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Community Corner

Kite Making

April is nearly here—time for kite flying

Signs of spring are all around us with crocuses, daffodils and forsythia blooming. The cherry blossoms are beginning to bud, and we will have the kite festival on the National Mall this weekend. For the first time the festival is being hosted as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.  

There are many ways to enjoy making simple kites with kids with supplies found around the house. Creating simple kites with kids is a great way to literally give flight to their art. With young children, focus on simple kite design so the focus can be on the decorating. Think about bright bold designs and have fun watching your artwork soar in the wind.

This site offers a very simple plan to create kites from 8.5 by 11 paper with the shape created by folding and a straw for stabilizing. Kite tails are made from cut plastic bags or streamers and help to stabilize the kite in the wind.

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Paper kites are great because they are easy to decorate with a variety of materials and can also fly in relatively little wind.  If necessary, the wind from a running child is often enough to keep the kite aloft. Shorter lengths of kite string can be wound around a card for a young child—shorter strings often work better as they won't tangle as easily.

Other good kite materials are plastic bags, tissue paper and thin fabrics.  Non-bending drinking straws make simple lightweight supports, and most kites can be assembled with tape and tying. Cut a diamond shape for a more traditional kite or try a sled kite. You can find plans for a simple sled kite here.

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For the scientifically-minded, try different materials and designs and observe the differences in durability and flying.  Others will be more interested in decorating. Think about what colors will stand out against the sky and how to have designs that stand out form far away. After flying, kites make great spring decorations hung on a wall or from a ceiling.

Keep in mind kite safety and never fly kites near power lines. Open fields work best and shorter strings are safest for very young flyers. Have fun making creations that dance in the wind.

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