Kite flying can be a wonderful family activity. You may already own some great kites but if you don't, or if your children, like mine, prefer to create their own, here are a couple of suggestions.
The first is intended for three to six year olds:
Materials and Tools
- Construction paper
- Crayons
- Hole punch
- Reinforcement rings (for loose leaf paper)
- Scissors
- Spool of lightweight string
- 24 inch piece of yarn
- A few gentle breezes
Directions
- Trace a diamond shape on construction paper.
- Cut it out.
- Decorate as desired.
- Punch one hole on each end (top and bottom only).
- Surround each hole with reinforcement.
- Securely attach yarn to narrow end to form tail
- Securely attach string to wide end
- Take outside and fly...
And when an older sibling looks on in envy ...
This kite is intended for seven to ten year olds:
Materials and Tools
- Cloth strip -- 1 inch wide and 3 feet long (use heavier fabric on windier days)
- Fishing line or very heavy duty thread - 4 yards, nylon
- Kite string (large roll)
- Knife (adults need to assist with this part)
- Rubber cement
- Wooden dowel 1/4 inch thick and 2 feet long
- Wooden dowel 1/4 inch thick and 3 feet long
- Wrapping paper, newsprint or tissue paper, one sheet, 38 inches long by 26 inches wide
Directions
- With knife, create a small slice on the top and bottom of each stick (like the back of an arrow) Note: Both notches MUST go in exactly the same direction. This is to hold the string in place.
- Holding the 3 foot long stick in a vertical position (like a flag pole), lay it down on the table so that the notches are now horizontal.
- Holding the 2 foot stick in horizontal position, place it across the other stick, 1 foot down from the top, again so that it's notches are horizontal. This should create a lower case letter "t."
- Using fishing line or thread, in an "X" fashion, secure the two sticks together at the junction.
- Using more of the string, run it around the outer perimeter of the "t," being sure to catch it in all four notches. Tie it as tightly as possible. You should now have a "t" with a string around it, creating a classic diamond or kite shape.
- Then take 3 fifteen inch lengths of line and secure one each to the top and 2 sides of your kite.
- Again, tie them securely, over, around, through the notches and back -- one to each of the top 3 ends. This gives strength to your kite.
- Take a twenty-seven inch length of line and tie it to the bottom end, again securely. All strings should lead out, away from your kite.
- Decorate your paper now, if desired.
- Place kite frame on paper so that you have a 1 inch margin at the edge of each stick.
- Mark this 1 inch place at each end and lift off frame.
- Draw a line, diagonally, from the top mark down to the right mark, continuing down to the bottom mark, up to the left and back to the top.
- Place back on the paper to double check your measurements. At this point you should have a 1 inch margin all the way around the outside perimeter of the string.
- Lift off the frame again and carefully cut on your lines. (You should now have 4 triangles to dispose of and one diamond shaped kite "skin".)
- Again, place the frame, properly centered, on the "skin". Carefully fold the edge of the paper over one edge of the string. Glue in place with rubber cement.
- Now being careful to keep the extra piece of string extending out from the kite, carefully fold over the next section of paper, trimming tiny pieces on the corners if necessary.
- Continue around all 4 sides, being careful to keep tip strings extended out from kite.
- When this is complete, tie the 4 strings together, at their ends, over the junction of the kite. This should create a "t" shaped string with about 4 inches of slack in each direction. (This is called the bridle.)
- Carefully tie strip of fabric to the bottom of the bridle.
- Tie your roll of kite string to the center of the bridle.
And now ... go fly a kite.
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