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Kites for Kids: Play & Share
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Fun is not a Chore
If heading out to fly kites with the kids is on the schedule, here are a
few hints might make the difference between having fun with kites and
getting stuck with them.
- Most kites like to fly on nice days. We remember when kites were
made of paper and flat sticks and needed a long heavy tail and a real
windy day to fly, today's high quality kites need only a gentle breeze to
get in the air.
- Opportunity is key. Kite flyers often leave a kite or two in the car
so they can play whenever the wind is right. We learn quickly how much
wind is enough, and how much is too much.
- Available stuff gets played with more. An old pillow case can hold a
bunch of gear and serve as a sand bag! kite anchor on the beach. Just
wrap the line around it. A screw-in dog tether can be a great kite
anchor in fields and lawns.
- Having a kite anchor handy to hold the kite when the kids let go or
become distracted can free one from becoming the anchor by default.
Remember to keep total line length within the flying field.
- Lifting stuff along the line under the kite gives another element of
visual depth into the sky and the result of all the fluttering things
along the line is very satisfying.
Line Laundry, Tails & Lifting
From simple plastic ribbon (surveyors ribbon or “flagging”) available at a
hardware store to elaborate streamers or spinners from a kite store or
some home-made design, lifting color into the wind is a great game!
The Only Game? Have you ever played: “Let out all the string... Then wind
it in.” Not all that exciting... Or fun. Coming up with other kite games
to play with kids
keeps kite flying fun.
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Wacky Worms - Line Laundry |
We lift stuff. Using the power of the wind and the lifting power of the
kite to haul pretty things aloft and decorate the sky. Something to do.
Looks great too!
We attach things to the flying line called
line laundry. Along the line underneath the
kite. They go up as we let out line. Start by tying colorful streamers
onto the kite line. You will begin to notice others doing the same. From
simple to incredible, windsocks and streamers and flying inflatable art. |
The Line Climbers and line
shuttles are designed to run up and down the kite line. Some climbers are designed to drop a small
payload when they reach the top of the line. Some kite flyers prefer stuffed teddy bears rigged with parachutes.
(Referred to as “aerial fauna”) The bears are lifted up into the sky on a
kite line and then dropped! Voila! Bear-a-Troopers!
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Kite Popper - Line Climber |
Unique Kite Designs
Sometimes the kites themselves are the special part.
Figure kites are very popular. There are
sharks, teddy bears, elephants, butterflies, tropical fish, dolphins,
dragons, aliens, sea creatures, squiggly bugs, flying legs (both male and
female), geisha girls, even Marilyn Monroe. There are many different bird
kites - Canada geese, eagles, ospreys, doves, flamingos, cranes, condors,
cardinals, blue jays and sea gulls ... And more. Playing with a bird kite
in light to medium winds, the flyer twitches the line to simulate the
wings flap ping. A bit more line work can make the bird kite swoop and
glide.
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Martin's Leg - Figure Kite |
Fighter kites take this single- line
maneuverability to the extreme. Fighters are made to spin and be a bit
unstable. They originated in Asia centuries ago. Kite fighting festivals
happen all over the world, usually in the spring.
Dragon kites and other flat kites with
an arched spreader can be made to spin and dive in light winds by pulling
in line hand- over-hand to make it go and letting line out to help it
turn.
Leave the winder on the ground when playing with these kites. Your hands
are working the line. Drop the line in small piles - Big piles make big
knots.
The time you drop the line while playing one of these kite games, and
watch your kite drift away, will serve as another reminder why many use
kite anchors. It takes a bit of patience to figure out all these little
tricks, but what else did you have planned?
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Prism Triad - Box Kite
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Of course there is never anything wrong with the traditional
diamond kite,
box kite,
delta kite or parafoil kite.
These are still the most popular single line kites available for kids. |
Winding Up
At the end of a kite flying day, one person is usually stuck with the job
of retrieving the kite and all the line. What a chore! It takes some of
the fun out of kite flying. Pulling against the wind just doesn’t make
sense. There’s got to be a better way.
Some want to try electric drills or fishing reels. These winders have
their place, but pulling against the wind creates more problems along the
way.
The simplest solution is to work with nature. Next time, try getting the
kite down
first, then winding the line. Instead of one person pulling the kite in
and winding the line at the same time, sharing the work can be much faster
and more fun.
First bring the line in hand- over-hand, moving towards the kite i you
can. Leave the line on the ground in small piles. When you get to the
kite, remove the line and put the kite away out of the wind. Now the line
can be picked up off the ground quickly and easily using a
winder.
Safety
Whenever you fly, safety is a part of play. Remember not to fly
kites in or near thunderstorms and rain... Not good kite weather!
Always avoid flying over or near airports, people, power lines or traffic.
You never know what you might snag. It could be shocking!
Article reprinted from Corey Jensen's
Colors of the
Wind. |
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