It is DIY, cheap and fun. The old fashioned kite is making a comeback. It is the perfect toy, quiet in use and it works without batteries.
The reason may be that the ancient kite (it has been flying the skies for well over 2,000 years) is "green". Powered by the wind, it draws its owner into wide open spaces and the fresh air. When the owner is a child, the whole family tends to get involved. In short, and to use a common expression, "it is user friendly."
During a holiday in America I visited a store entirely devoted to the sale of kites. It was an Aladdin's cave with kites covering every surface. Hanging from the ceiling and covering the walls with their spectacular tails. They reminded me of sleeping beauties waiting for the kiss of a breeze to waken them from a long slumber.
'Customers come from as far away as Germany,' the shop assistant volunteered. She thought it was the variety available that attracted them. It was a refreshing store to stroll around, with not a battery or electronic device to be seen.
Even a paper bird, activated by a tightly wound elastic band, seemed a little out of place there.
A kite flies mainly because of wind pressure underneath which lifts it, the line keeping it under pressure. The tail adds drag to stabilize and keep the kite facing into the wind. Kite flying requires skill, coupled with a wind velocity of between 8-20 miles an hour. Alternatively, allowing the kite line to slacken and then quickly reeling it in, will cause the kite to rise.
That, very simply, is the why and how of kite flying, but the joy is in the making and the flying - a real "hands on" experience.
A variety of materials are suitable, brown or crepe paper, lightweight cloth or plastic. Struts of light wood in the shape of a cross or a hexagonal are the most popular frames for a kite.
If you make your own kite then it can be a unique creation. Fly the flag, the skull and crossbones, or the colours of your football team. Give it a face, or a message, the choice is yours.
A really spectacular hexagonal' kite can be made using a light weight foil fringe and stringing it around the five sides of a hexagonal kite. With the wind crackling through the fringe, the sun glinting on its face and a flashing tail streaming out behind this is a kite to be remembered for years to come.
Perhaps that is what kite flying is all about. Making memories. Memories to treasure of family outings, sunny days and the joy of doing simple things together.
Go, fly a kite and have a lot of fun!
