Go Fly a Kite - Seriously

by Michael Webb

I can't think of a much more romantic Sunday afternoon than a picnic followed by kite flying on a blustery day. One of the most romantic aspects of kite flying can be the making of the kites.

Kites are relatively simple to make. All you need are some wooden rods, string, small nails, glue and some sort of paper such as wax paper or parchment paper. I think it is fun to work on designing and building the kites together or have a competition to see who can make the kite that will fly the highest. If you want to go all out, you can also make a fancy tail for a kite using pieces of scrap material you may have lying around the house.

If you check out a book on kite making at the library, you can learn how to make box kites, acrobatic kites or other unique kite creations. Just remember that the most important aspect of kite making and kite flying is the time spent together.

Gather your materials, make a few sandwiches, turn on the radio and have a wonderful time making your kites together. Then go find an open, windy place to test out your creations.