RANKIN INLET - More than 20 kids had tons of fun while doing a whole lot of learning in Rankin Inlet this past week.

Young science lovers Micah Sammurtok, Bonnie Irkootee and Alayna Ningeongan, clockwise from left, listen as instructor Genevieve Amyot-Ladouceur explains how sound waves travel during a summer science camp in Rankin Inlet in July of 2010. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

The youth took part in the Actua Rankin Inlet Summer Science Camp, hosted by the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship centre.

The program, aimed at youth aged eight to 12, was delivered by Amanda Machado of Ottawa and Genevieve Amyot-Ladouceur of Quebec City from July 26 to 30.

Machado said the Actua charitable organization delivers science camps across Canada, and has an outreach team travel north every summer.

She said the initiative reaches many kids who, otherwise, may never get the chance to attend a science camp.

"I got involved with Actua while I was in university and, once you start working for Actua, you never want to leave," said Machado.

"We're two of about 17 instructors visiting communities across the North this summer.

"Genevieve came to Rankin from Iglulik, and I go to Panniqtuuq after Rankin before heading to Horse Lake in Northern Alberta.

"I'm really excited because this has been a wonderful opportunity."

Machado said the kids at the Rankin camp took part in numerous activities, worked on take-home projects like making slime, and spent time on the land.

She said the youth covered a multitude of topics, and wrapped-up the camp by having their parents attend an open house to see what they did during the week.

"The kids really had a blast and they were a lot of fun to work with.

"They were often having so much fun, they didn't realize how much they were learning along the way.

"We try to stress everything in their lives has a science background.

"Everything we come across has some aspect of science - making it pretty easy to relate almost anything to science - so science is fun."

Machado said the Rankin kids reacted well to camp activities.

She said most of the kids came back every day, and that's always a good indication they're enjoying themselves.

"They were super excited about almost everything, especially one project they didn't want to end.

"We had different coloured stacks of Play-Doh in which there was green Play-Doh hidden in the layers.

"The kids had to mine the green Play-Doh using toothpicks, with straws as their core samplers.

"They were having so much fun at that, they didn't want us to put it away."

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