Kite and wind activities for kids

Safety first

Stay with a grown-up the whole time, and choose a wide open space such as a field, a large park or a playground, away from roads. Keep well clear of power lines, poles, trees and the edges of rooftops or balconies. Never fly a kite near ponds, drains, canals or any flowing water, and walk instead of running when the ground is wet or slippery. Do not play outdoors during a thunderstorm or when the sky looks stormy. Use only soft cotton thread or plain kite string. Sharp, glass-coated or metal string is never safe, and gloves can help if a line pulls. Drop the line and tell your grown-up if a kite snags on anything. Age hints are only a guide, so you know your child best.

1. Ribbon wand

Age hint: 3 and up.

Bring: a stick or wooden spoon, and strips of light cloth, ribbon or crepe paper.

1. Tie or tape three or four strips to the end of the stick.
2. Hold the wand up in the open and watch the strips stream out.
3. Turn slowly in a circle and see which way the strips point.
4. Try walking, then standing still, then walking the other way.

Notice: Do the strips lift or flop when you stand still?

2. Pocket windsock

Age hint: 4 and up.

Bring: a paper cup with the bottom cut out by a grown-up, tissue paper strips, glue or tape, and thread.

1. Glue tissue strips around the open bottom edge of the cup.
2. Ask your grown-up to poke two small holes near the rim and loop thread through them.
3. Hang it from a low branch or a fence, within easy reach of a grown-up.
4. Watch the strips and the cup turn as the air moves.

Notice: Where does the windsock point, and does it change after a few minutes?

3. Paper pinwheel

Age hint: 5 and up.

Bring: a square of paper, a pencil with an eraser, and a pin or split pin that only your grown-up handles.

1. Draw two lines from corner to corner and cut from each corner about halfway to the middle.
2. Fold every other point into the centre, without creasing.
3. Ask your grown-up to fix the folded points to the pencil eraser with the pin.
4. Hold it up in the breeze, or blow gently, and watch it spin. Keep the pin end pointing away from faces.

Notice: Does it spin faster when you walk, or when you stand still?

4. Small paper kite

Age hint: 6 and up with help.

Bring: light paper, two thin sticks or straws, tape, a short piece of cotton thread, and a ribbon for a tail.

1. Make a cross with the two sticks and tape the middle.
2. Tape the paper over it in a diamond shape and add a tail at the bottom.
3. Tie the thread to the centre, leaving a grown-up to check the knot.
4. On a light breezy day, hold the thread loosely and walk slowly in an open space.

Notice: What happens to your kite when you add a longer tail?

5. Kite decorating

Age hint: 3 and up.

Bring: a ready-made paper kite shape or a large paper diamond, crayons, and colour pens.

1. Draw a pattern on your kite, such as stripes, dots or a simple rangoli-style border.
2. Pick bright colours that you can spot from far away.
3. Add your name or a small picture on one corner.
4. Hold your kite up to the sky and see how the colours look against the clouds.

Notice: Which colours stand out most when your kite is far away?

6. Wind spotting walk

Age hint: 3 and up.

Bring: nothing at all, or a small notebook and a pencil.

1. Walk slowly and look for things the wind moves, such as leaves, washing, flags and grass.
2. Stop and feel the air on your face and your hands.
3. Point to each thing you see moving, and describe it in your own words.
4. Draw or tell your grown-up your favourite moving thing.

Notice: Which thing moved most, and which one did not move at all?

More to do on Rangooo

Look up and learn more with weather watching activities, run about with outdoor games for kids, take a stroll with nature walk activities, fold paper with easy origami, craft more with easy paper crafts, draw borders with easy rangoli designs, read about harvest festivals in January, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

What is a good age for kite and wind activities?

Most of these ideas suit ages three to eight with a grown-up. The ribbon wand, kite decorating and wind spotting walk work well for the youngest children, while the pinwheel and small paper kite suit slightly older ones with help.

Can we try these on a day with no wind?

Yes. Decorating a kite, making a pinwheel or windsock, and drawing a plan for a later day all work indoors. Fly or hang them outside once a light breeze comes, and skip the outing if the wind feels strong.

Where is the safest place to fly a small kite?

Choose a wide open space with a grown-up, away from roads, power lines, trees, ponds and rooftop edges. Keep to dry ground, use soft cotton thread and never go out in a thunderstorm.

In India, is kite flying linked to any festival?

In many regions, kite flying is part of January harvest celebrations, such as Makar Sankranti and Uttarayan in Gujarat. Customs differ from place to place, so ask your family how they celebrate.