Ask some of the kids at LINC’s spring break camp at Morning Star what they’ve been doing all week and they hardly know where to begin.

“There as so many activities,” says 9-year-old Emmanuel.

“Field trips,” begins 9-year-old London, “a lot of field trips.”

And Jaylen, 7, turns his wide eyes upward and goes, hmmmmmm, like an engine revving up before launching into his list of fun.

Here’s a not-complete rundown: A trip to the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium, adventures at Scouting’s Camp Naish in Bonner Springs, a visit from the Players Ready Gaming truck, fire extinguisher games and equipment demonstrations by the Kansas City Fire Department, dance and music led by the African Centered College Preparatory Academy cultural dance program and City in Motion.

All of this and more mixed in with hands-on science and technology classes, life skills classes, reading, math and chess.

And as Jaylen was counting through some of the Camp Naish experiences — archery, rock climbing (“up high!”), hiking — he was asked if maybe he didn’t get a chance at the BB gun range.

“I did shoot a BB gun!” he shouts.

They also took home gifts, free books, hair cut coupons from barber Derrick Miller.

In all, 45 children from elementary to middle school ages participated in the camp, said LINC’s camp coordinator, Ja’Modest Woodard.

“We wanted to make sure kids have a safe place to go during this spring,” she said. “We were looking for things to keep them moving and active . . . and have lots of fun.”

Partners like cultural dance instructor, Danny Hinds, from Kansas City’s African Centered College Preparatory Academy relished the opportunity to give the children new experiences.

“They opened up and started picking up things they don’t usually get to do,” Hinds said. “(They got to) critically think their way through lessons” that came from “using the physical practice of dance and the hand-to-drum rhythm and show them a new path of learning.”

City in Motion Director of Outreach Taryn Todd saw the same growth in her LINC students.

“Dance is about wellness,” she said. “It’s about fitness. It’s about memory.”

And the hands-on experiences like Dr. Jackie Brown’s science classes kept children engaged with new approaches to traditional academic classes as well.

“I want the students to understand that science is fun,” Brown said. “That it’s all around them. They carry it in their body every day.”

Parents appreciated the camp.

“This is amazing,” said Alicia Weatherstrand, who enrolled four children. “They’re getting to learn something they wouldn’t have had a chance to do if they had been at home or somewhere else. This is a safe and fun environment for them to keep them off the streets . . . and have fun with their peers. They enjoy it. I enjoy it.”

LINC expects to bring the camp back next spring, Woodard said, and that’s good news for 9-year-old London.

“I want to come here next year because it’s fun,” she said. “I love the teachers and I hope all the teachers are going to be here next year.”

See more camp photos at Facebook.com/kclinc.