A couple weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday afternoon there was a lull in the activity around the house so I declared, “Let’s go kite flying.” Everyone was game so we hopped in the van and drove across town to the big prairie park fields. I got out the three kites we had and let the kids have at it. While we were launching, a young mom came over from the playground with her very young, totally fascinated little guy. It was kind of cool talking with her about the different kites and how much fun my kids have had with them over the years, giving her suggestions for enjoying kite flying with her family.
Flying kites is one of my favorite hobbies, primarily because it requires very little physical exertion. As always, there were a few snafus with some lines getting tangled, a string that broke and a broken string winder that I’ll need to replace but overall, it was a pleasure watching the three kites darting around in the sky while we lounged around on the grass. After forty-five minutes I was getting ready to wind up and go home, but the kids wanted to stay which is always a good sign for a family outing.
Buy Quality Nylon Kites
Yesterday I came upon a cool huge nylon tropical fish kite at the Salvation Army store and I couldn’t resist buying it for my youngest. He was pretty excited when we put it together and discovered that it looked big enough to get him into the air. I’m really curious as to how well it flies and to determine if it’s going to make it into the kite arsenal we keep in the van.
It was over 20 years ago my brother gave me a nylon Parafoil kite that we keep stuffed in a gallon ziplock bag in the trunk of my car. That thing has been one of the best gifts ever as I have pulled it out over and over during impromptu little breaks when we’ve had time to kill. It has no sticks to break and flies really well. A number of years later I got a fold-up, nylon, Bugs Bunny, diamond kite for my daughter while on vacation in Myrtle Beach. After that I acquired a nylon box kite that flies really well, but needed to have a spar replaced last spring. I love the fact that they are all really quality nylon kites and that they are different styles which makes flying them really interesting.
Here are some suggestions to make flying kites with your kids enjoyable.
Get a good, simple kite (I prefer nylon) that flies well in a wide variety of wind conditions. They usually have wind ratings listed on the packaging and difficulty levels for flying. Or better yet get a few different types of kites.
Don’t fly if the wind conditions aren’t right. Kite flying is not meant to be a running activity. Try to fly with the sun at your back.
You don’t have to fly with all your string out to have a good time. You want the kite high enough to catch the wind, but not so high that you have a terrible time bringing it back down.
Be careful about where you fly your kites. Trees, power lines and water are not our friends.
One of my favorite games when the kids were little was to challenge them to “stomp the shadow.” They tried to keep stepping on the kite’s shadow. It was a great way to tire them out:)
We’d make parachutes using paper napkins, cellophane tape, thread and paper clips. The strings would be cut to the length of the diagonal corner to corner of the napkins taped to small rocks or washers. Open up the paper clips 90 degrees and attach it to the middle of the napkin with tape. Hook the clip to the string and let the wind carry it up. When it gets near the top shake it off and let the kids chase it.
Use a good kite winder. Usually simple is best. I like the ones that are pretty much just a handle with some hooks
Bring along a blanket or something to sit on and some snacks.
The most important thing is for everyone to have a good time. Expect there to be accidents and things to deal with; that’s just part of the experience. With a little preparation and the right attitude, we can avoid associating flying kites with Charlie Brown.
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