Let’s Go Fly A Kite
Windy weather drives kids wild! It’s a fact solemnly acknowledged by parents and teachers alike. Gusty westerlies whipped through Brisbane yesterday and again today, so we did the only thing windy days are good for – kite flying! Here are three different ideas you can try, depending on the ages of your children.
1. Plastic Bag Kite – this is a super simple kite for young toddlers. We drew a face on our shopping bag with a permanent marker, then tied the handles together with string. Voila. Instant kite. This type of “kite” is a cinch for young ones to fly because air is easily trapped inside the bag. My three year old ran around with hers for hours.
2. Paper and Straws Kite – this is a basic kite for older toddlers. Use drinking straws (or bamboo skewers) to make a t shaped cross. Attach to a piece of A4 paper (we used an old piece of wrapping paper). Cut off the corners to make a classic diamond shaped kite. Attach string for flying where the drinking straws cross. My daughter found this kite more difficult to fly, but enjoyed watching me fly it as it looped around in the wind.
3. Design Your Own – older children will enjoy the challenge of designing their own! You can put out the same materials (plastic bags, paper, straws, bamboo skewers, string, sticky tape) with a few extras like crepe paper or ribbon. Experiment with different shapes and sizes, attaching the string in different places, or attaching multiple strings for flying.
When did you last fly a kite…?!
When we lived in Bristol we flew kits a lot on the Downs, and there was a great kite fesitval there too.
Here we tend to fly them on Portstewart strand – but have not yet done it this year. Thanks for the inspiration. A great way to tire out active kids!
The plastic bag kite is definitely a great idea! Even my youngest could probably keep that up… it has been very gusty here on the Central Coast NSW too. I look forward to tiring them out with this tomorrow.
You wouldn’t believe it, but they actually make kites as part of a first year architecture degree! So that was my last time!
@Rebekah
So what kind of kites do architects make?! Bet they don’t use plastic bags… LOL
Actually, from memory I think our kites were so complex that very few of them actually flew!! I think mine was a diamond/double pyramid shape. I do remember it was red and yellow. And no, it didn’t fly!!
hey Cathy, thanks for the idea. i took the schoolies out to the park with a brought kite from the kite shop and we couldnt get it to work. i remembered the plastic bag kite and we tried it, the kids ran around for at least an hour with up to 3 plastic kites each!!!