I was sitting in class the other day when I looked out of the second-story window and saw a bright purple object zoom past the window. “What was that?” asked another student who had seen the same spectacle as me. “A kite!” exclaimed yet another student. The object passed by the window again, and pretty soon the teacher had lost the focus of every student. There’s definitely something magical about kites; every person should have the chance to fly one, young or old.
Certainly, you can buy a kite from a nearby toy store, perhaps a large department store or craft shop, but the real fun is when you make your own kite. I remember when I was in elementary school, my sisters and I would try to make our own kites using string, colored paper and sticks we had found in our backyard. Completely disregarding any sense of logic, we would cut out “pretty” shapes and consequently be befuddled by their failure to take flight. Perhaps we were thinking of the simple ideas from Mary Poppins:
♪♫ With tuppence for paper and strings
You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You’re a bird in a flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite! ♪♫
Quite a nice tune, but it didn’t help us get our kites off the ground. However, trial and error in kite-making is a critical part of the kite-flying process; it simply has to be done! Let your children try to put together completely irrational designs, letting their creativity flow. However, if you see that frustration is building, it might be time to step in with a couple hints. If you personally don’t know how, you can use a wikiHow to learn. Another option is to purchase a kite-making kit and help your child piece the kite together.
Remember to take certain precautions when flying a kite; please don’t pull a Benjamin Franklin and take the kite out into a thunderstorm. Flying always should take place in moderately windy weather, away from power lines.
Enjoy flying kites while the wind lasts!