fun is making a hot air balloon and riding on the hovercraft," Miller said.

Connie Crittendon, Instructional coordinator for the camp, said most of the students show an interest in science.

"They find out it's OK to like science and it's OK to be smart," Crittendon said.

Ten-year-old Molly Magan said she liked being around her instructors because they make class fun.

"People here are really fun to be around," Magan said "I want my brother to come here too."